Down in Ocala, Florida, two guitarists met in high school and the seeds of a band were sown. Those friends, Cody Quistad and Seth Blake, recruited singer Briton Bond, bassist Jordan Pierce, and drummer David Rau, forming the band Empires. In 2013, after a change in lineup (Chris Gaylord on bass and Stephen Kluesener on drums), Wage War were born. The melodic metalcore band combined a brutal punch with a positive message, signing with Fearless Records. They recorded their first album, Blueprints, which was released in late 2015. Co-produced by fellow Ocalan Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember) and Andrew Wade (Neck Deep, A Ghost Inside), the LP was preceded by the ferocious singles "Alive" and "Twenty One." After touring in support of the album, the band returned to the studio to record a follow-up. In 2017, Wage War returned with "Witness," the first single from their sophomore set, Deadweight. ~ Neil Z. Yeung