Metalcore heavyweights Wage War took a little detour from their support slot on Papa Roach’s ‘Infest’ anniversary tour to charm Glasgow’s SWG3.
Taking place on a Tuesday night Wage War and support band Rituals took over SWG3 with an explosive performance. For an early week show even the crowd were in good spirits, ready to be won over by both acts.
Warming up the room with about as much energy as the stage could hold, Newcastle’s Rituals were a force. This was my first time really having heard of these guys and I’m honestly disappointed that I wasn’t listening to them sooner. Their show is welcoming and unrelentingly heavy, I found myself very quickly moving from my comfy space at the back to right into the crowd so that I could fully experience the energy that filled the room.
The way the four-piece make up their modern sound pairing growls and harsh vocals with bouncy riffs that’ll make you want to get up and move around, is one of the reasons I would say they are now one of my favourite up and coming bands in the scene. Their exciting sound is further complimented by the presence they take on stage, as if they were a band who have been up there for over ten years.
The raw power of Rituals I found was shown especially in tracks like ‘Broken Spirit’, which I actually haven’t stopped listening to since that night. Whereas songs like their recent single ‘Deathwish’ took on a more fun persona, the frontman even took a couple of moments to have a boogie on stage throughout the set.
Rituals finished off with the only track I’d actually heard before ‘Snakes Head’ which was in my opinion the catchiest one, the chorus was built for a crowd to sing-a-long with. These guys are the kind of band that are easily gaining fans from every stage they grace, and they have definitely gained one here.
Once it was time for Wage War the room had filled up reasonably and there was such a silly but wholesome atmosphere in the air, people shouting funny phrases or noises into the room getting met with laughter, which carried on throughout the bands set. One of the first things lead vocalist Briton Bond stated was “there is no you, no me, there is only us” and that sentiment was easily felt in SWG3 that night.
Wage War are a band that have clearly perfected their craft and you know you are watching a group of professionals yet they still appear like human beings who are having the time of their lives. I’ve been a fan of Wage War for a while now and seeing them live proved to me how talented they are as musicians, never seeming to slip once.
Playing what felt like quite a short set, yet that could just be because I was enjoying myself too much, the quintet manages to fit in songs from all across their discography but seeming to mainly focus on tracks from their most recent album ‘STIGMA’. This included a song that literally lives at the top of my On Repeat Playlist ‘Nail5’, which I was curious to see how they would deliver live, and I soon got my answer, vocalist Briton Bond seems to reach a new demonic depth with the lower vocals in this one.
My absolute favourite thing about seeing the Florida group live was the way they can pull off the songs that focus more on pop melodies and soft vocals just as well as the heavier striking tracks. With main vocalist Bond seeming to take the heavier stuff while rhythm guitarist Cody Quistad fills in the softer songs Wage War have achieved a dynamic sound that translates beautifully live.
Every moment from the bands set was filled with good energy but I can’t not mention the two songs that stole the show ‘Happy Hunting’ and ‘Manic’, both tracks had the room exploding with everyone singing the words and jumping around, headbanging or moshing.
I can’t finish this off without also mentioning the lighting for the night which I feel really added a layer to the bands performances, and made the whole atmosphere feel more like, as someone in the audience, you were really in the show.
Rituals and Wage War are two bands rising up the ranks at their respective levels and I expect to see them both continue reaching new heights, if their live shows are anything to go by they will be gaining fans everywhere they go.