Wage War brings swamp-heavy sound to Sick New World as new EP lands

Wage War hit Sick New World with a sharpened edge, arriving in Las Vegas fresh off the release of its new EP It Calls Me By Name. SWOMP spoke with the Florida metalcore band ahead of its evening set, where the focus was firmly on the newly released material and the tour set to launch. The five-track EP leans heavily into the band’s roots, both geographically and sonically, drawing inspiration from the raw intensity of their home state. “It Calls Me By Name is about being drawn to your roots,” the band said. “Five tracks shaped by Florida, the swamp, and the relentless aggression of nature.” That direction is front and centre on lead single “Song of the Swamp,” a track the band describes as the “tone setter” - built on tension, aggression and a relentless, driving force that carries through the release. Wage War - Briton Bond, Cody Quistad, Seth Blake, Chris Gaylord and Stephen Kluesener - has long balanced melody with heaviness, but the new material pushes further into a more punishing sound. The band is currently on the road in support of the EP, with a spring headline run already underway and stops across the United States, including Detroit, Chicago and New York. Follow the band at https://wagewarband.com/.