Review Summary: Issues' allergy to genre conformity helps them stand out from their peers without compromising their melodic and heavy sensibilities.
Atlanta-bred metalcore unit Issues have rapidly expanded their bed of influences since their debut EP, 2012’s “Black Diamonds.” Meaning that their latest output, “Headspace,” is a genre-defying beast, adding country, modern rock, and jazz to the pop, R&B, and metalcore elements that defined their electrifying 2014 self-titled album. This genre-bending aside, “Headspace” is innovative and melodic enough to warrant multiple spins.
Album opener “The Realest” blends Sky Accords’ gut-punching bass and drummer Josh Manuel’s kinetic footwork into a grooving hip-hop/jazz fusion, layered with AJ Rebollo’s sporadic guitar patterns. Meanwhile, vocalists Michael Bohn and Tyler Carter trade clean vocals for the first time in the duo’s history dating back to their Woe, Is Me days; the nuance works surprisingly well as Bohn’s two gritty vocal deliveries contrast each flawless chorus.
Staying closer to their self-titled effort, “COMA” is speckled with pulsing electronics, vocal samples, and chugging verses, while Carter charms the chorus with his pristine vocals and aching timbre. Throughout “Home Soon,” Carter’s rising falsettos revel in an earnestness that you can feel, an essential element that is sometimes fleeting in Erik Ron’s and Kris Crummett’s sleek production.
“Yung & Dum,” marries sludgy guitars with a sunny pop-country twang, adds some brisk fiddle interplay, and features a guest spot from independent country artist Jon Langston for a spirited union between metalcore and country. “Made to Last” and “Hero,” however, feel gaudy when compared with the rest of the album. "Headspace" still maintains a heavy profile without the need for breakdowns on “Blue Wall,” a bludgeoning attack on systemic racism in law enforcement. The song quakes and broils with ultra-down tuned guitars and grating screams contributed by Rebollo.
“Headspace” actually works best without needing brutality, as Carter’s acrobatic high tenor merges well when sharing measures with Bohn’s radio-friendly clean vocals in the driving modern rock of album closer “Slow Me Down.” Meanwhile, the gospel-inflected “Lost-n-Found (On a Roll)” brims with unstoppable hooks in the chorus and the implacable energy contained within Bohn’s screams during the verses.
Issues’ vision to push their sonic boundaries is admirable, and their musicianship is unquestionable in a homogenized metalcore landscape. However, this genre-splicing disrupts the album’s cohesiveness at times, leaving the listener with a rich palette of sounds and feelings from which they can choose. Regardless, “Headspace” continues Issues’ artistic progression into what could ultimately propel them beyond the ceiling of a metalcore band, opening up an arena-sized future where their melodies would be better suited.
