Review Summary: Issues has reached their goal. Sadly, it wasn't a worthy one in the first place.
They've finally done it. Blending elements of RnB and Metalcore, Issues has created an album that accomplishes everything they set out to do. Each song is an experiment that uses varying amounts of both genres, providing the contrast between melody and brutality that the band is looking for.
And that's why this album fails.
The fact of the matter is that RnB and Metalcore could never be adequately mixed, they have too many fundamental differences. The former is built on its smoothness and sensitivity. In contrast, the latter uses its abrasive and noisy qualities to evoke a sense of aggression. Also, RnB lyrical themes generally consist of love and sex, and utilize wordplay. Metalcore's themes, however, usually deal with personal anguish and angst.
So what happens when genres like these are thrown together? All sense of subtlety is lost. With two opposing sounds, it becomes painfully obvious when the band transitions from one sound to another. Combining them is like combining oil and water; they both might be in the same place at the same time, but they can never be truly integrated. Each track shows this, however the song Mad At Myself epitomizes every reason why this doesn't work. Tyler Carter sings his RnB-style vocals over the top of strangely syncopated breakdowns, even branching out into poorly written wordplay:
It got this old girl, I know she trying to play me.
She's like a Honda, these days I drive Mercedes.
This theme, and all the themes on this album end up sounding odd when mashed into a Metalcore song. Each jazz harmony and fast spoken vocal line tries to create a balanced atmosphere, but just comes across as tacky. Melodic elements can certainly combine with Metalcore, but there is no common ground between roughness and smoothness.
In all probability, Issues will continue to create music. However, their destiny is already complete. They've made their intentions clear, and have fulfilled every goal. This album shows the band giving this experiment their best shot, and also shows why it doesn't work.
