We gotta talk about it Wage War coming through Atlanta on Friday night as they brought their It Calls Me By Name Tour to town. I will be discussing things like set list, and elements of the show, so just be aware there are some spoilers ahead.
If you didn’t know, Wage War is an Ocala, Fla., based metalcore band that’s recently put out an EP — It Calls Me By Name. If you haven’t listened to the EP yet, I highly recommend it as the project is one of my all time favorites from the band. The EP is heavily based on the band’s Florida roots, as its focus is around the American Alligator found in the Everglades. Gators are very important iconography for the state itself; those scaly elements can be found sprinkled throughout the EP and the tour.
The supporting acts for this tour are bands Orthodox and Nevertel, which we’re an incredible choice for this show as they match the heavy and chaotic fun energy Wage War is known to bring to stage. When it came time for Wage War to take stage, the space was transformed to look just like the Everglades — from the mics adorned with greenery to the tall grass surrounding the back of the stage. As a Florida born and raised girl, it was very cool to the the swamp I know so well brought to Atlanta.
The set began right out the gate with a song from the EP that perfectly set the tone of flow for the rest of the set — “4×4.”
They played the following songs in order at my show:
- 4×4
- Alive
- NAIL5
- BLUR
- KARMA
- Don’t Let Me Fade Away
- Teeth
- Low
- TOMBSTONE
- Who I AM
- Relapse
- Death Roll
- Gravity (acoustic)
Circle The Drain - PURIFY
- MAGNETIC
- Stitch
- Manic
- BLINDFOLD
- SONG OF THE SWAMP
This show was so expertly planned from the set list, the participation of the crowd and the careful immersion to bring swamp metal all over the states, so of course we have to go over the highlights from the show. There’s a moment when alligator inflatables are tossed into the audience, many of which were carried out and tossed back in by crowd surfers or used in the massive pit as a cushion to push patrons into each other.
Other memorable moments were rooted in crowd participation, as fans were able to choose between the songs “Who I Am” and “Relapse.” It was incredibly close but “Who I Am” ended up being victorious (which I was personally very happy about). During “MAGNETIC” fans were treated to Jeremy Michel from Nevertel joining Wage War on stage to sing, which is one of the best performances of this song I’ve seen. My favorite performances of the night had to be the acoustic cover of “Gravity,” “KARMA,” “PURIFY” and, of course, “SONG OF THE SWAMP.”
The set closed with “Manic,” “BLINDFOLD,” and “SONG OF THE SWAMP,” all of which had me completely captivated until it was time to buy merch and shuffle out the door. Leaving the swamp behind, pretty certain I am in fact half gator at this point. The experience truly felt so immersive into the EP, like Wage War had invited us personally into the Everglades for a show based in swamp metal that I am sure is Florida gator approved.
If you haven’t seen this tour yet, I highly encourage you to buy your tickets and head to the swamp. Wage War consistently manages to impress me every tour or show they take on, and this is no exception. Just as this EP is one of my favorite bodies of work by the band, this show is currently one of the best I’ve seen this year.
