Issues - Issues

I'll be honest, I haven't really given Issues much of my attention. I enjoyed their version of Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend", but hadn't entirely enjoyed the rest of their material. However, I saw that their debut self-titled album had released, and after hearing some news about it, decided to give it a listen. I also listened to their Black Diamonds EP to familiarize myself with their kind of sound.

Upon first listen, I was actually somewhat impressed with the first full-length record from Issues. It seemed that they settled on a sound and took it from there, for the songs from Black Diamonds seemed to be a bit too disconnected in terms of musical elements. Issues takes the hybrid elements that the band experimented with and integrates them further into their core metal sound. Songs like "Mad At Myself",  "Tears On The Runway Pt. 2" and"Late" incorporate a large amount of electronic elements, from glossy synths to drum machines. "Late" is the closest thing to a "mellow" song you can get on the album, thanks to the heavy presence of dance-synths, electronic drums, and even occasional acoustic guitar. However, that doesn't mean that you can't rock out to it, for it has its fair share of roaring guitars and blistering drums. "Tears On The Runway Pt. 2" is in the same vein as Late, although it almost takes on a hip-hop vibe during the first verse. The guest vocals by Nylo add a deeper emotional dimension to the song, as well as Tyler Carter's emotion-driven vocals, which trade the yelling and intensity he channels in most of his songs for a sense of vulnerability. "Mad At Myself" has a similar sound to the majority of the album, blending pop-sensible vocals with blistering instrumentals and floating synth lines. Especially on this track, Carter's vocals sound a lot like something you'd hear on the radio, almost like something Justin Bieber would do. That's not a negative comment; the vocals are just very catchy and melodic.

The band isn't afraid to hit things hard though. Songs like "Stingray Affliction" and "Never Lose Your Flames" still utilize clean vocals, but get down and gritty for the duration of the songs. They also stray away from tenderness, and come off aggressive, at least in terms of the instrumentals. "Never Lose Your Flames" has an anthemic feel, with the title becoming a cry for the kids who struggle in life. There is a nice back and forth nature within the vocals, alternating between Carter's pop-sensible voice and Michael Born's deep guttural roaring. "Stingray Affliction" is one of the heaviest tracks if not the most gritty. The roaring guitars, the growling screams, and the occasionall scratching come together to give you something to headband along to. The chorus has that polished factor thanks to Carter's vocals and the high synth line, but it is mainly geared towards a more intense and darker sound.

As much as I like some of the songs and their mixing of elements from various genres, sometimes it doesn't quite work out so well on this album. Songs like "Life Of A Nine" and "The Langdon House" don't flow so well, both within the songs and in terms of the album as a whole. "Life Of A Nine" opens with incredibly low guitars and throat ripping screams, but on the verses switches into rapping, which is very tricky to incorporate into metal music. It's not bad and it only last for a few moments, but I feel it takes away from the song, which overall is quite good. The only song I didn't like flat out was "Personallity Cult", which according to Carter is a calling out to Memphis May Fire. It's just trashing what Matty Mullins tries to talk about, and comes off as fairly immature. 

Overall, this was a solid record for a debut album. I didn't have much interest before, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more from these guys.

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommended: Never Lose Your Flames, Late, Stingray Affliction

Related: Dangerkids, Memphis May Fire, Bring Me The Horizon