Wage War: Separation From Expectation
When a band grows, so does their audience who have strong opinions about their musical direction. Having made a name for themselves in the modern metal scene, WAGE WAR know that you can’t please everyone, so you have to focus on creating the music that you love.
There have been mutterings over the past couple of years that some fans of WAGE WAR’s earlier sound have been less keen on their newer direction which incorporates more experimental elements and an exploration into some cleaner melodies. However, with their recent success in the metal scene, it is clear these opinions are of the minority. Bassist Chris Gaylord spoke to Distorted Sound about why their new album Stigma sticks out amongst their discography, and how they don’t want to be stuck in a cage of expected genre conventions.
“Stigma is so important to me because we were able to further define ourselves,” he says. “It gave us a chance to separate ourselves from expectations or the traditional box we felt placed in.”
Creating original music is hard enough right now when the metalcore scene especially has become so saturated, but WAGE WAR have managed to stand out. The next task is to develop their sound even further so that each album delivers something new and exciting. Chris says, “overall, Stigma has a more industrial sound than our previous records. We looked to bands we grew up listening to in the 90s and early 2000s for inspiration. METALLICA, STATIC X, POWERMAN 5000, SLIPKNOT to name a few.” Throughout this new release, you can hear the gritty nature of these influences on a number of tracks. There is definitely still the “WAGE WAR sound”, but the band don’t limit themselves when it comes to the creative process. “Our musical tastes change year to year and we typically incorporate different styles that are clicking with us at that moment.”
Chris explains the band really appreciate the creative process for this new album, feeling like all the pieces kept fitting into place. “Our writing trips stand out most to me. We took a week trip to Cody [Quistad, guitars/vocals]’s home studio and Nashville and there was a great energy the entire time. Everyone felt on the same page and we just enjoyed having fun with the process and let each song have its own identity.” It’s clear the band felt content in the writing process, and even proved you don’t need to spend months on one track to create what is sure to be a classic WAGE WAR tune.
“We essentially wrote all of Tombstone in one day and had Briton [Bond, vocals] tracking vocals until late at night.” Chris explains what it is about the track that really gives it that longevity. “My favourite part is the first time the drums come in. The blast beat is a shocker and sets the tone for the rest of what is to come.”
Speaking of more standout tracks on the album, he mentions that he’s most excited to play Blur live for the first time. “It’s got so many elements that I love about our band.” You can tell the band really envisioned a love setting when creating this album, especially with opener The Show’s About To Start. “I’d say the entire writing process of this song had a live scenario in mind. It’s the records intro, but more so it was built to open our set for the next two years. It’s all about the feelings of anticipation and camaraderie at a show and we hope it gets people moving.”
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to go to a WAGE WAR show, you know they get that crowd going. For UK fans, it seems we may be able to witness the band live again soon. “We had the UK and Europe in mind when writing a lot of this record and can’t wait to come back. Two years is too long.”
With five albums under their belt, WAGE WAR have well and truly established themselves. Fans will notice that all these albums follow the format of a one word title. Chris explains this isn’t really a forced rule. “For the most part the titles have come pretty naturally in the process. We’ve never really had a ‘themed’ album, but I think we aim to find a word that covers the mindset of the record.” And Stigma definitely does that. An album filled with hard hitting rhythms and tantalising riffs, accompanied by aggressive vocals and punchy lyrics – what’s not to love?
As we call time on our talk with Chris, he finishes, “it has been very rewarding to see the growth we’ve had over the years and always want to do more.” And we’re sure their fans are more than excited to see what comes next.
Stigma is out now via Fearless Records.
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