Having received this along with Hopesfall and Open Hand, this may be one of the best promo-packages I ever received. 18 Visions completely convinced me with this release – although it’s out for some weeks, I haven’t heard it until today – showing me that I missed something. Metalcore with the right dose of innovation is what lets the genre live these days, and 18 Visions dared enough to take part in this process. Taking many known elements from the genre, and enrichening them with their own influences, this record is a real homogenic and entertaining piece of music. Their songs are quite packed with rythms and riffs (and therefore may overstrain some people at the first listening), they are impressively showing their musical skills they developed over the years - the whole record is really fluent and strikes directely into my ear at least. Well arranged, rocking metalcore songs, each of them a little hit with twisted beats, danceable parts and many cool ideas while speaking of hooks, rythms and voice. On the harmonic side, I personally was surprised with beautiful melodic hooks and especially the christal clear, sung voice of their frontman Jimmy. Speaking of him, I must lose some more words on his vocal range on this record: From screaming in a kinda desperate way to the aforementioned singing, from spoken words to some alternative styled influences (“gorgeous”) he is one of the most versatile and best singers in HC right now – the same for the lyircs. Layout and production wise this is great as well – the pink artwork underlines their live glam rock appearance quite well and gets a plus for doing something different in a genre dominated by other styles until now. Records like this deserve more than some written words – so listen to it, please.

Look at the facts: two of them have spent time in hair school and their bassist was named after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It doesn’t conjure up visions of a tough as nails modern metal band does it? Nor does it prepare you for the whirlwind that Eighteen Visions create with their cocktail of abrasive hardcore and soothing melody. The band switch effortlessly from cut-throat fury (‘Vanity’) to the almost sing-a-long melody of ‘I Don’t Mind’ to the acoustic-led ‘Gorgeous’, a song that, courtesy of the tear-tinged vocals of James Stephen Hart, easily lives up to its name. ‘Vanity’, the album, delivers a sound so fat with emotion and so pumped full of passion that you can forget that bands like Creed ever existed. Eighteen Visions overflow with an attitude that can be summed up in two songs - ‘You Broke Like Glass’ and ‘In The Closet’ - ten minutes of utterly incredible music. This is a beast of an album, from start to finish, and one that contains more ‘cool factor’ than the majority of today’s hard music scene rolled into one. If you only buy yourself one record this summer, make sure it is this one!

Background: Eighteen Visions has been brutalizing eardrums for seven years now, and with four albums on Trustkill Records, they are the slightly artsy harbinger of mascara wearing destruction for one of the hardest labels there is. Two members of Eighteen Visions are in another juggernaught, Throwdown. Album: Eighteen Visions has some of the most interesting lyrics I’ve ever seen. Ranging from often violent musings about girls, whenever I read them and hear the music, I feel like I’m drugged into this murky, blue toned world, and everybody’s hair is black. It’s like angry-at-chick and kill-self emo gone desperately wrong; like somebody painted some self-destruction with a healthy edge of dark poetry on top. The imagery is intense, and they metaphor and simile with a fierceness. The lyrics are like a painting...but not something you’d let your children look at. Razor blades, physically evident desperation, people hiding in corners, gnashing their teeth. Sound: If there was a throne of metalcore, Eighteen Visions would be the chuckling, massive sunglasses wearing evil tyrant perched on it. Before, Eighteen Visions stuck to an easily definable sound. They played what seemed to be complex, amazingly original (hard to do with the genre, it seems), utterly pulverizing music. They have mixed in some singing now, very impressive for the vocalist, who’s voice makes me think of someone getting mugged. The music is mosh inducing, and heavy like nothing else before. One thing I’ve noticed with Eighteen Visions is that I rarely know what to expect. The songs always seem to defy formula; they twist and turn, beating the crap out of us in a sewer of sludgey riffs and ear-drum shattering bellows. It’s like dumping someone into a haunted house based on the most terrible pain of society manifested into physical beings, all the while having a bad trip on acid while getting your ass kicked by mask wearing goths armed with clubs. Cover Art: Appropriate to the album. Chick in the background, in a bra, staring with lusty eyes. Purple and swirly...makes me think of lust and black lingerie. And smeared lipstick. Sounds Like: A mugging, a rape, a mental breakdown, someone cutting in their room, someone in the rain screaming and someone sitting in a little dark room, writing. And then translating all that negativity into this masterpiece of super heavy metalcore with a heavy dose of art. Final: If you’re a fan of anything heavy, this will blow you way. Buy it.

