Some bands are seemingly made for the era they inhabit, and case in point being Wage War, a combo so in tune with the prevailing zeitgeist, it’s scary. Formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2010, they deliver a ferocious brand of metalcore that provides the perfect soundtrack to a planet plague by conflict and quarrel. Studio album number six, the cryptically-titled Landfall, finds the band honing their craft, delivering a (lucky) thirteen cuts that explode as if grenades and light up the sky like phosphorous flares. As such, it should really come with a health warning (i.e., “For hardy souls only”), but for those who like their speakers demolished, here’s the sound of Wage War.

Proceeded by a five track EP (It Calls Me By Name) that contained several tunes which appear on this album makes Landfall not a completely unknown entity, however, nothing can prepare us for the sonic onslaught that is opening (and title) track ‘Landfall’. Introduced by a pitch of white noise and a serrated riff that disorientates the listener, meaning that when the band kick in at the twenty-second mark, they kick in hard. Swinging from speaker to speaker with wrecking ball force, you can quite easily visualise pits erupting wherever its unleashed and would also make for a great set opener. Like a metalcore version of Bolt Thrower, Wage War deliver drums that hit like artillery fire and riffs that roll on tank tracks, ‘Landfall’ places the listener in the eye of the storm and finds Wage War living up to their moniker. However, whilst Wage War tend to veer towards the heavy, they are far from one dimensional. The album is the band’s most textured effort, employing musical dynamics to great effect; gruff vocals counterpointed by the clean, quiet sections enhanced by the loud, and dense slabs of sonics interspersed by slivers of blank space, each acting as a foil to highlight and enhance the other. It makes tracks like ‘God Complex’ (indeed, the whole record) akin to stepping into a hall of mirrors with sound fractured and reflected in all directions. It’s an approach that ensures the following ‘Stay With Me’ is all the more emotive, which in turn brings out the melodic sensibility found on ‘Silence Has Spoken’. With no two songs inhabiting the same sonic space, Landfall is an old school album that’ll reward a complete listen; whilst it’s perfectly feasible to dip in and out and enjoy these songs individually (several have been released as singles), it’s best consumed whole to full appreciate its ebb and flow as the band constantly alter your perception through the shifting sounds employed.

Now that War War have been active for sixteen years, you could say that they’ve finally come of age with Landfall. Utilising the freedom that metalcore offers to its full extent, Wage War bring their battle to your stereo.

• Landfall is released via Fearless Records on 9th October 2026.

Track List:

1. Landfall
2. Sweet Dreams’
3. Silk
4. Figure 8
5. God Complex
6. Stay With Me
7. Silence Has Spoken
8. Way Of Pain
9. Red Dot
10. Blindfold
11. Spellbound
12. Song Of The Swamp
13. Silhouette