Eighteen Visions
Vanity
Trustkill
Get your tickets, the Chugga Chugga Choo Choo Transatlantic Express is just about to leave the station! Make sure you’re wearing your boots with the biggest heels and souls while you’re listening to this one; even the biggest pacifist will be driven to kicking the poop out of someone when listening to Vanity.
Eighteen Visions make no bones about their purpose: delivery of enormous, pounding, ass-kicking hardcore/metal stompers which are intended to serve as the soundtrack for fist fights and other violent behavior. The lead singers’ bloody throated vocals are as abrasive as an S.O.S. pad, the guitars are grainy and scratchy, and the the bass guitars are ringy and plodding. The drums, which are the only questionable part of the Eighteen Visions’ rhythm section, are really awesome and well done, but they’re kind of buried in the mix. At times, Vanity sounds as if it’s a four track demo, simply for the poor mixing of the tracks.
But for sheer rock content, Vanity is fantastic. The songs stomp mercilessly throughout, often times turning mathy, but the chugga chugga engines are pumping full force throughout. This is my first taste of Eighteen Visions, and I was thoroughly impressed. I must admit, as well, that I usually hate and make fun of stomper hardcore bands, but Vanity kicks so much booty, that to do so here would be silly. This is good stuff!
As a side note, I read some other reviews of this record, because I’d never heard Eighteen Visions before, and the consensus was that older 18V. stuff is better, and that Vantiy showcases a tired and worn out 18V. Regardless, I enjoyed it, thoroughly.
Trustkill Records: http://www.trustkill.com