Some will try to degrade this album, because after all 18V is the "band you love to hate", but in my humble opinion, it is simply one of the best releases of the year. As bonecrushing and fleshripping as ever, if not more, these OC fashionistas have also delved into straight forward rock n' roll. For every devastating, moshy drop, there is a catchy melodic chorus that will have you singing at the top of your lungs. 18V cover all bases, from hardcore to metalcore to straight up death metal to black metal to good old fashioned rock n' roll. There's even a beautiful acoustic track! This album is am immense experience from the first second to the last. I believe the boys description of themselves says it better than anyone else: rock n' roll kids playing metal music in a hardcore band. Or maybe they're any variation of that recipe. I recommend! I recommend! I recommend! Fans of everything and anything should take note. Is my enthusiasm for this release coming through?

Initial Impression: The album cover is pink, it's called "Vanity"... you draw a conclusion with this evidence! Notable Lyric: "I'm watching you die slowly, standing in the corner you start facing the wall alone" - from the depressing "You Broke Like Glass". Factoid: Based in Huntington Beach, California, Eighteen Visions call New Jersey's TrustKill Records home. Meanwhile, two of the band members are in Throwdown, while one is in Bleeding Through. Those are hardcore bands, thank you! Serve With: More photos of the band - good visuals. Comments: I suppose there's a reason we're taught not to judge a book by it's cover: Eighteen Visions are heavy, screaming hardcore from the label that brings you Poison The Well and Sick of It All, not a flowery pop trio. Their abrasive tunes would certainly sit well with a harder-edged crowd, and bring the raging boys to the front of the stage to rock out. (To "pinwheel", as my hardcore-loving friend would say.)

Notch up another success for Trustkill Records. The label who brought you such heavy hitters as Hopesfall and Poison the Well now brings you some "Vanity" by Eighteen Visions. Call it glam metal-core or emo metal, but what Eighteen Visions accomplishes on their third CD for the New Jersey label is by no means extraordinary, yet it gets the job done. Balancing their thirteen song act between driving hardcore, metal mosh breakdowns and the occasional acoustic tune, this Orange County act has found a successful means to achieve notoriety and brutality simultaneously. The vocals carry much of the album, as James Hart shows a bit of range with some guttural growls while reverting to standard hardcore yells and taking up some actual singing, too. Lyrically the band delves on betrayal, bitterness and the straight edge lifestyle, yet their capabilities of changing up time signatures and styles mask any weakness that may pop up in the lyrics ("One Hell Of A Prize Fighter" being a good example). Across the board, a definite comparison could be given to Burn It Down, which isn't much of a surprise seeing as to how the now broken-up band's vocalist, Ryan Downey, is close friends with the band. Integrating various influences allows Eighteen Visions success amongst emo, hardcore, metal and indie rock kids, but make no mistake as "Vanity" is most definitely a metal-core album, just with a nice pinch of this and taste of that to make it lively. With members from Throwdown and being on Trustkill, you pretty much get a good idea of where this is going, but don't be shocked if you're not some metal kid and yet still find yourself jamming along.

For the last couple years Eighteen Visions has been threatening to drop an album that would turn hardcore, metal, and heavy music in general on it’s ear and shatter the perceived boundaries surrounding them. With the release of their latest album Vanity, this Orange County 5-piece has delivered just that bomb and once dropped is no doubt destined to shake up the hardcore scene and leave the nonbelievers and critics in its wake. The title itself is a playful reference to the band’s critics, some of which have labeled them “Hair Core” (due to members of the band attending hair school) and alleged they are more concerned with their image then their music. Having never been the type of band to conform to how people think they should be, Eighteen Visions blast through 12 tracks of a style all their own, breaking new ground and showing off a new musical maturity. Aggressive and passionately furious, yet poetic, Eighteen Visions created the melodic metalcore blue print so many bands attempt to duplicate but rarely have success in doing so. Vanity is destined to be yet another Trustkill classic.

