Wage War

Formed in 2010 in Ocala, Florida—originally under the name Empires and briefly as War Within—Wage War built its reputation on the American metalcore scene as a five-piece combining clean singing and harsh screams, massive guitars and more melodic choruses. The band comprises Briton Bond, Seth Blake, Cody Quistad, Chris Gaylord and Stephen Kluesener, and their sound moves between melodic metalcore, post-hardcore and hard rock. After the self-released EP The Fall of Kings in 2011, Wage War signed to Fearless Records in 2015 and launched their studio discography with Blueprints (2015), followed by Deadweight (2017), Pressure (2019), Manic (2021) and Stigma (2024). Across these releases, Wage War evolved from a formula rooted in breakdowns and hardcore urgency toward more open compositions, while retaining heavy riffs and vocal contrasts. The band’s trajectory also includes a steady presence on metal and punk-hardcore tours and festivals—most notably the Vans Warped Tour—and shared bills with Parkway Drive, August Burns Red, I Prevail and Disturbed.