Review: How We Feel’s LP ‘Ready For War’

LP Review

May 13, 2025 Hattan Savage Music Review, USA
How We Feel - Photo by Jerod Criss

By Hattan Savage, Rock At Night Nashville

Review: How We Feel ‘s LP Ready For War – Release date May 2, 2025

Ohio-based rockers How We Feel just dropped their debut LP Ready For War on May 2. This hard rock band, founded by longtime friends Chris Bianchi (vocals) and Brian Lamtman (Drums), came together in late 2024 and hit the ground running. They released the title track of this LP as a single that September, complete with a music video. Since then, momentum has only grown. After two additional singles, How We Feel has finally unleashed the full, 10-track album. The entire record is powerful, cohesive, and professionally produced top to bottom. The “Ready For War” music video was directed by Jake Cole in Canton, Ohio. Bianchi explains “The video is meant to showcase the daily struggles and obstacles that many face be it through bills, relationships, daily life struggle but that love will always win. It helps you find that light in the dark and at the end, you can win and you do triumph. The video is meant to our process: Going from writing in the basement, to recording the song in the studio – and ultimately performing live on stage for our fans.”

Here is a quick track-by-track of songs that really stood out to me:

  • “Devil Inside”, track 3, flows effortlessly. The lyrics hit just right and practically beg you to sing along. Bianchi’s vocal abilities steal the show, soaring high in the choruses before dipping into deeper, moodier tones in the verses.
  • Track 6, “Fire,” jumped out at me immediately. I am a firm believer that melodies can make or break a track — How We Feel nails it right on the head. The hooks are unique, dramatic, and undeniably catchy. The lyrics in the chorus cut right to the chase:

“I light this world on fire // Do you believe it’s everything you ever thought it would be?// ‘Cause I don’t know what you think // when the world’s on fire.”

It feels like the narrator’s burning down their own world as a gesture to someone who may never have known what they wanted in the first place.

  • My personal favorite on this album, “Looking For A Reason” hit me with a wave of nostalgia. The combination of the melody and lyrics, paired with the size of the sound, brought me back in time. Closer to the end of the record, sitting at track 7, this song triggered a vivid visual. I found myself in the crowd at a sold-out arena, tens of thousands of fans chanting “one more song, one more song.” Then, I saw How We Feel walking back out for an encore. You can hear the scale of the sound begging to be performed on the biggest stages.

Bianchi says “Ready For War” is a song that came from the heart. “When we were putting this track together, it felt right to also serve as the title track of the album. Really the song stems from the struggles that we all face in our daily lives. Be it in relationships, money, or other circumstances. However, at the end of the day, if you have someone or something that you love to help keep you going. Nothing else seems to matter. It’s our call to arms of never giving up. Some people told us we were too late to make a band, to release music or make an album and this is a testament that you can do anything you believe in.” – Chris Bianchi.

How We Feel recorded “Ready For War” in Cleveland, Ohio, working with audio professionals John Burke (tracking), Paul Bartolome (mixing), and Ted Jensen (mastering). In a genre crowded with predictable, copy-paste music, How We Feel is carving their own path. The band may be new to the scene, but this debut demands attention. If you’re tuning into this band, you’re ahead of the curve. How We Feel is on the rise, and now is the time to join the ride.

Ready For War Track Listing:

1. Make It Out Alive

2. Losing My Mind

3. Devil Inside

4. Dragging Me Under

5. Talk About Me

6. Fire

7. Looking For A Reason

8. Dangerous

9. Higher

10. Ready For War

Want to see How We Feel live? Catch them at Inkcarceration, July 18th – 20th.

VIDEO

SPOTIFY

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram

Website

Facebook

Chris Bianchi

Brian Lamtman

Hattan Savage
Follow Me
Latest posts by Hattan Savage (see all)