Rivalries in music are unavoidable - two bands are too similar, and invariably the war against the "poser" begins as fans of one artist slam fans of the other. It's a vicious cycle that, when it starts to involve the artists themselves, ultimately becomes filled with mudslinging and vitriol. Rivalries amongst punk and metal bands already exist - The Devil Wears Prada dedicated their inflammatory song 'Pretenders' to Asking Alexandria, slamming the British group by saying "No one of any positive reputation will respect what you've done." Going back even further, who can forget the dramatic dichotomy of the 80s between Megadeth and Metallica? Perhaps this is, in part, due to the heightened egos many musicians have, that any potential 'usurpers' to their fame leads to rapid and offensive attack.
Now, this is all fine in the case of a legitimate rivalry between bands of similar musical style, but what happens when you have 1.) a band composed almost entirely of members who deserted a previous band, 2.) a record label infamous for its disregard for musical talent, and 3.) an excitable fanbase that will do whatever said record label tells them to? You get the abomination that Rise Records is trying to shove down your throat this fall: a 100% synthetic 'rivalry' between Woe, Is Me, and newcomer Issues.
A few months ago I did a commentary on Woe, Is Me when they re-released their first studio album Number[s] this summer. In short, WIM drummer Austin Thornton's less-than-relatable personality drove the original lineup of the band apart fairly quickly. Former vocalist Tyler Carter had a brief, put promising R&B single called 'Side to Side' before Rise dragged him back into their new moneymaking idea - a five piece band almost identical in sound to WIM called Issues.
Already this seems like a terrible idea. The departure of Issues' members from Woe Is Me were unfriendly to say the least. The least Rise could do was not sign Issues to respect the band members' desire to not have to deal with each other. But for the label who managed to force a 'friendship' between Pierce the Veil's Vic Fuentes and Sleeping With Sirens' Kellin Quinn, making an artificial rivalry was a piece of cake.
So what did Rise do? Singles for the upcoming WIM album Genesi[s] and Issues' EP Black Diamonds were released on the same day. And, you guessed it, they were both slamming the other band. Issues made a jab at Genesi[s] with 'If you don't like these lyrics then go listen to Genesis', while WIM retorted with 'You're so proud of those one-liners you wrote, it must be hard to talk with a dick in your throat'.
Just...seriously? Two bands composed of adult men are resorting to making gay jokes at each other? The blame falls squarely on WIM for this, but Issues' comment about Genesi[s] was completely out of line too. Metalcore is already dotted with overgrown babies and oversized egos (Abandon All Ships, I'm looking at you) and this isn't helping anything. Swearing in a song doesn't make you 'edgy' or 'better' than anyone else - August Burns Red have yet to swear at all during their seven-year career. Taking jibes at other bands is fine, but deliberately calling them out is childish and cringe-worthy.
But that doesn't stop right there - this polarization in the fanbase will lead to an upsurge in the fans' loyalty. What does this mean? It means that the average Issues or WIM fan will be less likely to download the music and more likely to buy the record - perhaps due to a delusion that they're 'supporting' the artist. Who profits from this the most? Rise. It's a clever scheme, that's for sure, but morally ambiguous to say the least.
I'm going to go on record saying both bands are equally horrid (which is unfortunate for WIM, whose first album Number[s] was actually a great listen), but, in a pinch, I'd side with WIM. Issues has a predilection for terrible one-liners and cringe-inducing lines as brilliant as 'got the swag of a coward'. I understand the band members' frustration with Woe Is Me, but devoting an entire song to it is going too far. WIM's new material is Rise-y and definitely a step down, but it has its bright moments ('A Story To Tell' is decent). What's more, Issues has already lost its guitarist. Their EP isn't even out yet.
To conclude, Rise's new PR stunt is a brilliant example of what's wrong with the scene right now. Egos running amok, record labels trying to capitalize on every little facet of a band's personality, and almost no emphasis on the quality of music being produced. I had my doubts about Rise this summer, when mediocre after mediocre release hit shelves, and was briefly hopeful when the Acacia Strain album was released, but this is a step back to the ludicrous, homogenous, overly capitalist Rise I know so well.
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