Hardcore with the edges smoothed out in all the right places. Or, incredibly aggressive indie rock. Vocals that can peal the paint or rally the lyrics with clarity. Impressive range that really shows how much more a hardcore band can achieve with a vocalist who has some talent. But past fans fear not, Jimmy's hard as nails yelp is still intact, it just laced with a more spoken shout, and a razor clean yell for the big impact choruses. Musically this walks a beautiful line between relentless pummels of crushing riffage and more melodic indie rock constructions. Hatebreed comparisons are valid in the guitar attack, but the vocals are of a higher nature and are shooting for an entirely varied approach. 18 Visions should tour with Atreyu. Fans of Diecast's hardcore meets metal hybrid should find a kindred spirit in 18 Visions. Speed blasts of guitar and drums surface often to show the intensity of the extreme metal influence warping this hardcore outfit out of control. Song after song caught me off guard with its sheer intensity. The 10% of songs that break out into something you might hear on the radio show the band could play it clean with talent enough to hit the airwaves, but would rather bitch slap the songs around and scream and agitate their own aggressive creation. This gets so metal at times, it seems to almost explode. This shatters the shell of hardcore and with that peppering of melodic pretty, gives 18 Visions a shine that's blinding. The only improvement might be a more engaging production, as the songs heavy guitars all hit with the same tone. The last, uncredited track is a surprise with its dreamy guitars and sway of dripping, breathy vocals. Layers of echo on everything and it sweetly jams in a loud Fuel meets late career Pink Floyd sort of way. Out of step with this release, but a convincingly dulcet number I commend them for including. It basically justifies the tear your head off line of attack the sonics on this album command as a chosen path 18 Visions proudly travels, even though the golden path of radio and money would obviously be available to them.

Finally it’s here. The follow up to the heavily rotated (at least in my CD-player) ‘Best of’ and ‘Until the ink runs out’ CDs. Needless to say that I’m very much into this band. But is this a worthy follow up album? Hell yeah. Everything, from artwork to music, from lyrics to hairstyle, this record surpasses everything they have ever done before. Lemme start off by saying how FUCKING SWEET the pink lay out is? It’s amazing how the girl is worked into the layout. One thing for sure, you’ll notice this CD wherever it is! Now on to the music. All the classic 18V elements can be found here, being extremely heavy breakdowns, twisted riffs, chaotic parts, super fast double bass parts but they also added super cool melodic parts, clean singing, graspy singing and lots more. One acoustic song by the drummer is to be found on here and the last song is just absolutely amazing. Lyrically, they outdone themselves again and at last they have songs about Straight Edge. I’m finally able to scream ‘You fucking Sellout, I’m gonna put you away’ with my favourite band. Any self respecting Straight Edge metalcore kid should have this record. And every other kid as well! Check this band out on tour and mosh!!!

I have been a casual observer to the EIGHTEEN VISIONS phenomenon, occasionally checking out an mp3 here and there, but never really taking too much interest in the band. However, the promotional support given to Vanity from the Trustkill crew and other media outlets has been intense, and with my acquisition of "Vanity," I feel like I've found a very public, hidden treasure. Musically, this is a crushing release, spanning all sorts of inflences, melting into one giant mosh of a sound that can be described as nothing less than hardcore. Period. A thick, burly sound eminates from the abusive guitars, but that level of grit pales in the comparison to the awesome, dirty, glam-gone-grunge vocals (especially on the third track, "One Hell of a Prize Fighter." Think ALICE IN CHAINS but 100 times more intense). A loud, professional sounding recording encompasses the disc, and I think the style enhances the band's strongest assets, namely the screaming guitar work, and the raw vocals. With nearly each song clocking in around four minutes, EIGHTEEN VISIONS takes great pains to work within many different timing structures, sometimes rendering songs into sections - though for the most part, the songwriting is consistent in keeping every together. Sequencing is a big factor with "Vanity," as it appears that much attention was paid to continuing the electric flow between songs, especially when the band ventures out to an acoustic track, and some wicked intro programming on "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway." Accessible is a funny word when writing a review, because of course, there's going to be some reader that's going to equate that word with "mainstream appeal," but really, in the case of "Vanity" and EIGHTEEN VISIONS, the band's unique take on metallic hardcore is openly engaging and refreshing in spirit. The vocals aren't screamed to the point of becoming nothing more than a varied form of gurgling with cheese, and the momentum of the music is completely thunderous. A lot of bands tend to take their "art" with an extremely serious demeanor, but EIGHTEEN VISIONS tend to be fully aware of the crafty, fun, but throbbing experience their fans have to come appreciate. Heck, any band that names a song, "Sonic Death Monkey" automatically gets approval in my book. I'm down with the sickness.

