Wage War was never a powerhouse in my book. While I enjoyed some parts of their 2019 output "Pressure," I thought it had some sharp weak points. Even though their 2021 effort "MANIC" received positive reactions from their fan base, I found it partially enjoyable but mostly forgettable.
"STIGMA" marks the fifth record of the Florida metalcore crew Wage War. While the singles received good reactions, I was unsure about the album's success. As I mentioned earlier, I was never a die-hard fan, but I did enjoy their heavy riffs and crushing breakdowns formula in their past efforts. Considering their first two records as their clear career highlights, their trajectory has been downhill from there. "Pressure" definitely contained some of their strongest material like "Who I Am," "Ghost," and the brilliant "Low." However, the general lack of focus in the record made it hard to engage with from front to back. Needless to say, "MANIC" was no different, with even less focus. While tracks like "Relapse," "Manic," and "Death Roll" kept my attention, pieces like "Circle the Drain" and "Slow Burn" felt uninspired and pointless.
All the aspects I mentioned above became what I missed about the band when I listened to "STIGMA." The newest effort from the Florida metalcore crew is their most unfocused, uninspired, and lost record. I actually enjoyed "NAIL5" a bit when it was released, but the repetitiveness of the track always bothered me. And "MAGNETIC" might be one of the worst pop songs I've ever laid my ears on. Its wannabe-catchy hook is incredibly annoying, like the worst Taylor Swift hook combined with a regular 5 Seconds of Summer song.
There are silver linings, at least I believe so. While "STIGMA" is Wage War's mainstream aim, their heavy side is also present. Though it's far from original, I enjoyed "SELF-SACRIFICE," and the track "TOMBSTONE" has the heavy side that I admired in their previous releases. Unfortunately, that's about all I can say about the positive sides of the record. Even if the bland pop hooks like "MAGNETIC," "HELLBENT," and "IS THIS HOW IT ENDS?" were cut from the record and replaced by tunes similar to what I mentioned above, we might have been looking at a similar effort to "Pressure" and far better than "MANIC."
But, needless to say, it is what it is, and "STIGMA" is Wage War's newest output. And what a hot mess it is. It loses its audience in a heartbeat, and it's impossible to catch its flow because there is no flow at all. Creating a different kind of breed by mixing dubstep elements, poppy hooks and choruses, and heavy breakdowns is totally okay. But if you're not doing it like "Siamese," don't do it.
HIGHLIGHTS:
SELF-SACRIFICE
TOMBSTONE
RATING: 3.0/10
#wagewar #metalcore #albumreview #metalcorebands #modernmetal #siamese #taylorswift #5secondsofsummer #metalmusicreviews #rockmusicreviews #bestmetalalbums2024 #popmusic #pressure #manic #metalalbums #bestmetal2024
Comments