Eighteen Visions – 'Obsession' (Trustkill) Released 04/10/04

It doesn’t bode well for a band when their title betrays their tone, And that’s exactly the case with Eighteen Visions, an apt name for the Orange County boys, who, despite having been together for eight years, can’t seem to agree on a single shared vision for their musical future.

The general tone of the album is that the ‘Visions are stuck in a musical middleground, as if they can’t decide whether to go all out or try to entertain the masses, neither of which they’re doing particularly successfully. 'Obsession' is certainly nothing new, whatever the audience, and while the band are musically competent, their lyrics are sometimes laughably amateurish and showcased by the kind of whiny vocals (in the form of frontman James Hart) which seem to symbolise the less successful end of the metalcore spectrum.

However it’s not all negative. It’s clear from the tone of the album that the ‘Visions have confused their musical ideal with mainstream appeal, and are falling short of the mark on both counts. Perhaps if they could agree on a shared vision, they could carve out a respectable niche for themselves among a more select market.

Borderline saving graces include first single ‘I Let Go’ and blistering outpourings in the form of ‘Tower of Snakes’ and ‘Crushed’ which seethes bitterness as a letter to an absent father. Tracks like album closer ‘Said and Done’ are among the few which have led to questionable Metallica and Guns ‘n’ Roses comparisons – an accolade which would probably have Axel Rose tearing his considerable hair out.

But criticism aside, ‘Obsession’ summed up is just another pseudo-hardcore metal album and little else.