Heavy Rotation: War Curse Share the Tunes That Drive Them
Hailing from the Buckeye State, War Curse is a heavy metal band that’s had to adopt a more scrappy, rabid feel as its climbed through the ranks, giving them a heavy sound that’s thrust them into the minds of metalheads all over.
With their new album, Confession, coming out tomorrow and a string of live dates coming up next month, we reached out to the band to see if they wanted to celebrate a bit ahead of schedule by sharing the songs that they find inspiration from or tracks they’ve just listened to a lot lately. Staunch metalheads as they are, they did not disappoint, each member offering a couple selections ranging from the old school to the modern.
So without further ado, here’s drummer James Goetz, guitarists Joshua Murphy and Justin Roth, vocalist Blaine Gordon, and bassist Johnnie Wallace as they take you through their heavy rotation.
Bleed From Within – “Levitate”
Justin Roth: I love everything about this band. They have impeccable taste in production. All of their content is very well thought out and executed. I really dig the way they seamlessly blend the best elements of modern and classic metalcore while putting their own stamp on things. Inspiring band for sure. Absolute top shelf metal.
Type O Negative – “Love You To Death”
Joshua Murphy: This entire album is god tier for me, and has been in regular rotation since I bought my first copy of it the week it dropped in 1996. With Autumn setting in, it’s the perfect soundtrack to my favorite time of year.
Bad Omens – “Just Pretend”
Blaine Gordon: While this band has achieved commercial success now, Bad Omens was one of my favorites early on. This song returns to my rotation frequently. The lyrics are meaningful. Relatable to people dealing with the turbulence of relationships. Musically the album is majestically orchestrated. It takes me on an emotional ride every time.
Killswitch Engage – “Rose of Sharyn”
Justin Roth: The End of Heartache is such a classic album. Crazy that this era of metal is old enough to invoke some serious nostalgia. Despite its age, the production still holds up and feels incredibly relevant in a modern playlist. I’m a big fan of both Howard and Jesse, and the entire Killswitch catalog, but ‘Heartache’ will always be the one that I pull off the shelf when I want to sing my head off like an idiot.
Atomic Witch – “She Drifts”
James Goetz: This song is an incurable STD. Everything about it is nasty and contagious. Sharing the stage with this band made me like them even more. If you ever get a chance to see them live, do it!
Wind Walkers – “Dead Talk”
Blaine Gordon: The poppy intro and catchy melody are downright infectious. Great engaging lyrics. Positive message. If you get knocked down, try your best to keep it together. What’s not to like?
Flotsam and Jetsam – “Blood In The Water”
Johnnie Wallace: Proof that a band from their era can still hang with the best bands of today. Great musicianship all around.
Tyrant – “Pray for the Night”
Justin Roth: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Tyrant. We took these guys out in 2019dvement and growth that I’ve watched transpire between then and now is incredible. This is a young band that has really come into their own with their latest album “The Lowest Level.” If you like catchy traditional metal, this is for you.
Danzig – “How The Gods Kill”
Joshua Murphy: One of my favorite riffs ever written, from one of the best lineups in the history of metal. I caught Danzig on tour last month and he absolutely blew me away, as always. This song was a highlight in the set, and has been in almost daily rotation since then.
Morta Skuld – “Wounds Deeper Than Time”
James Goetz: The riffs make me want to play drums. The drums make me want to flex. There’s something organic and genuine about this album that speaks to me. See “In Judgment” as an example.
Kalandra “Borders”
Johnnie Wallace: Pure passion captured on a record. This band crushes.
Remember, you can purchase or listen to Confession wherever you get your music. If you’d like to catch these guys live, feel free to check ’em out at any of the following venues:
WAR CURSE w/ Armed For Apocalypse:
11/01/2023 Cafe Colonial – Sacramento, CA w/ Rile
11/02/2023 Naked Lounge – Chico, CA w/ Rile
11/04/2023 Baseline – San Bernardino, CA
11/05/2023 Fulton 55 – Fresno, CA
11/07/2023 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
11/08/2023 Your Mom’s House – Salt Lake City, UT
11/09/2023 The Six Below Midnight – Portland, OR
11/10/2023 Ray’s Golden Lion – Kennewick, WA
