Wage War - Landfall Review
Metalcore outfit Wage War deliver a memorable comeback record that establishes their intent as a band.
“No One’s Safe Better Brace for the Landfall!”
Wage War vocalist Briton Bond demonstrates his sheer range from the off on ‘Landfall’, an ultimate showstopper of a track that really feels like a statement of intent for Wage War as a band. They have already supported Architects at the O2 with House of Protection, and seem to be asking: where do they go now, after a mixed reception to their last few albums and questions over whether the band still has an identity anymore? The answer is ‘Landfall’, with its rushing waves, warning sirens and call to arms: “No One’s Safe…” It’s a screamo anthem that really demands to be seen live.
It’s the band’s sixth album, and a real wake-up call for those who weren’t fans before. It takes the best of their heavier sound and combines it with a more melodic approach. They are on album number two for 2026, with the ever-prolific outfit’s It Calls Me By Your Name being another release in the same calendar year. It’s unfiltered, pure and aggressive, the melodic choruses hurling themselves into relentless fury with mid-range unclean vocals from Bond. Quistad is on clean vocals, somewhat dialled back, but designed to keep up with how the orchestral-esque instrumentals throw themselves at you like you’re witnessing art. The breakdowns here are off-the-charts insane, and the band are writing anthemic bangers again. We’re back, in better shape than ever.
Two releases in one year don’t need to come at the expense of quality, and the ferocious ‘Silk’ and ‘Song of the Swamp’ really showcase the band’s ability to hurtle along at breakneck speed. It is kind of cheating: two of the five songs from It Calls Me By Your Name appear on this album, but it shows the strengths of the band’s comeback. ‘Sweet Dreams’ is a delight, where the myriad of influences, from Korn to EDM, shines through with its hurling screams and signature hook-focused direction that really feels like a trademark of what Wage War are used to.
Instead of dovetailing into what doesn’t work, Wage War have shown that they are aware of what they’re good at. Cody Quistad is incredible, and the catchy hooks that he deploys are irresistibly good. It’s Wage War’s best album in years. The breakdowns throughout are incredibly perfect in scope and deployed to perfection. ‘Silk’ unleashes a torrent of rage at you, not holding anything back and getting louder and louder. There’s no warning. It’s a surprise, lethal and full of fury, echoing the likes of Polaris.
‘Spellbound’ opens with an acoustic intro that showcases Wage War’s strength and depth, its groove-led riff appropriately domineering as Bond and Quistad work together in perfect synchronisation. They are self-assured and want you to know it, as evidenced by earlier track ‘God Complex’, which declares bluntly: “I need a casket tailor-made for a god / but even Heaven knows a complex couldn’t fit in the box”, before the pre-chorus kicks in: “Take me to the other side, show me what it’s really like.” It’s triumphant, bombastic and spiritually obsessed with pain.
It’s one of the weaker tracks, sounding a bit too much like Thornhill and not enough like Wage War, but thankfully that’s few and far between. Even with this song, it’s clear that Wage War still have influence. There’s something somewhere in this bursting to come out, and that’s reflected on the rest of the album. The fun riff gives it the energy to come alive and there’s plenty of promise. Oh my god, that breakdown just hits.
This is the band’s best album since Deadweight. It’s a comeback that reminds you that Wage War have been here and aren’t afraid to make a statement of intent. If only all comeback albums had the confidence of Wage War. It captures the sense of a greatest hits record with clear evolution in their sound, with softer songs that feel distinctively more interesting than Pressure and Stigma. It has all the punch and heaviness of their first two records, the things that made them so well liked, but the melodic pauses are factored in too, as they were on their later records. The way ‘Silk’ is placed as a lead-in to ‘Figure 8’, the heavier record going into overload with a slower, softer ballad, makes it feel like an album of contrasts that really comes to life.
The Kentish Town show has my complete attention. The fact that this isn’t one of my favourite records of the year only speaks to how good 2026 has been for releases across all genres. Wage War have smashed it out of the park. Metalcore fans should be right at home.