by Jacob Dempsey (@internet_punx)
Unapologetic… that is the best word to describe the sophomore album by the Baltimore punk rock group War on Women. With a forward moving unrelenting landscape and with songs that confront and attack the patriarchal systems it makes perfect sense to see why this band is what it is. There is no doubt in why there is no more relevant a record than this. Rather than leading themselves with some subtle nuisances of metaphors and allusions the group seems to present all its ideas, its views, its political opinions, and more so its desire to thrive in an onward attack at the very ideas that plague women endlessly.
Capture the Flag is a record the seeks to create a rallying cry around the forward movement of our society, which seems to be caught in a downward spiral. It creates something that is really appealing about this record instead of taking the same old path that most politically conscience punk bands do with a classic structural make up to them. With riffs that cut heavy and extreme aggression they by no means detract from this idea but push it even further creating an atmosphere with songs like “Pleasure & The Beast” that introduce still the same idea and concepts but at a more vulnerable yet confrontational tone.
Almost three years after releasing their debut record it seems that War on Women have come to their own and entered into the right time and place for this record. The album seems more so a cry for vengeance and equity then another record about political awareness, which is extremely important. Capture The Flag asserts itself with lyricism that cuts deeper than a surface level understanding of our political stratification. It finds itself diving deep into divisive issues and confronting them head on. With the song “Lone Wolf” and “The Violence of Bureaucracy” that carry this tone its easy to see why so much positive feedback is heard about this band. The band generally lacks in metaphors which is huge. I think that when you talk in nuance and metaphors sometimes the anger and frustration behind the content can be lost. Furthermore, hearing this album speak of the terrible injustice facing women today shouldn’t be watered down but met with a confrontational and upfront understanding of the bleak reality.
Its an album worth giving your time to, if you are aware of anything going on within our political landscapes finding time to sit and interact with art is down right necessary. Additionally, if you’re looking for a band that genuinely gives a shit look no further. Support these artists as they attempt to face down some deeply ingrained systemic injustice. Each of these songs creates a dialogue and has me on a personal level creating and posing questions about my ideas and place within the inherit structures of our society. I hope that you give this record your time and can find yourself doing the same.