Well…that did not take long. Not even a full two years after releasing its then latest studio recording, its album, Stigma, Wage War has followed up that record with a new record, its EP, It Calls Me By Name. Released late last month through Fearless Records, the five-song record is another presentation from the band that proves worth hearing at least once. This is proven through both its musical and lyrical content. Throughout the course of the 15-minute record, the band switches up sounds and styles just enough to keep things interesting while also presenting lyrical themes that definitely make for their own share of thought. Case in point is the EP’s opener, ‘Song of the Swamp.’ This song will be discussed shortly. ‘Karma,’ the record’s penultimate entry does just as much to support the noted statement regarding the EP’s overall content. It will be discussed a little later. ‘Blindfold,’ the EP’s third track, is yet one more example of how the record’s overall content makes it worth hearing. When it is considered alongside the other two songs noted here and that trio with the EP’s two remaining songs, the whole makes It Calls Me By Name a strong new offering from Wage War a positive new offering from the band.
It Calls Me By Name, the recently released new EP from Wage War (only the band’s second ever EP behind its independently released 2011 EP, The Fall of Kings, is an impressive new offering from the veteran metal outfit. The record proves worth hearing thanks to its musical and lyrical content. This is proven from the beginning to end of the brief presentation. The EP’s lead single/opener, ‘Song of The Swamp’ makes that clear with its deathcore style arrangement. From front man Briton Bond’s screams, which are comparable to those of Whitechapel front man Phil Bozeman at times, to the intense instrumental performances by his band mates – guitarists Seth Blake and Cody Quistad, bassist Chris Gaylord, and drummer Stephen Kluesner – the song’s overall musical composition is a powerhouse presentation whose punch is fully impacting through its own three-minute-plus run time.
The song’s lyrical content is tame on the surface but when examined on a deeper level (maybe this is just this critic overthinking things. If so, oh well), it comes across almost as some kind of brutal horror movie. This as Bond screams in the song’s chorus of the deadly alligator, “Eyes roll back/When the teeth bite down/The beast stays fed/And the weak will drown/Deeper and deeper/Down to the bottom you go/Leave the bones for the bottom feeders/And the flesh for the crows.” This is a pretty dramatic visual. It definitely makes a person rethink going into a swamp, needless to say. The reminder in the song’s finale about the alligator’s power adds to that horror movie sense as an announcer states of the alligator, “An alligator/The American version of the crocodile/Lies hidden in the swamps/Fish are the basis of their diet/But they eat anything they can overpower.” That final statement, that “they eat anything they can overpower” adds to the sense of horror here. It generates that “tingle” of fear that humans love to have and together with the song’s equally intense musical arrangement, makes the song in whole a clear example of how much this EP has to offer.
‘Karma,’ the EP’s penultimate entry, is another example of the strength of It Calls Me By Name. The song’s musical arrangement takes the record in a direction completely different from that of ‘Swamp Song.’ In place of the deathcore style instrumentation and vocals is a more prominent use of electronics and production to give the song its own identity within the bigger picture of the record. That at approach is used primarily in the song’s verses while the chorus is more of an emo type performance. The song’s breakdown utilizes what can only be described as a sort of “rapping” to make for even more interest. The whole is a presentation that holds its own among the record’s tracks and further shows the importance of the EP’s musical body.
The fire in the song’s musical arrangement works well with the lyrical content, which delivers a message of a person getting what they deserve. This as Briton screams right from the song’s outset, “You can’t escape karma.” He continues in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “See no saints in the mirror/Sins past due to the dealer/Can you feel the ice cold breath/Like a noose on the neck/Pound of flesh for the reaper/Pale skin crawls like an insect/Bloodstream flood like an infest/You can try to plead/But the rope still swings/And the sharp blade slings/For the death blessed/This is what you think it is/I hope you’re paranoid/I pray the punishment fits/As if you had a choice.” This is pure anger. This is “you’re gonna get yours.” It is a fully impacting statement that is sure to be therapeutic for any listener considering how many people are out there who deserve to have karma get them in the end. Bond adds as the chorus continues, “Dig yourself a grave/And make your peace/Bow your head/And face the guillotine.” Again, herein is so much fiery emotion that will resonate with so many listeners. It is along the lines of the fiery message in another of Wage War’s notable songs, ‘High Horse.’ Quistad adds his own talents and fire to the song as he adds in the chorus, “You’re gonna drown in the debt you repay/Burn in the Hell that you made/Maybe you should be afraid/You can’t escape karma.” This overall statement is so powerful. It is a statement that will definitely resonate with listeners and in turn become a memorable addition to this EP in its own right, further showing how much the record has to offer.
Yet one more song that shows the EP’s impact is its third entry, ‘Blindfold.’ This roughly three-and-a-half-minute song is the album’s “softest,” spending most of its time in a more emo mood than the anger that fuels most of the record. As with ‘Karma,’ this song’s arrangement is dominated by electronics and distinct production that pairs with the song’s more metalcore leanings for a whole that presents its own identity within the record as well. The softly song, almost contemplative vocals couple with the subdued instrumentation to add to the unique impact. The whole therein makes the song stand out unquestionably within the bigger body of the song.
The song’s musical mood makes sense considering that lyrically, it comes across as yet another of those songs that centers on the all too familiar topic of a broken relationship. This seeming theme comes as Briton sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I could find you/With two hands over my eyes/Something binds you/A demon or the divine/Now blood runs/But it’s ice cold/I don’t wanna know too much/You drag me through the glass/Just to pour salt in the cuts/So what’s left to love?” That last statement, “What’s left to love” makes relatively clear, the apparent theme here especially in partner with that note of a person being dragged “through the glass/Just to pour salt in the cuts.” That is obvious metaphorical language for someone putting another through misery just to add insult to injury. The inferred theme is heightened even more in the song’s chorus as Quistad adds his own line, stating, “Into the dark I follow/Sick with sorrow/A heart-shaped hollow/Keep your hooks in me/never set me free.” That heart shaped hollow is apparent reference to a space where that heart once was but is now empty. The mention of the other person keeping “your hooks in me” is clear reference to that person being there, causing that pain albeit emotionally rather than physically. To that end, this song about a broken relationship is sure to appeal to specific audiences in its own right. When its melancholy musical arrangement is considered along with this all too familiar theme, the whole makes the song stand out even more. When the song is considered alongside the others examined here and that trio with the EP’s two remaining songs, the whole leaves It Calls Me By Name a mostly positive new studio offering from Wage War that is sure to tide audiences over until the release of the band’s next full-length recording.
It Calls Me By Name, the recently released new EP from Wage War, is a strong new offering from the veteran metalcore outfit. It is a presentation that established audiences and more casual listeners alike will find engaging and entertaining. This is proven through the record’s musical arrangements and its lyrical content alike, as has been evidenced here. When those songs are considered along with the EP’s two remaining entries, the whole therein leaves It Calls Me By Name one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new EPs.
It Calls Me By Name is available now. More information on the EP is available along with all of Wage War’s latest news at:
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