The Orange County hardcore music scene is as incestuous as it is
energy-packed, technically-challenging and sonically undefinable.
Huntington Beach's Eighteen Visions is an encapsulation of all of
that. The odd-time and double bass drum patterns, the flaming guitar
leads, driving bass lines and roaring vocals are brought together via a
hodge podge of OC hardcore heroes. Guitarist Brandan Scieppati also plays
in Bleeding Through, guitarist Keith Barney sings for Throwdown and
drummer Ken Floyd also serves double duty in Throwdown. Only singer James
Hart and bassist Mick Morris are dedicated solely to Eighteen Visions.
"It's like anyone that has been in a band in this scene is somehow
linked to every other band in this scene," Floyd said.
With Floyd and Hart as the only original members, Eighteen Visions
formed six years ago while it's members were still in high school. Now
all 22, they have toured the country coast to coast four times and are
planning a tour of Europe in the coming months.
The original lineup released a six-song E.P. -- "Lifeless" -- a year
after forming on tiny Life Sentence Records. With the relative success
that album achieved, the group headed back into the studio a year later
to lay down it's first full-length, "Yesterday's Time Killed."
"That was definitely a low point for the band," Floyd said. "We
recorded that as a four-piece because our original lead guitar player,
and chief songwriter, had quit. It was the first time the rest of us had
to concentrate on writing songs."
The 10-song effort was recorded in just two days and came out to a
lukewarm reception. The band's idea was to shop that album around to
labels and if there were no takers, they were going to go their separate
ways. After a few months Hart received an e-mail from Trustkill Records
in New Jersey -- a well known hardcore imprint. He responded immediately
and just like that Eighteen Visions was signed.
In the fall of 1999 the band released a seven-inch titled "No time for
Love" on Trustkill and have since released another full-length album,
"Until the Ink Runs Out" and the aptly-titled "Best Of" discography on
the same label.
Touring in support of these albums is something the band has been
dedicated to.
"The thing about us is that we all love touring," Floyd said. "If
someone didn't love touring we would have to kick them out."
Balancing touring with members involved in other projects has not
posed a problem thus far.
"The thing is that we try to play shows together," Floyd said. "I
