Wage War – Landfall

Wage War have quietly picked up steam following their maiden release Blueprints in 2015. Since then, they have clawed their way to the forefront of heavy music, becoming a household name in the scene and going from strength to strength. All of it has set the stage for their sixth release, Landfall, which dropped last week.

Cody Quistad (Rhythm Guitar / Clean Vocals) stated in the press release: “One of our main goals was to put forth the most identifiable sonic footprint of who we are as a band. This record had to stand on its own two legs. We didn’t tie it to anything popular or trendy; we strictly did what we do as Wage War and leaned into it. It’s like we cherry-picked the best parts of every iteration of Wage War and turned them up to 11.”

Landfall and IT CALLS ME BY NAME are the first back-to-back releases to feature Cody at the helm as producer. As he noted: “I know the DNA to create Wage War songs. From there, we made different choices in the studio, which gave the album its own character.” Bassist Chris followed up with: “We’ve always gone to outside producers. Cody was like, ‘I think I got it.’ We could really see and hear his progression over the last few records. It was cool to keep it in-house.”

I’ve been a fan of Wage War since they first came onto the scene in 2015, seeing them support The Amity Affliction at the O2 Institute in Birmingham. Since then, I’ve watched them transition from an opening act to headlining their own tours, keeping up with every release along the way.

Track-by-Track Review

Landfall

The opening title track kicks off with an emergency broadcast-style alarm before building into a searing scream from Briton. The song feels like being caught in the eye of a storm—it’s Wage War doing what they do best: slamming you with heavy riffs. From the press release, the band shared: “‘Landfall’ is a song about imminent danger and the realization that we aren’t in control. Referencing our Florida roots, the hurricane imagery became a way of talking about that feeling of being completely at the mercy of something bigger than yourself. Musically, we wanted the verses to feel heavy and threatening, with the chorus being somber and inevitable.” As the album’s lead single, it hooks you immediately and leaves you wanting more.

Sweet Dreams

Straight back into the heavy stuff, bludgeoning riffs, and deep growls. This track strongly recalls “Manic” and “Circle The Drain” from the Manic album, with Cody’s vocals on the chorus serving as a clear highlight.

Silk

Wage War don’t mess around here. They jump right into it, dropping a breakdown at the 22-second mark that makes you want to flip a desk. Three minutes of relentless, heavy, and brutal instrumentation.

Figure 8

A phenomenal showcase of Cody’s vocal range. Musically and lyrically brilliant, this stands out as one of the album’s highest points. The lyrical storytelling follows a toxic relationship—shifting from “a cancer we created” in the first verse to “a cancer recreated” near the end. It’s deeply relatable, and a massive round of applause goes to Cody and Seth for the lyricism here.

God Complex

Recalls the raw, industrial edge of artists like 3TEETH. Looking at the lyrics while listening, you can almost picture it being sung to Pinhead from Hellraiser—it carries a distinctly dark, sexual undertone with lyrics such as “take me to the other side, show me what it’s really like” & “All I wanna feel is pain, make it spiritual”. The breakdown near the end flowing straight into a driving riff is a fantastic touch.

Stay With Me

Caught me completely off guard—I was welling up on the very first listen. Cody’s incredible delivery paired with the lyrics hits on a deep emotional level. You can hear the raw pain throughout the track. Outstanding work.

Silence Has Spoken

Moving straight from “Stay With Me” into “Silence Has Spoken” feels like a direct continuation of the story—like a lover moving past heartbreak and trying to move on. With Cody back in the driver’s seat vocally, it’s another great addition to the record.

Way Of Pain

In the words of a famous meme: “This right here is my favorite thing ever, in the history of forever!” Reminiscent of Kublai Khan—unapologetic, heavy, and nasty. The buildup into the breakdown, signaled by Briton growling “go,” is incredibly effective. Closing out with “the only way out is through” before slapping you in the face with another meaty breakdown makes this song feel like waving a red rag to a bull. If they play this on the UK tour in January and I hear that intro, I’ll be making a beeline straight for the pit.

Red Dot

Another heavy track where Briton’s vocal performance sounds nothing short of demonic. It carries a gritty street-metal vibe and stands out as easily one of the heaviest tracks on the album. The guitar solo near the end is a great addition that makes the song pop.

Blindfold

Originally released on the IT CALLS ME BY NAME EP back in April. Cody handles main vocals here. While it’s a solid track, it’s the one song on the record I haven’t quite vibed with and usually skip—personally, I would have swapped it out for “4×4”.

Spellbound

Another sexually charged track (“Won’t you slither down my spine till I’m spellbound? Just one taste, tongue to the witchblade, won’t you build a broken home in my ribcage”). It works extremely well. The main riff sounds familiar, but Wage War make it entirely their own. A solid track overall.

Song Of The Swamp

I’ve had this on repeat since the EP dropped back in April—unapologetic, authentic Wage War. Much like “Landfall,” it feels like getting caught in the middle of a storm. The spoken-word sample adds great texture before the band hits you in the face again.

Silhouette

Driven by Cody until the halfway mark where Briton takes control, before switching back for the final chorus. On first listen, it felt like an unexpected, slower choice for a closer, but it hits like a freight train out of nowhere before fading out to end the record.

Summary

On initial listen, I thought, “Hey, this is pretty good,” but the more I let it sit with me, the better it got. The best summary I’ve seen for this record is: “It’s the sound of five friends not only realizing their potential, but fulfilling it and leaving a trail of blood, sweat, and tears in their wake.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. The album showcases not just Cody’s growth vocally, but a heavier, broader side of the band. Manic set a very high bar, but Landfall stands comfortably on equal footing. Incredible work.