The Issue
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2017 | SELF
Music
Press
Buckle up for an EP packed with passionate performances backed by a hard rockin’ sonic foundation that is guaranteed to boost your adrenaline and get your blood pumpin’. The EP is titled Moving On. It comes our way courtesy of Minneapolis, Minnesota based band The Issue.
Leaning on the harder rockin’ side of the rock and roll spectrum, The Issue seamlessly weave melodically rich vocal phrases with more aggressive breaks that build into primal screams. The drums, guitars and bass collide into a wall of sound that match the melodic potency of the vocals, provide a rich and textured layer cake of sounds, and leave the listener wanting more. If you aren’t awake yet, you are about to be!
Moving On consists of four well produced, excellently crafted songs that will keep you engaged and pumping your fist for the EP’s duration. The Issue is a great addition to your playlist!
Listen to Moving On on Spotify.
Watch the lyric video to the title track on YouTube.
Connect with The Issue on the official website. - Indie Music Discovery
The Issue’s “Moving On” contains multitudes. With a range going from Death Cab for Cutie’s moody indie-pop charm to a no-holds barred outpouring of emotion with roots in hardcore, the whole of the song feels akin to a journey. By far the heart and soul of the piece comes from the vocals. Lyricism recalls a tale of true anguish yet a desire to move forward. Volume deserves to be blasted for this needs to be felt as much as heard. Featuring multiple layers of sound, from the force of nature quality of the drums to the maelstrom of guitar riffs everything about it works wonders.
A quiet measured approach introduces the piece. Everything is kept fully restrained as the tension grows until it absolutely bursts. When things get started, the colossal sound becomes fully realized. Only upon the introduction of the vocals does the soulfulness of the track come into focus. The evolution of the groove first unique, as it veers between tenderness and aggression. Allowing a bit of the tenderness to run through even the heaviest moments of the distortion has a grandeur to it. Cinematic sweeps incorporate into the whole of the piece, for the number of colors incorporated gives it a lifelike quality. For the final stretch it all comes together in a way that feels completely satisfying.
With “Moving On” The Issues shows off their impressive chops, crafting a world that feels uniquely their own. - Beach Sloth
Alt-rock without the pomp and pretence. Perfect.
I’d be quite happy to leave the review at that, but I guess it is only fair to tell you more. So you know how alt-rock was a necessary move, that it injected a bit of life and excitement back into a flagging genre? And you know how it eventually became, as genres generally do given enough time, a bit of a cliche…black clad combos with complicated hair following the same tried and tested templates? Well, The Issue sound like alt-rock had it taken a more adventurous, more creative path. Alt-rock for sure but just more…well, more alt! More individual.
It draws from the more commercial end of grunge, the more palatable parts of modern metal, knows its rock history, has a cool indie accessibility, understands hook and melody and even nods structurally to the complexities of prog. But more than anything, on the strength of Moving On, they know how to pen a great tune and that after all is what it is all about. - Dancing About Architecture
Discography
Something special is happening inside a studio in Arden Hills. Four young musicians have put together a 4 song EP with the potential of revitalizing good, old fashioned, hard rock. From the opening notes of “Lonely” to the closing bars of “Fly From Here” there’s little room to relax. This isn’t an album to put on for a relaxing soak in the tub. This is an album made to be blasted at the highest decibel possible; in a gym, the car on a boring drive, or as background music to help get through the daily grind. It’s simultaneously heavy yet groovy, rhythmically complex with simple melodies, and blends the best of technical precision, with bluesy feel and swagger. But that's what sets The Issue apart from the crowd. It can’t be experienced by simply listening to the music or even by watching a video on YouTube, it has to be felt in person at a live show. Because music is supposed to be just that: an experience.
Photos
Bio
Young, energetic, hard-rock band based out of Minneapolis, MN. The band pulled influences from various bands they grew up listening to such as; Seether, Alter Bridge, Porcupine Tree, and Alice in Chains. With harmonizing guitar leads, heavy guitar riffs, a combination of clean and harsh vocals, tied together by a tight rhythm section, The Issue brings their own style to modern rock.
Band Members
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