Review: Always Wanted War - A Glaze in the Northern Sky

Label: Momenf of Collapse Records

This came out of nowhere, cause ALWAYS WANTED WAR disbanded sometime in 2016. Their comeback probably is a cool side effect of all the lockdowns we went through, but I'm just guessing. I remember liking their EP "C.R.E.A.M." from 2013, but haven't checked out any of their other stuff and totally forgot about their existence, if I'm honest. Now, here they are again, with their new album, shining stronger than ever before.

Back when I was young we called their style "New School-Hardcore"... *cough*, oh, I guess we used that kind of spelling too when I was young. Those were the days, man! The band from Germany's North plays that kind of stompy, rhythmic, groove-obsessed, No-Thrills-Hardcore that was a bit more popular in the 2000s. Their music is free of too excessive Metal- or Emo-worshipping, and it's just a breath of fresh air in 2022. Though I gotta admit, that I'm over-receptive for this kind of music and have always been a sucker for JR EWING, REFUSED, SNAPCASE, THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND, GALLOWS and similar acts.

Compared to them, ALWAYS WANTED WAR take a bit more from Post-Hardcore in the vein of DEADVERSE or GARDEN VARIETY and add a lot of moody elements to their sound, akin to more melodic Screamo-stuff. Their music incorporates constant, melodic undertones and this is where they mix things up. Generally, when you heard the opener or saw the ridiculous video for "Another One just for Spite", then you know what you're in for the next 35 minutes. It's a pretty pure style. Some phases on the record ("Highschool Musical, the Musical" & "Sleep Forever" use a quite similar rhythmic pattern and are placed next to each other) tend to be a bit samey, though this is no downsite to me, cause quality and energy are next-level from start to finish. Just don't except major surprises from them. They're a bunch of funny guys, but the sarcasm and cynicsm stays subtle and doesn't steal the show. With tracks like "Ablutomania", they dive into more harmonic territories, introducing some clean vocals and a catchy chorus. That's important for the whole album, otherwise it would be a bit too one-sided.

In essence, "A Glaze in the Northern Sky" is a sureshot for everyone into this kind of Hardcore. Now, it's really the time for these guys to "ah ah ah ah stay alive". 

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