Florida’s own Wage War ripped through New York City’s Irving Plaza on their It Calls Me By Name Tour with special guests Nevertel and Orthodox.
As lines formed outside New York’s legendary Irving Plaza, fans started making their way into the venue for what was going to be a killer evening of straight-up metalcore.
Opening the night was Orthodox, and they hit the stage, wasting absolutely no time, proving they were more than just an opening band. The moment those first crunching riffs hit, the bodies started flying as the crowd’s reaction was immediate and on a whole other level. Security, at this point, knew they were going to have their work cut out for the night as crowd surfers floated over the barricade.
Frontman Adam Easterling commanded the crowd with a menacing presence as his guttural vocals cut through the room with razor-sharp precision. Plowing through their set with confidence, Orthodox delivered like headliners as their intensity never took a pause. As a band, they are super tight, bringing a wall of sound that just crumbled the room. Definitely check them out if they happen to roll through your area, and check out their newest album, A Door Left Open, which dropped last year.
The crowd was ready for more as the room was still buzzing from the Orthodox set. As the lights dimmed, Nevertel tore right into their set, turning Irving Plaza into a pressure cooker with their energetic style of nu metal with a cross of rap influences, and it all just hit perfectly. They performed a pretty deep setlist, including songs such as “Everything in My Mind” and “Sacrifice,” which showcased some of the band’s greatest strengths. Most of the crowd was fully engaged with sing-alongs and moshing. Some newcomers were not aware of Nevertel and what they may bring to the table, but soon enough, they were nodding their heads and taking some notice. Their balance between aggression and melody kept the performance dynamic with zero lack of momentum.What separates Nevertel from many other bands is their willingness to experiment rather than rely solely on metalcore formulas, while adding some electronic production with some rock melodies and hip-hop rhythms into a sound that feels current without sacrificing the heaviness. Nevertel’s chemistry was clearly evident, and they are on top of their game. Make it a point to check them out.
The time of the night had finally arrived for the Florida metalcore powerhouse Wage War to hit the stage in support of their newest album, It Calls Me By Name, and they did just that, bringing chaotic energy and immediately turning the floor into a frenzy of circle pits and nonstop crowd surfing. Guitarists Cody Quistad and Seth Blake delivered some crushing headbanging riffs, the rhythm section kept every breakdown hitting with full-blown impact, and vocalist Briton Bond held down the fort.The setlist included many fan favorites, such as songs like “Godspeed” and “Circle the Drain,” which, without a doubt, were very well received by the audience and generated some of the loudest sing-alongs of the night. Bond frequently thanked the crowd and encouraged participation as he mentioned and apologized for not playing New York City in about five or six years. He said that it would not happen again, and the response was overwhelming. Fans were engaged throughout the entire set as the band did not leave room for a dull moment, even during the melodic moments.
The overall production was great as their stage theme was like marshland with moss and tall grass everywhere. The lighting was dark with different hues of green and purples that gave them that camouflaged feel, like they were having a full metal assault from within, along with the sharp lighting at times of the attack.
By the end of the night, fans looked exhausted as if they had just gone through a Wage War. The vibes were carried with them as they exited the venue. Be sure to catch Wage War on the remainder of this tour, which concludes in St. Petersburg, FL, on May 31st.
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