The release we have all been waiting for, Wage War’s newest album release, Manic. Every single we’ve gotten from them so far has proven to be absolute bangers and personally I knew they weren’t going to disappoint with this new album, and it was starting to become clear that Wage War was going to make it their year. We start off with Relapse, with a killer riff and what sounds like a pick up from where they had last left off with from their previous album, Pressure but don’t be fooled because clean vocalist, Cody Quistad come in with absolute chilling vocals followed by the heavier vocals from Briton Bond, which if I haven’t said it once before I got to say again they are the absolute perfect pair of vocalists and this is very much proven once again in Relapse and the ending gets us ready for how the rest of the album is with a killer breakdown at the end. We flow into Teeth, which we had received as a single earlier this year. There is no denying this album is a completely new sound for the band but it’s a perfect mix of their newest sound and the heavier element from their past work. Teeth has been a song I’ve definitely repeated plenty of times since it had come up, it’s become one of my favorites and I am absolutely living for the sound of the synths and the metal core sound. Manic, in my personal opinion, is their most experimental song off the album. It definitely has a twist with Quistad’s slowed rap verses and it’s very heavy on the synths but have no fear we kick into high gear during the chorus. It’s a fun song to be singing along to and build into screaming during the chorus. High Horse and Circle The Drain, the other two singles we got this year keep the heavy flow of the album; the two singles have made their way to the top five streamed songs for the band on their Spotify page and have made their way to a well-deserved spot in metal playlists. Halfway through the album we get into Godspeed, and it’s becoming hard to pick out a favorite off the album! Lyrically I think it might rank as a favorite especially with the pre-chorus, “you paralyze the best in me, so all I’d feel is misery.” The song is once again a perfect blend of both vocalists and one of the few songs that stay a constant headbanger. Death Roll, this one is a complete jaw dropper, from the guitar’s riffs and solo, to Britton Bond’s beastial vocals it is a certified song to get rowdy to, I’ll be surprised if this song doesn’t make setlists. Death Roll takes its place as the heaviest song on the album. As the album continues, we hear all around the same elements, and would it really be an album if we didn’t get one gut puncher song, which once again is one of my favorite thing about albums, we hear that on Never Said Goodbye with a lot of it vocally carried by Quistad.
It is safe to say that Manic will be an album very much debated about when the year comes to an end on being album of the year, Wage War definitely seem to have found their sound on this album and whether you were an older fan or newer one I believe this album is the perfect fit for both sides. If you haven’t given them a listen, the time is now to get into Wage War and prepare yourself for what’s to come, now all that’s left is to keep fingers crossed for a tour! Manic gets a solid rating of 10/10.
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