ALBUM REVIEW ~ WAGE WAR ~ 'STIGMA'

I'm music magazine, wage war, stigma, cody quistad, briton bond, cody quistad, seth blake, chris gaylord, stephen kluesener, magnetic, blur, happy hunting, in my blood, is this how it ends, metalcore

The new Wage War album STIGMA was released on June 21, 2024! Stigma is not only the name of this groundbreaking album for the band, but guitarist and vocalist Cody Quistad stated that this album helps to break the stigma of the genre and “break boundaries sonically and lyrically and moves the genre forward. It’s a statement. We’re stepping out, breaking free from whatever subgenre we fit into, and saying something.”

Wage War is no stranger to the scene, as the quintet made up of Briton Bond [lead vocals], Cody Quistad [rhythm guitar, clean vocals], Seth Blake [lead guitar], Chris Gaylord [bass], and Stephen Kluesener [drums] released their debut album titled Blueprints in 2015. They have received immense success with singles such as “Low,” “Stitch,” and “Maniac.” Their inspirations for Stigma include Rammstein and Static-X with a more industrial sound incorporating synthesizers for an eerie touch alluding to movies such as The Matrix.

“MAGNETIC” – The lead single on the album is very emotional in the context of a person trying to escape a relationship but getting sucked back into the relationship saying “Try to push away, but I’m right back at it. You and me are always gonna be magnetic.” 1:52 brings a glitchy interlude that leads into a breakdown.

“BLUR” – A groovy upbeat drum intro that quickly subsides into lucid eerie vocals helps the song to build into an explosion of heavier vocals. The rhythm guitar riff underneath the percussive elements directly helps to build the intensity of a fantastic chorus explosion. A modulation occurs around the 2:00 mark that leads to a drum and vocal driven breakdown before completely belting out to the end of the song.

“TOMBSTONE” – The lurking undertone with drums helps to bring the heaviest opening breakdown on the whole album. From that very first peak it drives to 100 throughout the whole song, with some double bass action being incorporated. The excellent extreme vocals around 2:15 helps lead to a very crunchy and crisp guitar take over. This is a song that is ready to be played at festivals to rally the crowd for a hype show!

“HAPPY HUNTING” – The driving beat starting around the 0:05 mark is a direct ode to Static-X in the absolute best way! It storms right out of the gate with an electric current dance beat that any industrial metal listener will enjoy! The chorus is very pushing (get it) and will be stuck on rewind, as it is my favorite song of the whole album. Cody describes this tune as being very “chanty, and it has this energy where you’re jumping up and down the whole time.”

“IN MY BLOOD” – My second favorite tune of the album, the energetic verse leads right into what is arguably the catchiest chorus chords of the whole album. The opening riff is punchy, and this song is extremely vigorous in energy level for a chorus to sing along.

“IS THIS HOW IT ENDS?” – An absolutely perfect sendoff song that will leave listeners craving for more! Beginning with sample tracks, the guitar helps to drive the song into a more industrial and spacey reverb sound. Overall, this really showcases Wage War’s ability to include a song for every emotion, as it is about the “dichotomy of lovers to strangers,” and the massive ending.

Wage War really covered all the basis on STIGMA, from industrial to metalcore roots and beyond. You can mosh, dance, and reflect all in one completely diverse album. Make sure to pick it up for a listen – OUT NOW!

I’m Music Magazine Writer Angelica Bohurjak