Review Summary: The Tyler Carter Show
Back story: Number(s) by Woe, Is Me is still one of my favourite post hardcore/metalcore releases ever and my excitement for Issues first EP "Black Diamonds" led to nothing but dissapointment, I disliked the whole idea of R&B mixed with heavier music, and nothing really caught my attention with Tylers voice sounding over produced and the album feeling lack luster without the lead guitar that played so many melodic parts and made Number(s) so enjoyable.
When I heard Issues were recording and releasing a debut album I didn't give it much thought, thinking that Tyler Carter and Michael Bohn's glory days were over and this album would be another annoying wannabe "djent" fest with many an open note, tacky R&B drop outs and terrible lyrics about how I should go listen to Genesis (Trust me, listening to Genesis was an even worse idea than listening to Black Diamonds)... However, after seeing how hyped up the album was beggining to get I thought I'd go see what all the fuss was about.
The first thing that caught my attention about this album was Tyler's voice. The variation between catchy melodic hooks, raps, and even a few screams make him the star of this album, and really help the album stand out in the stagnant world of metalcore. Another positive about this album is that despite the fact that there is still no lead guitar, the single guitarist actually utilises all the strings in his guitar in this album and manages to come up with quite a few impressive melodic parts throughout the album. Although the guitar playing is nothing jaw dropping, it fits the music nicely, creating a nice atmospheric atmosphere and always adding to the songs well.
The sheer amount of heart you can tell that Issues put into these lyrics and the creation of this record, compared to "Black Diamonds" where it seemed as if they were just trying to be a one trick pony is something else you'll pick up on, just listen to Disappear or Tears On The Runway with the lyrics by your side and you'll realize just how much Tyler has opened up here. That's not to say all the songs are slow, emotional ballads though. Songs like The Settlement and Life Of A Nine show off Issues heavier side, and the heavy, distorted riff (with actual melody) before the first chorus in The Settlement is possibly the best riff the guitarist has ever written.
Issues have found their niche on this album, with the R&B sections no longer sounding forced or annoying, and the heavier riffs less full of one note chugs and a lot more tasteful. The DJ in this album is also a lot less forced then he was in the first EP, with his synth parts creating an atmosphere to many of the songs, however my only complaint is that a lot of his "scratching" sounds extremely similar in a few of the songs. In terms of harsh vocals, Michael Bohn is by no means a bad screamer but in many parts on the album it feels as if he's straining to make himself heard, and he ends up just taking a back seat to Tyler in a majority of songs, however he does have a few impressive moments, they are few and far between the show that Tyler has put on.
For the first time in their short career, every member of Issues plays their role in this album, even if that role is just to compliment Tyler Carter and his voice, creating an album that may not be "the future of metalcore" quite yet, but is already #1 on iTunes' rock chart and is going to make Issues quite a name for themselves in the next year.
Recommended songs: Life Of A Nine, The Langdon House, Tears On The Runway pt 2, The Settlement, Disappear (Remember When)
