Obsession [ENHANCED]

Eighteen Visions

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 15, 2004)
• Original Release Date: June 15, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00029LNO6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,339 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ..., March 10, 2005

By	Cory T. Kemp "WMDThug" (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Judging this album without commenting about 18v's evolution as a band is a pretty difficult task. As it stands, yes this is a very melodic, catchy, and easily accessible recording. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No. Is it as good as Until the Ink Runs Out, The Best of, or even Vanity? Not exactly. But for better or worse, it does show versitility on the band's part. I love heaviness just as much as the next guy, but honestly, it does get tiring to hear the same chug, the same breakdowns, and the same tormented vocals over and over again. Fortunately there still a good bit of all of it thrown into the mix, albeit with more structure and melody.

Frankly, at times the band does, at times, wear it's heart on it's sleeve a bit too much (i.e. 'I should tell you', 'A Pretty Blue, 'The World is Mine'). That's my primary complaint. Unfortunately, because of this, it's very easy to see how this, along with that little thing called melody (gasp! what an blasphemy!) can lead to it being labeled as mainstream, or even corporate. I don't necessarily agree with that. Sure, they got signed to epic, but I've yet to hear a 'mainstream' band with a sound like this. My only other complaint is the incessant Scott Weiland impersonations. I first noticed it when I saw 18v on tour with Hopesfall, prior to the release of Vanity...and now it's quite apparent with this album.

All in all, they've maintained their identity, and separated themselves from an ever-expanding army of faceless hardcore bands. Like it or not, just because a band is signed to an indie label (some of which are subsidiaries of, or are distributed by, major labels) that doesn't make them any less mainstream nowadays.

Give the album a try. You may like it, you may not...but at least give 18v a nod for stepping out on a limb and trying something new.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I don't know where to begin..., June 24, 2004

By	Nick (Round Rock, TX United States) - See all my reviews

To start this album is VERY different from all the past efforts I like this album until I realize that this sound has already been tread before (they just add the Vision of Disorder type scream). C'mon Mudrock; stop messing with me. Some songs so much like Guns'n'Roses/Alice In Chains/A Perfect Circle/Stone Temple Pilots/Vision of Disorder that you forget you're even listening to this album. Don't get me wrong: the choruses are catchy as all hell and you can listen to this all the way through, but it seems as if Mudrock decided to go (or the band) with the: "STICK WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S STUFF! IT SELLS!"; case and point: track 3: "AND I'M WAITING!" I wanna scream: "A LONG TIME NOW!", I mean if you are going to basicly rip a riff AND lyric at LEAST don't rip it off a SINGLE! ESPECIALLY from a band as big as STP. I know some people will call me "closed minded" for not accepting this album's "maturation", but I'll stick with "Until the Ink Runs Out" any day over this.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What happened?, June 15, 2004

By	KB (Woodbridge, VA. United States) - See all my reviews

A little history for those of you who jumped on the 18 V bandwagon after "Vanity": Eighteen Visions used to be a hardcore band. Very crazy guitar riffs, crucial breakdowns, vocals that demanded attention and lyrics that finished off the package. The only thing was, 18 V were always considered the "pretty boys of hardcore," the "glam band of hardcore." Thats all good because they were hardcore. Another thing, James and co. always wanted to be rock stars...well, with "Obsession" I assume they'll reach that status. They'll eventually weasel their way onto MTV and radio stations. Which is fine with me (believe me, those things need good music) however, 18 V changed their sound significantly to accomplish this and thats not cool.

I thought "Vanity" was a decent album, at leaset it still had an 18 V vibe to it, but I could see their direction. I didn't expect the change to be so drastic between albums though. With "Obsession" the crazy guitar riffs are gone, there are no signs of breakdowns, no more screaming vocals (in turn, we get singing and only singing) and lyrics that resemble something Yellowcard or Taking Back Sunday would write (e.g. She left me and now I'm heart broken type lyrics, for example "Said and Done" is a horrible song, especially to end the album.

There are, however, some high points to this record: Crushed, Tower of Snakes, A Long Way Home and even Waiting for the Heavens are all pretty decent songs. 18 V are evolving yes, but changing their sound SIGNIFICANTLY to achieve goals such as MTV, radio play and big bucks is not a cool way to go about it with true fans that have been their since day one.

Our "Kings of O.C. Hardcore" have traded their crown of diamonds in for the big ol' pile of cash...and that is a shame. A sad day in hardcore music. Look for ATREYU'S new album to come out 6/29/04...they won't let us hardcore music fans down.