Eighteen Visions has made a name for themselves in the past, since their debut EP "Lifeless", back in 1997. Having started out as one of the first real 'metalcore' bands, their sound has progressed in a way that, while it may please some fans, others will find it just as formulaic and trite as many of their major-label, radio-friendly counterparts."Our Darkest Days", the album's opening track, sets the tone for what is to follow. Anthem-like in its approach, you find it a decent song by arena rock standards, but not so much by other less accessible standards. Make no mistake, if you're looking for some dark, chunky metal, you're in the wrong place. Their first single, "Victim" follows the opening track, and contains some of the more petty lyrics heard since Story of the Year. From there, the album bobs and weaves between polished songs so pristine you'd swear you could almost hear them gleam like a Dentyne commercial. Songs like "Another Pretty Suicide" and "Last Night" showcase this best, even moreso, in some ways, than "Victim". The most glaring example of this comes, however, in "Your Nightmare", when a 4 part harmony declares "And it's just become your nightmare". Oh, scary.
The musicianship and vocals aren't bad, if only from a technical standpoint, making this barely salvageable. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this sinking ship.
This album falls short for anyone looking for something as dark as the album's artwork tries to make it look. However, if you are looking for highly polished, flawless production, and overproduced guitar tone, this is your baby. This is easily a release that people will either love or hate.
