Review: Villain of the War - Damn, that's crazy (EP)

Label: DIY

When VILLAIN OF THE WAR formed back in 2018/19 they couldn't know which meaning their band name would get by early 2022. However, 2022 also marks the year of their first proper release in the form of the 5-song-EP "Damn, that's crazy". To end the intro paragraph I'd like to make one thing clear before we head right into the second paragraph: "Damn, that's good". 

...shockingly good, if you take into consideration that these lads seem to go unnoticed on the big sites and communities. The Boston-four-piece plays some kind of New-Wave-Emo, in fact the best stuff I've heard in that style since ORIGAMI ANGEL's fabulous "GAMI GANG". I guess that's where I wanted this review to go, as much of "Damn, that's crazy" reminds me of that album. Just like ORIGAMI ANGEL, VILLAIN OF THE WAR easily float through pieces of Emo, Pop, Pop-Punk and Post-Hardcore. It never ever feels forced or pieced together, it's damn smooth and believable throughout. The songs have many facets to them, still they are catchy as fuck!

"Truly" starts us out in 91 seconds and functions as an intro, kind of, with stompy ryhthms, crunchy guitars and some shouting. It slides right into "Lil Peach", where VILLAIN OF THE WAR show their talent for the first time. Singer Jake (also on bass) stands out on this track, as his voice is just perfect for this kind of style, but he's also pretty versatile as he will prove later. But just screw that, these guys work as a unit, they collectively stand out. "Lil Peach" is really good, but unashamedly enough it doesn't reach the heights of the three songs to come. "Apothecary" is a power ballad, but the best sort of power ballad. VILLAIN OF THE WAR have a remarkable feeling for catchy melodies and beautiful, heartwarming harmonies. "Heart" pumps up the volume, telling a intriguing story of a broken relationship. Once again they tear it up in the quiet section, starting in the last third of the song. Jake's lyrics in this part of the song flow brilliantly into each other, getting more and more intense and frustrated. The climax at the end is awesome and I really feel that one song. The closer "Actor" probably is the most Post-Hardcore-sounding piece of the EP, but ultimately they find their way to a chilling, calmed down part that once again gets a powerful build-up, with some gang vocals and a sweet resume to kick us out of the song...

The worst thing on "Damn, that's crazy" are the last few minutes, as it's just silence with 20 seconds of Techno (?) ending the whole thing. Other than that VILLAIN OF THE WAR's debut is a well thought through piece of Emo/Pop-Punk/Post-Hardcore-music that fires on all cylinders. This is the last paragraph, so this is obvious: Check this out right now and spread the word!

Villain of the War on Bandcamp
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