Destructively heavy and melodically beautiful, Eighteen Visions have matured a great deal with their new album "Vanity". Described as technical metalcore, this Orange County 5-piece will pound you to an inch of your life before slowing down and taking the time to revive you just so they can crush you all over again. With a wide range of diversity and creativity, Eighteen Visions are sure to please their old fans as well as gain a new gathering with "Vanity". Jimmy is a very talented vocalist and it shows with the way he can chop and change from style to style cleanly and effectively. At times high-pitched screams are heard, then deep growls come through, followed by clean singing. Jimmy's very diverse singing variations adds a great attracting atmosphere to the band's music. Guitarists Heavy and Sheep (Yes, this is what they are known by), work well together to form a huge wall of furious riffs, thumping chugs and also the occasional acoustic strums. Bassist Jagger and Drummer K Flo create a solid rhythm section with low-end bass lines and hard hitting snare and fast bass kick variations. Some people may think twice about buying an album called "Vanity" that has a bright pink cover, but put that aside and just purchase this masterpeice. Beautiful, heavy, fast, honest and energetic, could anything more be asked from an album? It may not be flawless, but it is definitely quite difficult to pick out faults. From the get go this album will keep you entertained with around a full hour of chaotic elegance. Whether you are familiar with this band or not, I urge you to buy Eighteen Visions new Trustkill release "Vanity".

In a perfect world, change would come with acceptance and praise. However, this is not a perfect world, change is not always accepted as easily as it should be, nor is it respected as often as it should be. So when a band makes the decision to change there sound, especially with the close-minded state of hardcore in which we live, it is a bold risk to undertake something that could ultimately make, or unfortunately break them. Eighteen Visions is one of the bands that have taken up this risk and taken every punch in stride, and although their new release may not be what many of us are accustomed, "Vanity" definitely lives up to everything that 18v has built both in themselves, and in the entire scene. Now although many may say that 18v has "sold out", the fact is that musically, this album rarely strays outside of the lines drawn by "Until the Ink Runs Out" or the previously unrecorded tracks on "The Best of", but there is a definite change. There are the usual chugga-chugga breakdowns, as one would expect from 18v, included with the natural heaviness that we all are used to. Also, there are a few acoustic interludes, and even two acoustic ballads; yes, I said it, BALLADS ("Gorgeous", "Love in Autumn"). This album seems to be much more mature than any previous release by 18v, of course it's been a long road from "Lifeless" to "Vanity." 18v is no longer the dark band they once were. The boys from 18v have grown up, and so has their music. Vocalist James Hart steps up and shows talent never seen before this record. The once tearing growl that screamed "Death to your King" has now born out a new voice, one that I believe no one could have expected from this band. Don't be lead astray by the idea of a "singing" Eighteen Visions, the same old growl is still there, albeit a little whittled down due to the increased singing parts. Quite simply, sometimes sacrifices must be made in order for change to occur. Truly though, it is not much of a sacrifice; it is actually a very equal and enjoyable blend of both screaming and singing. Hart sings you to heaven on tracks like "Love in Autumn" and still manages to crash you back to hell on tracks like "One Hell of a Prize Fighter" and "Sonic Death Monkey". But James is not the only one making waves with his vocal talents on this record, drummer Ken Floyd also lends his voice to "Gorgeous", yet another unexpected surprise. Bottom Line: I personally enjoyed "Vanity" very much. Admittedly, at first, I was a little unsure on what I would think of the new 18v, but after one listen I realized that it isn't a "new" 18v, just a much more refined 18v. My only problem with the album is song length; I think that some of the tracks could've been cut a little shorter, especially since the majority of them pass the 5-minute mark. Despite what many may say about it, this is a very good album. Whether you are a fan of earlier Eighteen Visions, or not, "Vanity" is worth a listen for anyone who would rather form their own opinion instead of following the many that have immediately written Eighteen Visions off as sellouts.

