ALBUM: Black Diamonds EP (13 November 2012)
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/issuesofficial
RATING: 3/5
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| Black Diamonds EP |
Some interesting twists and superb vocals make for a promising debut release.
Drama and music, specifically the post-hardcore sector, seem to go hand in hand.
Whether there's visible differences between bands that get displayed publicly for fans to continuously throw their two cents in, or groups swapping members like yesterdays fashion, it all seems to happen too often.
Do these musicians really enjoy the negative attention, or do some people really not get along? Whatever the reason, all of the aforementioned 'drama' seems to have taken place throughout the whole Woe, Is Me saga.
I don't see much point in explaining it in detail, because 90% of it isn't relevant to this review. In essence though, a bunch of band members left Woe, Is Me for various reasons. This included both vocalists Tyler Carter and Michael Bohn, as well as brothers Cory and Ben Ferris.
While Woe was left to regroup and recruit it's own new members(that's a whole new story), long story short; boys who left the original line-up went and formed the band known as ISSUES.
There's been a whole heap of anticipation leading up to this release, much of it coming from the perceived 'rivalry' between Issues and Woe. I'd say this has probably been pumped up by their record label as much as anyone (yep, let's release BOTH bands singles on the exact same date and start this big fan-driven battle), but all that aside the debut Issues EP Black Diamonds is finally here. It's time to let the music do the talking.
Does it deliver? Well, it depends on how you look at it.
The first single from the EP King of Amarillo was a straight up attack on their former band, and the lyrics probably weren't the bands brightest spot. A little bit gimmicky for my liking. However, the vocals of Tyler especially were the major driving force of the song, and the almost nu-metal-like approach was fresh enough. Everyone knows this guy can sing, with his pop influenced vocals playing a big part in the bands sound.
It was also cool to see a few R&B elements mixed in, straying away from the same post-hardcore formula we'd come to expect.
The EP is much of the same throughout, and it's pleasing to see the song writing is much improved through the rest of the record.
The R&B influence is definitely a talking point, with slow beats and DJ effects (courtesy of keyboardist Ty Accord) present at different points throughout the EP. On the last song, there's a bonus track featuring Tyler rapping. Yes, rapping.
It's different without being too over the top, and seems to gel with the sound of everything fairly well.
The electronic elements are also fairly dominant, again without being overbearing, allowing room for the guitars and bass to have a place without it feeling overcrowded.
The greatest aspect of the EP has to be vocal tandem of Tyler and Michael. Make no mistake, T Carter is one of the better vocalists present in the scene today, and he carries every chorus he sings and takes the tracks up a notch. Without him, it would turn from a good release, into an average release. But the songs do a good job of showcasing Tyler's talent, which is a credit to ISSUES. The R&B direction the band takes for much of the record also helps him to stand out. He never feels too out of place and is on point for the entire 6 songs.
Michael Bohn, providing unclean vocals, also does a good job of fitting in with the bands style. I personally found his screaming enjoyable on his material with Woe, Is Me, and his rough vocal style seems to gel well with Tyler's smooth singing. It's a combination that fans of Woe will genuinely appreciate.
The guitar work is fairly basic, however only one guitar player is used on the EP, meaning there's limitations on what the band can do here. Nothing instrumentally seems to stand out here, at least from an individual stand-point. When the sounds come together though, it's good to hear tracks that aren't just dominated by simple breakdowns and one-note chugs.
The downside to the EP is that it's hard to get a gage on where the band wants to go with its sound. With the first track being an instrumental introduction, the remaining five songs seem to be a rendition in experimentation. While the songs do sound fairly similar, it's hard to draw a straight line through a band combining metal, hardcore, and R&B. Maybe on a future full length fans will see more of where the band wants to go with its sound and we can see more direction. All in all though, it is nice to see a few elements present on the release that feel fresh.
In a nutshell, this is a promising release. It's good to hear Tyler is back in the metalcore scene, and his set of pipes (as well as his love for R&B/pop helping to diversify the bands sound) really help to separate this band from most. Outside of that however, you might either love or hate this EP. Maybe the electronics and turntables aren't your thing, but the experimentation is an interesting listening experience.
Give it a listen and see for yourself, especially if you were a fan of Number[s] or any previous Woe, Is Me material. Without feeling the need to compare the two bands, in isolation this is a very solid debut release and hopefully on any future material we get an even better idea on where ISSUES wants to go. There's plenty to work with here, and it's certainly nice to see people in the scene trying something at least a little different.
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