Issues –Headspace

Headspace is the eagerly awaited second studio full-length from metal-core band, Issues. Since their first EP, Black Diamonds, released in 2012, the band has also released their first studio album, self-titled Issues in 2014, along with another recent EP in 2015, titled Diamond Dreams. Filled with surprise clean vocals, old roots, and new genre experiments, Headspace is a melodic and hard rock jam filled album that leaves anyone feeling good! 

“The Realest” starts off the album with the same story of Issues: Tyler Carter on clean vocals and Michael Bohn on unclean, along with the drums and electric guitar steady, twinning the same rhythm throughout. The song’s lyrics talk about a girl who only plays games with a guy, and the guy catches on and realizes he deserves better. “Home Soon” is next, featuring a solid light drum and guitar intro, along with Carter’s melodic backing vocals until, when he leads, Bohn follows, interchanging between screams and clean vocals – for the first time fans hear Bohn’s clean vocals, and DAMN do they sound amazing! The song deals with a long-distance relationship and the hardships about dating a band member, such as jealousy over fans, groupies, and being on the road, not able to communicate with the significant other, and just trying to push through till the band is home.

“Lost-n-Found (On A Roll)” starts out with Bohn’s heavy screaming and Carter’s soulful vocals filling the song with an angst, seemingly anger-filled instrumental background similar to 2014’s “Stingray Affliction”. This song features something no other song does on this album – the band brings back the choir that fans heard in 2014’s “Disappear” track – adding a calming sensation to this heavier tuned jam. It can be imagined if played live, all fans’ hands would be waving in the air and singing along.

“Yung & Dum” tests the band’s limits by adding a country-rock theme to the song, especially featuring Jon Langston who is a young, popular American country artist, blending country music (which is what the band also loves to listen to) with their metal roots. “Made To Last” discusses a couple trying to date who believes they’re going to make it, despite the odds, and that their time will be cherished. They realize their mistakes and try to fix them to be good for the other person. This can be seen in the lyrics, “Heart’s done breaking; I promise I’m a risk worth taking. This time it won’t be complicated, cause all I want is you; we were made to last.” Couples, or people who like someone, may relate to this song closely.

“Flojo” starts out with a beat similar to “Old Dena” off of the band’s 2014 record, with a dubstep and hard rock instrumental mix along with Bohn’s screaming coming in hard and Carter’s symphonic vocals. “Hero” follows, featuring a slight pop-punk vibe with Carter’s vocals taunting in the song, and Bohn’s clean vocals re-appear. This duo is incredible. The song’s message seems to be a “fake it till you make it” attitude, to make you stronger for yourself and others – the “hero” everyone wants to be around.

“Coma” continues this album, and is believed to be a fan favorite. Starting with an instrumental introduction, fans reminisce to previous tracks such as “The Worst of Them” and “The Settlement”. With their hard drum patterns, high tempo guitar and electro-vocals toward the beginning, as well as surrounding the track, it could be said that Issues are getting back into their old groove with this one. Lyrically, the song speaks of someone in a hospital who is ill, and has the possibility of not surviving, and possibly having to let go of someone they care about – it can be seen in a relationship sense as hoping the person remains alive, that they can’t live without them.

“Rank Rider” is about using methods of coping to deal with someone who doesn’t provide properly for him, and how it’s not worth the energy or time. Fans can be imagined singing the “oh oh oh” in a crowd if the band were to play this song live. It’s composed of steady drumming and strumming of strumming, and piano interludes. “Blue Wall” is one of the most societal songs on the album – talking about the racism that’s endured in society, especially police brutality to people of color. The band was lashed out on for the lyrics on this song, so in a statement Skylar Accord explained, “To our white friends, this isn’t about race. While all lives do matter; black lives need the attention right now, and we’re all on the same team.” Fans can compare this song to “Hooligans” off of their 2012 EP/single.

“Someone Who Does” carries the theme of 2012’s “Princeton Ave” with the absent or abused father message. This is one of the most sentimental songs on the album that fans can really relate to. In the lyrics, “I’m a man, no thanks to you Dad. You’re so quick to move on. What about the ones you left behind. How am I supposed to be strong. When you’re the weak one” dissing his dad for not being around, and when the son craves to be close, he remembers all his father missed and how he will never have a perfect family and how his mom provided selflessly.

“I Always Knew” is an instrumental piece, an introduction to “Slow Me Down”, the last song on the album. “I Always Knew” is filled with soft, echoing background vocals with a piano, drumming, and guitar melody. “Slow Me Down” is the final song on the sophomore album – in memorial of guitar player AJ’s aunt who passed away. She was his best friend. In the lyrics, “My son, I gotta thank you for calling. Not sure who I would be if you stopped looking out for me. Somehow I always knew. Let me know when I need to slow you down; you’re burning out of control. So far from heaven now”, there is a message of someone close about to pass away, another emotional hard hitter for fans.

Overall, the album exceeds expectations, ringing in new genre experiments, vocal surprises, as well as being another emotional album. It is clear that there’s nothing this band cannot do. Fans can only wonder what’s in store next and what the band plans to do when it comes to playing Headspace live.

 

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Review by Savannah Lee, RockRevolt Contributor