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When the initial commercial metalcore boom happened in the early-to-mid-00s, Eighteen Visions, and their switch to eyeliner-heavy goth chic and hard rock riffs, were seen by many as the poster children for everything that had gone wrong with hardcore’s invasion of the mainstream.So it says a lot about what’s happened in the intervening decade that their first album in 11 years sounds way more jagged and extreme than 18V did when they split in the first place. Opener Crucified is only two minutes long, but sets the tone for what’s to come by riding along on a gargantuan metallic riff and James Hart’s throat-shredding vocals. The consistency continues for the next few numbers. Unfortunately, although the band are keener to revisit their Trustkill Records days than they were when we last heard from them, there’s still a tendency to lean on some of the more knuckleheaded radio rock clichés of their latter days. Picture Perfect is the worst offender, coming off like Marilyn Manson sleepwalking through a Buckcherry b-side and featuring some seriously cringey lyrics. When Eighteen Visions try to sound like Vision Of Disorder they’re very good. When they try to sound like Velvet Revolver… not so much.

Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.

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