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WAGE WAR

Stigma

Fearless
rating icon 8 / 10

Track listing:

01. THE SHOWS ABOUT TO START
02. SELF SACRIFICE
03. MAGNETIC
04. NAIL5
05. BLUR
06. TOMBSTONE
07. HAPPY HUNTING
08. HELLBENT
09. IN MY BLOOD
10. IS THIS HOW IT ENDS?

Metalcore is a lot of things these days, but boring it is not. The genre's ability to continue to evolve and present imaginative, explosive music that fuses a variety of heavy genres, from hardcore to punk to electronic, keeps it hot and interesting.

"Stigma" is metalcore rising stars' WAGE WAR's follow-up to 2021's "Manic". While Florida's WAGE WAR have been releasing albums since 2015, "Manic" really marked their breakthrough, presenting a more mainstream sound, with clean choruses and metalcore in the style of bands such as ARCHITECTS and PARKWAY DRIVE.

While WAGE WAR's style continues to evolve as they solidify their sound as a band, one thing that isn't changing is the band's penchant for blending aggressive riffing with an uplifting, positive message.

WAGE WAR's evolution shows on "Stigma" with lead single "Magnetic". This is a soft, ethereal song, which is unusual for the band and gives a nod to contemporaries BAD OMENS and SLEEP TOKEN. "Magnetic" has pop vocals, with heavy effects on Briton Bond's vocal lines, and rich guitars, making this a very pop-friendly song. It's also the most mainstream-sounding song these guys have released to date.

"Magnetic" marks new territory for WAGE WAR, but that's not where it ends. This album also shows a heavy influence of industrial and electronic music, with lots of industrial beats and electronic programming. Songs like "Self Sacrifice" and "The Shows About to Start" would fit alongside STATIC-X and POWERMAN 5000 on a playlist, sharing that same pulsating, dramatic beat.

"Tombstone" is one of the most intriguing songs on the album, as it takes the listener on a manic journey. It begins with menacing rhythms and distant guitars before launching into a full-out vocal assault, with Bond screaming and raging at the top of his lungs. "Is This How It Ends" closes the album with a more traditional sounding WAGE WAR song, really highlighting Bond's clean vocals and upper register.

WAGE WAR have more than proven themselves to be an up-and-comer in the heavy music world and a band to keep your ears on.

Author: Anne Erickson
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