I really don’t see why bands like this get signed to a major label like Sony Music – there really is nothing great at all about them, and they definitely shouldn’t be on any sort of major label. This band plays that terrible brand of ‘Post-Hardcore’ with the horrible, pointless screaming placed at random points throughout the songs. I really don’t like this kind of music and fail to see why labels keep releasing CD after CD of seemingly the same old – sure it makes them money at the moment, but eventually the buying public are going to wise up to the fact that generic rubbish keeps being released and people are going to stop buying it.
Instrumentally this band is quite good – they have some strong guitar riffs, great bass lines, and superb drum beats. There is no denying this bands ability – they have definitely got talent and are clearly great musicians, I just don’t like the way they use their talent to make generic Post-Hardcore nonsense. Lyrically I really despise this album with its self loathing, with such randomly screamed lines as “Don’t want to live today when all I feel is pain. I know this world’s the enemy.” It’s just so cliché, and really not the kind of thing that I personally would want to spend my hard earned cash on. They also have the stereotypical lyrics about relationships that have gone wrong such as “after all is said and done you’re not mine” and “you left me hear to die alone.” The world really doesn’t need another of these bands so hopefully, Eighteen Visions will soon disappear – either that or come back with an album where their talent is actually put to good use.
There really is nothing new here – the band is just regurgitating Post-Hardcore clichés in a vain attempt to sell records. The only redeeming feature of this album is that instrumentally the band are tight and clearly have a lot of talent – the drawback of this that you have to take in this fine musicianship with poor, done before vocals, stereotypical lyrics, and a dark, depressing tone that you could really do without. It might be a great album to listen to at a mass suicide pact meeting, but other than that it really doesn’t have a lot of use, other than perhaps being a useful coaster if ever you run out.
Rating:
UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
