Album Review: Wage War – Manic (Fearless Records)

Florida metalcore quintet Wage War will release their fourth full-length album, ‘Manic’, on the 1st of October 2021 via Fearless Records.

Says the band:

Manic encompasses everything we’ve gone through as musicians in the last year-and-a-half. The whole industry halted, and we technically lost our jobs. Our scene was among the first to leave and the last to come back. The album captures the whole period.

No longer a band to watch but rather a band to be completely on board with, Wage War have some pent-up feelings to unleash and Manic is the result of that. Relapse combines danceable electronica with vigorous and stiffer metal hits, all designed around a powerful and memorable chorus.

Wilder and more pointed (it’s about toxic relationships), Teeth slams hard and the serrated edge to the riffs really stand out. Before the title track has Wage War double down on their blend of blistering heaviness and groovy danceable effects. This track does feature the heaviest breakdown so far.

Though, those are a standard throughout. As are the stompy eruptions and frenzied bouts of vehemence. Look no further than the raging High Horse, the massively anthemic Circle the Drain or the animated, heavy bounce of Godspeed if you want see the best of what Wage War are delivering on this new album.

It’s all quality stuff and there’s no drop in the second half as Death Roll is a furious ball of heavy metalcore energy. The instruments all hitting as hard as possible but the vocals being absolutely killer. It’s two melodic-focused efforts next though; Slow Burn with a sinister tone throughout and Never Said Goodbye, a confident sounding psalm that will have packed out crowds singing along loudly.

A meaty metal heavyweight is needed now though and we get two with the penultimate track True Colors. Where Wage War deliver robust energy and the encouragement to get a bit wilder is back and stronger than ever. Before the finale of If Tomorrow Never Comes has the unit leaving with a bang and one hell of a chorus.

Wage War – Manic Full Track Listing:

1. Relapse
2. Teeth
3. Manic
4. High Horse
5. Circle the Drain
6. Godspeed
7. Death Roll
8. Slow Burn
9. Never Said Goodbye
10. True Colors
11. If Tomorrow Never Comes

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