What was once a local Ocala, FL metalcore band fills basketball arenas an hour away from their old stomping grounds. On November 1st, Wage War made a triumphant FL homecoming at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, packed with thousands of attendees, featuring a beautiful stage design, pyrotechnics, and fire. This was a must-see lineup, featuring Pop Evil, Erra, Thrown, and fellow FL-boys Fame On Fire. These ingredients combined into a spectacular evening, featuring metalcore up-and-comers and radio-rock titans.
Palm Beach metal standouts Fame On Fire opened the evening. They have been on a soaring trajectory with their slew of radio hits. They kicked off the festivities with a track from their newest album, the tarot-inspired, The Death Card, "Nightmare (The Devil)". While Fame On Fire mostly played songs from their recent release, they also threw in a crowd-favorite, "Welcome To The Chaos" for the long-time listeners. My favorite moment of their set was their closing performance of "Chains (The Tower)".
The second slot of the night featured metalcore/hardcore/whatever stars thrown. This group rose to superstardom, seemingly overnight. They feature slow, heavy riffs to mosh or dance to. With production and guitar work by the titular Buster Odeholm (Humanity's Last Breath) and their singles automatically playing after every playlist or album on Spotify, it is easy to see why they are already leaders of their genre. Their vocalist Marcus Lundqvist sounded like a million bucks, especially on my favorite track by them, "Grayout." Their newer singles, such as "Parasite", sounded brutal and well-polished, providing the largest pits of the evening. thrown was the turning point in the energy of the evening, and the night only got better.
Metalcore legends Erra took the stage and enthralled the Orlando attendees with a phenomenal performance and light show. The duo of J.T. Cavey and Jesse Cash is undoubtedly the greatest vocal duo I have witnessed live. The metal titans' talent shined through a diverse setlist featuring: "Drift", "Gungrave", and the closing "Snowblood" to send their diehards home happy. I had lofty expectations as a longtime Erra fan, and they went above and beyond.
I grew up listening to Pop Evil on SiriusXM Octane, thus receiving an opportunity to photograph the rock veterans was a wild full-circle moment. I used to listen to "Trenches" and "Lions" on my way to school, and they sounded even more impressive in an arena setting. Like Erra, Pop Evil's lighting was also breathtaking, and a treat to attendees and photographers alike. While I may not have listened to the band in quite a few years, their superb live show got a few songs stuck in my head.
The first metalcore show that I attended was in 2019 at Chicago's House Of Blues. The tour was Wage War's "The Pressure Tour" featuring Polaris and Like Moths To Flames supporting, and Dayseeker opening the night. I went to that show because of a flyer at my college, and it changed my life– because I attended that show I am now a metalcore fanatic (and the world's biggest Dayseeker fan), as well as a touring photographer for metalcore bands. So when I received the opportunity to photograph Wage War's first arena headlining show, I could not say "no".
The Ocala metal stalwarts kicked off their performance with a blast. Literally. The confetti cannons firing marked the start of their opening song, "SELF SACRIFICE", and a celebration of all Wage War has achieved thus far. They continued with a crowd-favorite, "Low", which is one of my favorite moments. My favorite, however, was their mosh-song, "Stitch". Every time I hear that track live I am ready to run through a brick wall.
"Gravity" was next, and while the song has always been an experience that washes over you in a live setting, the arena-size production made the performance breathtaking. The rest of the set was entirely full-throttle, featuring classics like: "The River", and new gems such as: "NAILS." Wage War closed the unforgettable evening with one of their biggest hits: "Johnny Cash" followed by "Manic".
While headlining an arena show in their hometown may have been unique to the Orlando stop of "The Stigma Tour", the unforgettable experience can be found at any Wage War show. If these Florida men stop in your town, you do not want to miss them.
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