From Florida high school teachers to metalcore's heavy-hitting mainstay
In short: Before they were Wage War, they were a group of musicians in Ocala, Florida, navigating name changes and lineup shifts. From self-releasing EPs to signing with Fearless Records, their journey through the metalcore scene is a study in persistence and sonic evolution.
Formed in 2/2010 under the name Empires, the band's origins were rooted in Ocala, Florida. The early lineup featured Briton Bond, Cody Quistad, Seth Blake, Jordan Pierce, and drummer David Rau. Rau, a former teacher at West Port High School, eventually left the group to focus on education, leading to the recruitment of Stephen J. Kluesener. After a brief period operating as War Within, the group settled on the name Wage War.
The band's discography reflects a steady climb through the genre. Following their 2011 independent EP, The Fall of Kings, they signed to Fearless Records in 2015. This era brought their debut studio album, Blueprints, released on November 27, 2015. Subsequent studio albums followed a consistent release pattern: Deadweight in 2017, Pressure in 2019, Manic in 2021, and Stigma in 2024. Their stylistic reach is broad, spanning metalcore and melodic metalcore to elements of nu metal, djent, and even hip hop.
Beyond the music, the band's history includes significant industry milestones and digital setbacks. In 2016, they performed on the Vans Warped Tour, and later toured with heavyweights like Parkway Drive and August Burns Red. However, their digital legacy faced a near-catastrophe on March 18, when a server migration error resulted in the permanent loss of much of their Myspace content from the Empires era, including an estimated 50 million songs and 12 years of content.
As they move into the future, the band continues to expand. Following the release of the EP It Calls Me by Name in April 202 and a US tour in the spring of 2026, they announced their sixth studio album, Landfall, which is scheduled for release on October 9, 2026.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Wage War
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