Last weekend, Wage War showed up and threw down at Nevermore Hall in Baltimore with Nevertel and Orthodox on the It Calls Me By Name Tour.
Orthodox kicked things off with all the screaming and heavy riffs a metalcore lover could dream of. They’re a new band for me, and although it’s not my favorite genre, I could definitely add some of their songs to my workout playlist. Based in Nashville and formed in 2011, Orthodox’s sound is heavy, heart-pumping, loud and immediately grabs hold of you. Lead vocalist Adam Easterling had no issues keeping the crowd’s heads nodding.
It was Nevertel’s turn, and unfortunately, lead singer Jeremy Michael came out to let the fans know he was not able to sing at the moment. He went on to say that they had 2 options: cancel their part of the tour, or press on and keep the fans happy. He said guitarist/rapper Raul Lopez would take over, and along with the rest of the band, there would be backing tracks too. I don’t think the crowd minded the backing tracks, because cheers erupted when he said they weren’t going to let us down. Their style combines a variety of genres, including metalcore, nu metal, hip-hop and EDM.
Even though it was my first time catching them live, the guys impressed me as soon as they started their set. They never let up once, had a ton of crowd participation and crowd-surfing, and their stage presence, complete with production, was energetic. They led off with “Break the Silence,” and you could instantly hear the crowd singing along. Hearing the crowd yell lyrics always makes me smile and gives me goosebumps. It proves to them that they’ve made it and that fans are here for them. Midway through the set, Raul hopped off stage onto the barrier and asked the crowd to split down the middle for the Wall of Death. The crowd cheered, and on his count, the crowd ran towards each other, along with fans in the back still yelling and singing. Nevertel has been on my radar since 2024, so I’m glad I was finally able to catch one of their shows.
Wage War closed the night with a high-energy performance to boot. From the first sounds of “4×4,” fans were cheering, screaming, singing along, and crowd-surfing as well. At certain points, the crowd was singing louder than lead vocalist Briton Bond. 19 songs from six albums, including an encore of “Blindfold,” and “Song of the Swamp,” which is how their stage was decorated: a tin outhouse-type structure on stage left, leaves adorning the mic stands, cattails and tall grass decorating the drum kit with olive drab green netting on both sides.
Based in Ocala, FL, Wage War is an American Metalcore band that was originally named Empires. After some member changes, they briefly renamed themselves War Within before changing it again to Wage War. In February 2026, they released the single “Song of the Swamp”, the lead single from the EP “It Calls Me By Name,” which was released in April 2026. The production and lighting was incredible, and it was great seeing them engage with the crowd. Like the other two bands that night, they were demanding circle pits and friendly moshing. You could hear the crowd getting progressively louder as the set went on, as a lot of fan favorites were on their setlist. Along with their engaging set, I was just as impressed by how well Briton’s grungy vocals and Cody’s clean, catchy vocals blend in each song. Wage War is another powerhouse band to see live; I highly recommend you catch these guys in a town near you.