Tuesday 9/15: War On Women—"Wonderful Hell"
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song by the Baltimore hardcore band War On Women.
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him) and Eric Bennett (they/them). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. Now we’re, also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc.
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song by the Baltimore hardcore band War On Women.
War On Women—“Wonderful Hell”
Eli Enis:
I’m extremely picky about my melodic hardcore. I grew up listening to bands like Stick To Your Guns, Your Demise, and Stray From The Path who struck a balance between scream-along hooks and bludgeoning mosh parts, and when I pivoted to more underground hardcore after high-school, I was always partial to the shit I could spin-kick to. War On Women started off as a more straightforward punk rock band with really spindly guitar licks, and they’ve gradually gotten beefier and closer to the type of hardcore you’d associate with their label, Bridge Nine. The title track from their new record (which I can confirm is amazing) hits the sweet spot for me. “Wonderful Hell” has the gusto of Have Heart and a hook that’s strong enough to win over a Rise Against fan. Frontperson Shawna Potter is one of the most charismatic vocalists in the genre right now (especially live), and here she showcases both her riling sing-scream and her spine-tingling shriek. This is melodic hardcore done right.
Eric Bennett:
This is thrashy, catchy, and not so aggressive that it puts me off it, but aggressive enough to make me feel that passion. That’s not to say the song isn’t powerful, but more to say I am fairly soft. These are all my favorite components of punk, and having them all here in full force is fantastic. The intro is creepy and looms for a while with a sense of impending doom and breakdown, and when it finally drops it delivers on its promise. “Wonderful Hell” is a fitting title for this song as it definitely brings to mind a descent into the underworld, but paints that fall in a pretty light. This song rules, this band rules, I am so immediately sold.