Wrong War

Reviews

Compulsion / Wrong War split LP

This split LP from Chicago’s COMPULSION and WRONG WAR, released by Council Records, features five tracks from each band. WRONG WAR, featuring former members from CURRENT, OTTAWA, and the PHENOMS, delivers energetic and driving songs that incorporate spacious arrangements and interesting guitar work. Their songwriting, paired with Matthias Weeks’ powerful vocals, harkens back to some of those late-’80s/early-’90s Dischord bands while retaining that classic Chicago hardcore drive. This is some great shit. COMPULSION’s side maintains a lot of the energy found in WRONG WAR’s tracks but sacrifices the refinement. Their gritty, mid-tempo hardcore is punctuated by Ebro Virumbrales’ bellowing vocals and an abundance of self-indulgent guitar licks. This side is recommended for fans of BLACK FLAG. Check out: “Profit Net” by WRONG WAR.

Wrong War On Further Reflection EP

A strong effort from Chicago’s WRONG WAR. This three-track EP leans more on the melodic and (pun entirely intended) reflective side of hardcore music. All three tunes on here are super solid (I am particularly fond of “The Call”)—the title track is the star of the show, sprawling off into a repetitive mantra towards its conclusion. Overall, a very solid release that I would recommend to anyone who likes a hint of melody in their hardcore.

Wrong War Fixed Against Forever LP

Debut LP from Chicago’s WRONG WAR, this HC album is fast, tight, and angry. The socio-political tension can’t be missed, from the band’s moniker to each and every song. The opener “Words Were Mere Words” shouts in its chorus, “And how I / Long for / Those days when / Words were mere words. / And how I—let it align.” A reckoning with cancel culture, as in we should be responsible for what we write and say and how it makes one another feel? Or an actual desire to not be accountable? Although the lyrics are all shouted, they are clear and you don’t need the liner notes to make them out—that said, the messages are vague and trope-y…the war machine (“Count the Days”), religious falsehoods (“Direct Function”), foolish patriotism (“Escape Clause”). But I don’t know, maybe I’m just oversaturated with being reminded of how shitty everything is, was, will be, etc. Anyway, if this fuels your rage, they released a second LP (Once Upon a Weapon) earlier this year, and I can only imagine what they’ve got to say since this release came out in 2020.