Band: Masters of War
From: Seattle, Washington
Their formation story:
(Nick Smolka, bass): “Most of us answered an ad that Brian (rhythm guitarist) posted on good ol’ Craigslist; I remember it specifically mentioning 'straight edge' and 'hardcore.' Dan answered first, stating that he was interesting in playing lead guitar. I reached out even though the ad didn’t *really* ask for a bassist.
"Brian and I interviewed drummers together after that; luckily, we landed Steven. We spent our first few months practicing with our previous vocalist before Dan suggested his longtime friend Jason for the role. Honestly, the moment Jason entered the equation, everything clicked.
"Now, a mere month later, we’ve played a few shows and recorded our EP. We’re looking to keep our momentum through the rest of the year - get ready!"
Their sound in their own words:
(Dan Houston, lead guitarist): “Our sound is a combination of more metallic hardcore, mixed with crust punk, and thrash influences. We all listen to a lot of different stuff. Jason and I come out of the late '80s straight edge scene and were heavily influenced by Gravity Records. Brian has his roots in more pop-punk/hardcore stuff.
"Smolka is our grindcore/death metal guy, and Steven listens to a lot of metallic hardcore, black metal, and sad music. Everyone seems to like metal in one way or another, which seems to be our common denominator. I would say, if you like Systems Overload-era Integrity, but the message of bands like Crucifix or Econochrist, we’re for you.”
Latest release info:
(Nick): “Our first EP, New Grievances, just dropped a few days ago. Since our inception, writing between all five members has been fast-paced and mostly effortless. While the majority of our music has been written by Brian (rhythm guitarist), Dan and I were fortunate enough to have our songs featured on the EP ('Apartheid Clyde' and 'This Includes YOU,' respectively).
"While each of the four songs on this EP have quite distinct flavors, they all invoke the same headstrong, hardcore-focused drive, thanks to Jason on vocals and Steven on drums. We have quite a few more songs in the bank, and we’re (always) still writing; let this EP just to be a taste of what’s to come.”
Future plans:
(Nick): “We certainly plan to play more shows, make more friends, and write and record more music. I don’t believe anyone in the band is satisfied with the amount of music we have under our belts at the moment; we always want to keep delivering more.”
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"Full Choke, Lilith, and Tears of Joy have been tearing up the local scene for a while now; check them out whenever you can. On a non-hardcore related note, Me Grimlock (pop-punk) and Bering Sea (instrumental metal) have been incredible show-mates so they certainly deserve some attention."
Masters of War on social media: Instagram
Tagged: masters of war