With this album, 18v have taken everything that made them them, and topped it off the the point of overflowing. From the opening chords of the title track, it's blatantly obvious that 18v have lost none of their potentcy, in fact most would say they've found new depths from which to delve. Where as on past albums the band chose to focus more on the heavier aspects of their music, this time around its obvious they paid equal attention to the mellow interludes, "a short walk down a long hallway" is positively haunting, lulling you into a false sense of security and calm, before its sister track "gorgeous" pummels you with its jawdropping intensity as vocalist James croons "Let me be the one to breathe" and shrieks "blaming you for all that hurt". The momentum doesn't stop with this disc, wrapping up with the chilling "love in autumn" that switches tempos with such break neck speed you'll be left in traction for months to come. Absolutely no filler here. In closing, even if you weren't a fan before, I highly reccomend you pick up "VANITY" (and the rest of their back catalog for that matter, give it a second chance), the sheer dynamics are a shining example of what hardcore is capable of, proving once more that Trustkill (who also brought you Poison The Well) have impeccable taste!

EIGHTEEN VISIONS' new disc VANITY has a pretty pink cover and from the pictures inside shows a cute bunch of dudes. When you slip in the disc, the prettiness of everything I just mentioned falls to the ground and is turned into a hellish puddle of goo. EIGHTEEN VISIONS don't fool around with their music, it's massive metal core to the Max with vocals that growls at you one moment and then sings a portrait of a calm soothing ocean. Musically, I was pretty happy with it. It has technical genius, blistering guitar parts, hellish drums and just catchy, driving and blistering memorable moments. Tracks that can't be denied are I DON'T MIND, LOVE IN AUTUMN, VANITY and YOU BROKE LIKE GLASS.

18V haven't sold out and written a nu-metal album, they have just updated their sound. First listen doesn't due this album justice, it definitely gets better if you give it a chance. If you love 18V you will appreciate this, if you hate them you hate them... Overall 18V have a more mature sound with the addition of harmony, a little more rock sound due to song structure and singing, but the bottom line is that 18V are still a heavy and intense hardcore band. They still play grindy thrash parts with intricate time structures and tempo changes, but overall the songs have more of a chugga sound with heavier breakdowns then 18V of old. They have also added allot of harmony to their songs which add emotional depth not contrived pop punk parts. The vocals are the only noticeable change for the band. The vocals are still pissed and harsh but they have taken the amount of singing up few notches. At times the singing is sweet melodic but at others they are more raspy and comparable to STP or Marilyn Manson. Classic 18V lyrics about killing ex-girl friends, critics, and edge breakers, but there are also some introspective lyrics. "She thought that I was romantic, but then the gun went off. And now I've left you to bleed here all alone. And I look so beautiful in her sunday dress laved with pink and white."

