About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Lifted by years of effort and a new distribution deal with Epic Records, Trustkill Records' Eighteen Visions broke onto the charts with 2004's Obsession, which set up the band's next release as a potential breakthrough. When a recording artist with a number of albums decides to name a new disc after itself, that's often a signal of an attempt at reinvention or introduction to a new audience, and such seems to be the case with Eighteen Visions. The album is not a break with the past, but it does mark a more complete realization of the band's goal of maintaining a distinct heavy metal/hardcore identity while suggesting it can master other styles as well. The most distinct example of this versatility comes six tracks in with "Broken Hearted," a song on which Eighteen Visions abruptly switches gears and produces a melodic, midtempo arena rock performance. Lead singer James Hart calms down from his usual harsh howl to a conventional rock vocal style, and the band turns in a surprisingly accessible track, complete with a big, hooky chorus. The first time listening to the album, "Broken Hearted" comes as a surprise, but upon repeated listenings it's possible to hear more sophisticated parts in other songs -- unusually strong vocal choruses, keyboard riffs, unusual tempo shifts. Eighteen Visions can play contemporary metal with the best of them, turning out songs filled with pile-driving drum parts, thundering guitars, and Hart's obscenity laced, rage-filled screaming. But, unlike their many competitors, they are more than that, and they vary the formula just enough to emerge from the pack. William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating:
• Ratings: 2Reviews: 2