Traveling a constant forward trajectory at lightspeed, Wage War not only push their own sound forward, but they also propel heavy music into new territory. The Florida quintet—Briton Bond [lead vocals], Cody Quistad [rhythm guitar, clean vocals], Seth Blake [lead guitar], Chris Gaylord [bass], and Stephen Kluesener [drums]— have always tempered a pummeling metallic onslaught with unshakable melodies. A near-decade grind naturally brought Wage War to this point. They have unleashed a string of fan favorite albums, including Blueprints [2015], Deadweight [2017], Pressure [2019], and Manic [2021]. Beyond looks from SPIN, Modern Drummer, American Songwriter, Revolver, Guitar World, and more, KERRANG! hailed the latter as “their greatest album yet,” and DORK raved, “It’s an embracing of being metalheads, popheads and just fans of good songs. On more than one occasion, there’s an earworm poking its head up through the dirt.” They also put up numbers, tallying hundreds of millions of streams boosted by the likes of “Stitch,” “Low,” “Manic,” and “Circle The Drain.” On their fifth full-length offering STIGMA [Fearless Records], Wage War outfit their signature style with industrial grit and electronic sheen, leveling up into the future in the process with singles such as “MAGNETIC."

We Came As Romans continue to progress and evolve at lightspeed, maintaining a place at the forefront of heavy music and culture. Never content to follow, they seamlessly alchemize crushing groove-driven catharsis, spacey electronics, and arena-size singalongs into a sound that refuses to sit still, naturally dipping in and out of metal, alternative, hardcore, and rock naturally without breaking a sweat. Since emerging in 2005, the Michigan quintet have pushed the envelope. Following To Plant A Seed [2009] and Understanding What We’ve Grown To Be [2011], Tracing Back Roots cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and catapulted to #1 on the Independent Albums Chart and Top Hard Rock Albums Chart in 2013.

Two years later, We Came As Romans bowed at #11 on the Billboard 200, while Alternative Press hailed Cold Like War as “a milestone for WCAR.” They sold out successive headline tours and shared stages with A Day To Remember, Bring Me The Horizon, I Prevail, The Used, Sleeping With Sirens, Parkway Drive, and more. Produced by Drew Fulk [Knocked Loose, Lil Wayne, Disturbed], 2022’s Darkbloom earned some of the highest praise of their career. Beyond applause from Loudwire, Consequence, and more, KERRANG! rated it “4-out-of-5 stars,” going on to praise the LP as “both a carrier for a knot of emotion, and a tribute to their friend.” It yielded two of the most successful tracks of their career. “Black Hole” [with Caleb Shomo of BEARTOOTH] eclipsed 102 million-plus Spotify streams, and “Daggers” [with Zero 9:36] generated north of 32 million Spotify streams. Moving forward yet again, the band ignite another era with the 2025 single “BAD LUCK.”

Varials channel hardcore intensity and nu-metal groove into something unapologetically human. Formed in Philadelphia, the band built its reputation on unflinching honesty across Pain Again, In Darkness, and Scars for You to Remember.

Their fourth album, WHERE THE LIGHT LEAVES (Fearless Records, 2025), marks a rebirth—four musicians tearing everything down to rebuild stronger.

Produced by Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Dayseeker), the record captures Varials at their most instinctive and unfiltered. Imperfect takes, emotional performances, and new melodic textures create a sound that’s both crushing and alive.

Onstage, the lineup (Skyler Conder, Mike Foley, Sean Rauchut, and Shane Lyons) continues to prove why Varials remain one of heavy music’s most cathartic and comm

Cane Hill is a metalcore band from New Orleans known for blending crushing riffs, raw emotion, and an unfiltered intensity that pulls from metal, alternative, and grunge. Their sound pairs aggressive heaviness with vulnerable, often unsettling honesty, exploring themes of identity, addiction, and self-destruction. Never content to stay in one lane, Cane Hill constantly evolves, pushing their music into darker and more experimental territory. The result is a band that feels as confrontational as it is cathartic, built for both chaos and connection.