Eighteen Visions finally released their new album on Trustkill Records "Vanity" on August 13. It was originally recorded back in December 2001-January 2002, and since it was recorded, Eighteen Visions have toured with bands like Mushroomhead, Poison The Well, Lamb Of God, and have played several big fests like the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Furnacefest and even Hellfest, not to mention tours with Throwdown, which are kind of easy since Eighteen Visions guitarist Keith Barney and drummer Ken Floyd are both in Throwdown as well. It's been a few years since 18V's last real album, 1999's "Until the Ink Runs Out,"so the obvious progression is a big theme on this album and in my review. Vocally, I love this album. It is so diverse for a hardcore album, and I think that is the biggest reason I love this album so much. Vocalist James Hart has the perfect hardcore scream, but on this album he really branches out and shows off his singing voice. It's really cool how he can go from a song like "Fashion Show" which is straight out hardcore to a song like "You Broke Like Glass" which has a real Stone Temple Pilots feel to it. Of course, a fan favorite is sure to be the track "One Hell Of A Prize Fighter" which features new Killswitch Engage/former Blood Has Been Shed vocalist Howard Jones doing a guest spot. I'm no math major, but something tells me Howard Jones + Eighteen Visions = brutal, and that is definitely the case. I'd love to see that song live. One of the really cool songs on the album is the track "Gorgeous," which is actually an acoustic track that is written, sung and performed by drummer Ken Floyd. There's a real 60's acoustic Beetles feel to the song, and it's really cool to see they weren't afraid to have a song like this on the album. The album ends along the same lines with the Eighteen Visions "power ballad," the semi-acoustic "Love In Autumn." Beautiful song. Lyrically, James and Ken can really write. James did most of the writing though. Very introspective at times, often having an obvious message towards someone. Musically, it's very rich, full, and just as beautiful as it is powerful. As Keith said in or interview, they didn't just throw a bunch of riffs together and sing around it this time, they were well written and planned out songs, with riffs and breakdowns placed around the song. It's almost like they wrote rock songs and added the hardcore elements around it. I love the opening to "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway," with it's melodic riff to open before it goes straight on into brutal hardcore chords, and blend the intro riff into the chorus. The song writing musically on this album is superior to almost any of their peers that have released albums this year. The drumming is equally as stellar, and something that really stuck out to me watching Ken live. This just goes to show you don't need a 5973 piece kit to make some serious noise. The first time I saw Eighteen Visions was April of this year at the New England Metal and Hardcore festival. They had a good slot on the main stage and they didn't really stick out that much to me then (ironically, Throwdown did). But when I picked up this album that all changed, and the following day I got to see them play live and I literally couldn't believe that I didn't get into them sooner. This band has big things ahead of them. I love the way they don't limit themselves to being just a hardcore band and really allow all of their influences show. Fans of a band like Stone Temple Pilots and other early 90's grunge that are also into heavy music and have an open mind are just as likely to like this album as hardcore kids who are into bands like Throwdown, Poison The Well, and even Hatebreed. This album easily ranks in my top 10 for the year (so far). Make sure you add this album to your discography.

When I think about the hardcore genre there are a select few bands that jump out at me like Hatebreed, Poison The Well, Walls of Jerico, Shai Halud, and Eighteen Visions. This time the band came back swinging with the release of "Vanity", the record has 13 of the best hardcore tracks I have heard in a long time. Although some older Eighteen Visions fans maybe dissapointed in them because they added a lot more melody to there sound but I think it worked out for the better anyways. The opener on the record is the title track "Vanity". I think the track was perfect for opening the cd because it showcases the groups new sound and it lets you know they can still fuck shit up. Other tracks on the record that jump out at you right away are "Fashion Show", "The Critic", "You Broke Like Glass", and "One Hell Of A Prize Fighter". The only track I dislike on the record is called "I Don't Mind" and I can honestly think of a reason why I dislike the track. Overall I think Eighteen Visions put together a hell of a record here and its no surpirse they are known to be one of the best. If you don't have "Vanity" yet go pick it up or let god have mercy on your soul.

One of hardcore’s most brutal bands out right now.  Eighteen Visions hail from Orange County, a place known for punk rock and surfing, not for hardcore.  If you can picture Hatebreed crossed with some death metal you have a general idea of what these guys are about.  But as soon as you think you know what this band is doing, they throw an acoustic ballad at you, and you're back at square one.  Eighteen Visions are lead by their versatile vocalist Jimmy.  He changes his singing pattern constantly.  He'll come at you with some higher pitch screaming then drop in right down to a deep throated growl, then the next thing you know, he's singing.  The guitars from "Heavy" and "Sheep" are heavy as hell, just like you'd expect from a brutal hardcore band.  But they are talented as ever dropping their riffs down with ease.  The rhythm section of “Jagger” on the bass and “K Flo” on the drums gets you going with the fast paced beats and heavy overall sound.  Eighteen Visions are one of the bands shining light on the hardcore scene right now.  They aren't the type that just have a constant beat and scream in the same pitch for the length of the entire cd.  They mix it up, change speeds, and show off many types of different musical influences.  This is most apparent on the tracks 'I Don't Mind', 'You Broke Like Glass', and 'Sonic Death Monkey'.  Hardcore may never be a very popular form of rock, but who cares.  With plenty of hardcore bands putting out solid albums, at least we'll have something to listen to when we're pissed off.

