Last Wars – Escaper LP

“Escaper” is a debut full-length album by Last Wars, an excellent New Jersey-based darkwave outlet Last Wars. Consisting of eight excellent compositions, this marvelous material arrives as an adequate follow-up of “Pale Fire b/w Frail Communion” and “Dust b/w Fools’ Quartet,” two outstanding double singles, and a standalone single “Get Away,” all released in 2021. Soundwise, Last Wars combines many different but complementary music styles to depict such rich and luxurious sonic imagery. Perhaps the artist takes dark wave as a primary music genre, but you’ll notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from coldwave, synthwave, goth rock, post-punk, and several electronic music genres found their way into this sonic equation. Last Wars skillfully incorporates these sonic ingredients, enhancing and decorating an already complex sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with many different but complementary music genres resulted in a magnificent darkwave album suitable for even the pickiest listeners and beyond.

It’s nearly mindblowing how this highly skilled artist seamlessly balances between different eras. You’ll notice how he expertly levitates between the eighties, nineties, and contemporary sound while remaining entirely focused on the aesthetics that define his sound. Each composition arrives with a carefully prepared structure adorned with intricate segments, brilliant ideas, and superb musicianship. The album commences with “Escaper,” a title track that immediately pulls you into Last Wars’ vast sonic universe. You’ll hear how the synths reign supreme here by delivering distorted ambiances, expertly assembled low-end, energetic rhythmic patterns, dark melodies, harmonies, themes, and leads. The whispery vocals emphasize each segment and instrumentation, making this epic sonic journey even more enjoyable. It’s a perfect opening track that will immediately convince you to dive deep into the entire album. “Attrition” speeds up things a little bit. It’s a danceable mixture of darkwave, coldwave, and synthwave elements, decorated with even more intricate synth leads, equally complex basslines, and profoundly energetic rhythmic sequences. The artist continuously experiments with various approaches and dynamics, showcasing the versatility and ability to push boundaries and break all the rules of several previous music genres.

“Ages” levitates towards post-punk and goth rock waters with a catchy bassline that immediately resembles something Joy Division would eventually record during their career. Still, this track brings some fresh energy, as the structure showcases a multilayered sonic experience empowered with lush synth melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, and other sonic maneuvers. It’s a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal song where half-time rhythmic structures reign supreme and heavily distorted guitars bring that recognizable eighties sound. The artist incorporated a generous serving of reverb over vocals and guitars, so some listeners might notice some similarities with the shoegaze sound. It’s unquestionably one of the standout tracks on this material. The artist continues in a similar style with “Sorrow,” a marvelous synthwave track garnered with many goth rock and post-punk elements. Like in the previous songs, the interplay between synths and guitars creates a cathartic listening experience worth repeating over and over again. This track also showcases Last Wars’ knack for creating catchy, engaging, memorable songs that stay with you long after this album ends. The guitars deliver that specific Gang Of Four, Mission Of Burma, Wire, or The Cars vibes, making this song such a perfect pick for all post-punk fans.

With “Crystalline,” the artist brings darkwave and synth waves sonic maneuvers to the table. In this composition, Last Wars expertly stacks layers of synth leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, sequences, and ambiances while the heavily distorted guitars gradually shape a rich and complex sound. The attention to detail is especially notable in the rhythm section, as the rumbling basslines contribute to heaviness, clarity, and depth while the well-accentuated, energetic drums keep everything in line and dictate groove and pace with such precision and finesse. “Reaction” flawlessly blends the best elements darkwave, synthwave, and goth rock has to offer. With this song, Last Wars demonstrates all his songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities, as this track demonstrates some of the finest instrumentations you’ll hear in a while. The memorable atmosphere instantly pulls you into an ethereal ambiance and refuses to let go. It’s undoubtedly one of the standout tracks that will especially appeal to those listeners looking for danceable music garnered with a dark ambiance. Last Wars left some of the finest songs for the closure. “Give” and “Last City” exemplify how all these music genres can still sound innovative, fresh, and unique thanks to the artist’s ability to seamlessly merge some of the finest elements into a cohesive whole. Both tracks resonate with strong mid-eighties vibes while the modern production emphasizes delicate instrumentations. Also, it’s good to mention that these songs are masterclasses of how darkwave, synthwave, goth rock, and post-punk should sound nowadays. From impressive guitar works and multilayered synth maneuvers to a rock-solid rhythm section and excellent vocal performance, Last Wars brings all his marvelous ideas upfront, indulging listening apparatus to the max.

“Escaper” is a darkwave masterpiece you should not miss. The artist fully stacked this material with some of the finest vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers you’ll hear, making this comprehensive collection such an enjoyable listening experience worth repeating over and over again. The album is available on vinyl via the Bandcamp page or digitally on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!