Review: Eighteen Visions - Vanity

artist:eighteen visions album: vanity label:trustkill records released: 5/14/02 by: rob tatum For those of you who have heard Until the Ink Runs Out, you know that Eighteen Visions is known for their “in your face” metalcore. Nothing really separated them from any other band in their genre or any band from the Orange County scene. To be quite honest, I didn’t think that they would ever get very far in the direction they appeared to be heading. They were a decent band, but didn’t seem to have anything to offer besides breakdowns and metal. Then comes Vanity. 13 songs ranging from acoustic ballads to a little techno (yes, I said techno) to the typical “in your face” brutal hardcore kids have come to expect from 18V. The album starts with the title track, Vanity, and it hits with the usual intensity of an 18V song, then the verse comes in with singing and melody. This change of pace caught me off guard, but it flows really well. This first track is the “appetizer” for the rest of the album, as it has a little bit of acoustic guitar behind the singing, then it builds into a brutal build with James barking his vocals angrily. The next two songs are in typical 18V fashion. Heavy-hitting. Chugga-Chugga guitar. Passionate vocals. The second song, Fashion Show, has one of the hardest breakdowns I have ever heard, and it could definitely get a crowd going. The fourth song is completely out of the ordinary. It sounds like it could be played on the radio. It doesn’t sound like 18V until about half way through and even then, it doesn’t seem to fit. The next “song” The Notes of My Reflection is an instrumental with acoustic guitar and drum and bass techno in the background. Yep, like I said, techno. The next two songs show more maturity and creativity in song writing for 18V. A little bit of melody mixed with heartfelt lyrics… add a little 18V and you get something new, different, and in my eyes, good. Some lyrics from the sixth song, A short walk down a long hallway, “You’re still the one that opened my eyes. Let me be the one to breath. How did you find me?” My biggest complaint with the album overall is that it changes pace a lot. I like the new direction and experimentation, but every second or third song is acoustic or techno, and it throws things out of wack. Another acoustic track follows on the 8th song, and then the 9th track comes back with a fast-paced, angry attack on the senses. It’s hard to describe. Two more songs follow in the direction of the title track, and then another instrumental, which is more background noise than a song. The last track, which is one of my favorites, is another ballad, but it is the best track lyrically and musically. Love in Autumn shows that the band has grown since their last release and that they are not just a one dimensional hardcore band. It ends the album well. This album is really good, but there are times when it is hard to listen to, as it jumps around so much. It is much better than any of the previous releases from 18V, at least in my eyes, but I’m not sure, even to this day, if I like the way it was pieced together. favorite song: "fashion show" / "love in autumn" (tie, they show both sides of the band) rating: 86%/100% listen to eighteen visions