Wage War | The Forum
Trekking down Exhibition St just after sunfall in Melbourne’s winter is not for the faint of heart. Despite my fur coat hugging me tight, and my chains clinking restlessly as I upped my pace to an awkward jog, the chill still froze my fingers to numbness and bit at the small portions of exposed skin on my lower back. The sight of The Forum’s pillared walls and orangey lights had never felt so welcoming, ushering myself into the box office and practically melting into the hum of chattering and warm air. My timing, as per usual, was impeccable, collecting my ticket and a pint as I navigated the stairs, to the usual rendezvous point on the right of the stage. I spotted Gurk's head above all else, and as I ran up and screamed “HI!” in his face, the lights dimmed and Heavensgate took to the stage, leaving no room for his reply.
If you don’t know Heavensgate by now, just admit to me that you live under a rock, or twenty. They dropped their first single only just over four years ago, and have already played alongside legends such as The Amity Affliction, Ice Nine Kills and Chelsea Grin, as well as garnering their own cult following. Watching them live is like an uppercut to the jaw with a steel cap boot, their sound and presence is a ruthless precision, drums palpitating and guitars wrenching mercilessly. I will never take one of their sets, or any of their breakdowns for granted. “GINSICK” stays ringing in my ears while writing this review, that guttural pleading in Tharratt’s voice sitting in my stomach, making me play that track on repeat ever since.
Heavensgate / Photo Credit: Tristan Skell
Next up to bat were Orthodox, wasting no time to slam into their opening track “Sacred Place”. Orthodox have always occupied an interesting space within heavy music, drawing from hardcore, metalcore and a particularly ugly strain of metallic noise, and live, that combination becomes something far more physical. Songs like “One Less Body” and “Head On A Spike” land with immediate force, their stripped-back aggression translating perfectly to the cavernous surroundings of The Forum. Rather than relying on layers of production to create impact, Orthodox let the riffs do the work. Every hit feels exposed, every pause intentional, and live, it’s absolutely enamouring to witness.
Orthodox / Photo Credit: Tristan Skell
Before we knew it, the clock struck 9.25, and the room collectively held their breath as the lights once again faded away. From the opening moments, the stage became a collision between enormous guitar tones, pounding drums and the constant push and pull between harsh vocals and cleaner, soaring melodies. The contrast is important. Without those melodic moments, the sheer weight of the performance could become exhausting. Instead, Wage War repeatedly gives the crowd something to grab onto before pulling it away again. Powering through many brilliant tracks, like “KARMA”, “TEETH” and “Don’t Let Me Fade Away”, it was thrilling to see the crowd so immersed, knowing the words to every song and being unrelenting in their energy. There’s a physicality to hardcore that can sometimes get lost when it moves onto larger stages. Wage War doesn't let that happen. The crowd is pulled closer into the performance with every breakdown, while the band themselves seem locked into a constant state of controlled confrontation.
Wage War / Photo Credit: Tristan Skell
They did a cool thing I really enjoyed too, they pitched two tracks to the audience, allowing them to pick, the room ultimately settling on “Relapse”, which was my pick too. I love how so many bands work with their fans at their shows now. As a long time gig goer and enjoyer, seeing this become more common makes my little fangirl heart happy, and also seeing the bridge between fan and band become more intimate is something special to note too. Anyway, enough of that sappy shit.
By the final stretch, the distinction between the stage and the floor has almost disappeared. “Stich” hits with the kind of momentum that makes standing still feel like an unreasonable decision, while “Manic” closes the night with a darker, heavier edge. It’s an appropriate ending. Wage War’s greatest strength isn’t originality in the strictest sense. They aren’t trying to reinvent heavy music. Instead, they have taken a familiar collection of ingredients, aggression, melody, vulnerability, groove and sheer volume, and have become exceptionally good at knowing when each one needs to appear.
Walking out of The Forum, ears ringing and body suitably battered, the impression isn’t that Wage War has changed the rules. It’s that they’ve learned how to play them extremely well, and from the flushed faces and laughter disappearing out of the venue and into the night, I’d say they should be incredibly proud of themselves.
Wage War / Photo Credit: Tristan Skell