Eighteen Visions returns with 'Vanity', a record that will beat your body till is on the verge of taking it's last breath, then without warning kisses you good night! Confused? Some hardcore kids might have issues with buying a CD named 'Vanity' and having a color theme consisting mainly of pink. But look beyond the Vanity and see the true colors of this record. It's destructively delicious, while being strikingly beautiful and melodic. 'Vanity' the song is almost overwhelming. The first breaths of the track is classic EV. But a melodic Jimmy follows, throwing any long time fan of the band for a loop. Originally Eighteen Visions was all gore and no sunlight. Now EV steps into a whole new realm, melodies, acoustic guitars and feeling. 'Vanity' introduces all of these new traits of the band. There is some fast grooving parts, gigantic break downs, and even some moving melodies. It all works, and it is safe to say 'Vanity' is an epic song. A myriad of emotions and sounds. 'One Hell Of A Prize Fighter' harkens back to the older material. Chopping guitars blast with a look toward annihilation. Jimmy rants and raves with a raspy scream, while K Flo supplies rapid fire underneath. By far some the best work to date. The lyrical content is deep on this record. This is no more apparent then with 'A Short Walk Down A Long Hallway'. It is like a violent vomit of truthfulness. The track is the perfect unison of Hardcore with melodies that fit. Jimmy sounds unapologetic with his confusion and has no qualms with saying 'Let it go, let it out. And I'll find you, and I'll touch you, and I'll see you, and I'll trust you. I've been wanting, I've been craving!' The passion comes across like a swift right to the jaw. There is a great deal more to hear on this record then just what I have covered. There is a soothing acoustic track, and then there is 'Love In Autumn' which is one of the most beautiful tracks you will ever hear. These two tunes are surrounded by songs that will rip and tear like a demon. In conclusion, 'Vanity' is a huge step in the right direction for this band. In the past Eighteen Vision would put out records that rocked harder then anything, but lacked enough substance to keep you hooked for the entire record. 'Vanity' is an all around superior record to their past work because each song stands alone. Each song has its own story, each song has highs and lows. All 13 tracks will keep you hooked and wondering what the next minute will bring. Without a doubt 'Vanity' will be a top ten album for 2002, I have no doubt you will feel the same way!

We hate to feed egos, but Orange County, CA's Eighteen Visions assessment that they're rock n roll kids playing metal music in a hardcore band is 100% accurate. The quintet is also known in the scene as 'fashioncore,' which is all about violent moshing and good hair. Take a look at infinitely stylish frontman James Hart; he's hardcore's answer to Elvis with his black and red mohawk, sleeves of tats, and a hip-shaking swagger. With his image and huge attitude, you'd think this dude was an international phenom. But his band rises to the occasion on Vanity. Musically, Eighteen Visions know how to mosh it up, which isn't shocking since guitarist Keith Barney does double duty in the left coast's moshiest outfit, Throwdown. Vanity is the quintessential metalcore record of the year, ripe with the kind of breakdowns that create carnage from Syracuse to Seattle. The Visions stuff pretty vocal harmonies in the middle of the spine-tickling shrieks and balls-to-the-wall stomp parts. They follow an acoustic track ('Gorgeous') with a Guns N Roses style arena anthem ('You Broke Like Glass'). That's nothing if not ambitious.

Orange County’s Eighteen Visions deems itself “hardcore kids playing rock ‘n roll music in a metal band.” That’s a pretty accurate description, because Vanity embodies elements of all those styles in a compressed, vitriol-soaked package. Featuring members of OC moshcore maniacs Throwdown, Eighteen Visions has stepped up its metalcore assault on "Vanity." The breakdowns are vicious enough to incite plenty of pit carnage, but the band has paid closer attention to the pretty parts here. Vocalist James Hart can go from demon to angel in a second’s notice, throwing even the most seasoned hardcore vet for an emotional loop. If Poison The Well and Hatebreed got into the ring with Lamb Of God, Eighteen Visions would emerge as the victorious prizefighter. Go forth and draw blood with “Fashion Show,” “A Short Walk Down A Long Highway,” and “You Broke Like Glass.”