Vanity | 
| Artist: Eighteen Visions
Label: Trustkill Records
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $1.74
You Save: $8.24 (83%)
New (15) Used (33) from $0.75
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 166331
Format: Enhanced, Original Recording Reissued
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 824953003822
EAN: 0824953003822
ASIN: B00006I0BE
Release Date: August 13, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Vanity | | • | Fashion Show | | • | One Hell Of A Prize Fighter | | • | I Don't Mind | | • | A Short Walk Down A Long Hallway | | • | Gorgeous | | • | You Broke Like Glass | | • | The Critic | | • | In The Closet | | • | Sonic Death Monkey | | • | There Is Always | | • | Love In Autumn | | • | Bonus Track 1 |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Eighteen Visions have been promising to deliver an album that glistens as well as it growls, rocks as hard as it punches and sounds as good as the band looks. Vanity is that album, distilling the Orange County mob's convoluted, technical Metalcore of yore into blisteringly powerful yet melodiously catchy and instantly memorable songs. The title itself is a playful jab at the band's critics, with a variety of deeper layers behind it that become apparent as the album unfolds. Vanity still pummels and shreds enough to get a Hatebreed audience dancing, but it swings and grooves simultaneously, like the death n' roll of The Haunted or Entombed, and tastes as somberly bittersweet as the Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains or even the Doors. This album will turn heads - invigorating old fans, inviting new ones aboard, changing indifference to enthusiasm and playfully, smugly kissing the unbelievers on the cheek.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 18v's Most Essential Album November 9, 2005
Shogun (TheCityThatNeverSleeps, FL)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
There's many different opinions floating around about this album among Eighteen Visions' fans. Some, like myself, consider this to be the best album 18V has crafted since their inception; some are turned off by its glammy imagery, and new sound. To tell the truth, "Vanity" combines all the best aspects of 18v's sound, without being too melodic, or too overly heavy. There's a nice balance created within the album, and each song seems to flow very well. If someone were new to this band, or had never listened to them before, then this would be the first place I would point them. Don't get me wrong, I love "Until The Ink Runs Out", but I just consider this a better balanced work, and a better representation of Eighteen Visions' style. As it stands, "Vanity" is a crushing dose of melody and mayhem, and has more than its share of change ups, keeping the listener constantly guessing on what's coming next, which really propels it into a greater territory.
There's a lot that separates this album from 18V's others. If you have been listening to this band, then you know they have never made the same album twice. "Yesterday Is Time Killed" was the beginning where the band was finding their sound, "Until The Inks Runs Out" was the full on intricate hardcore that 18v was always known for, and "Obsession" was an attempt to take Eighteen Visions' sound to a more mainstream rock approach. "Vanity" falls in the middle of "Until The Ink Runs Out" and "Obsession". At the time 18V was beginning to experiment with more and more melody, but still throwing out heavy pieces like "Fashion Show" and "One Hell Of A Prize Fighter". The diversity is what is key about the album. James has taken his voice to new levels than were previously seen on "Until The Ink Runs Out", and proves that he really can 'sing'. His charisma and attitude on the mic gives 18v a style and sound all their own. He can go from some of the most brutal screams, to beautiful melodies instantly, as seen on the title track "Vanity" and "A Short Walk Down A Long Hallway". Keith and Brandan have taken a different approach to writing guitar parts this time around. Their style isn't nearly as intricate and complicated as it was on UTIRO, but it's much more melodic. The guitars seem to weave better together on this release than they do on the first album. Mick and Ken give a great performance as the rhythm section, Ken's drumming is especially worthy of noting, as it's the best he has done thus far for the band. You won't really find yourself getting bored with the album because it has such a great range. It has heavy ones like "The Critic" and "One Hell of A Prize Fighter", middle of the road, heavy yet melodic pieces like "Vanity" and "You Broke Like Glass" and more melodic approaches like "Gorgeous" and "Sonic Death Monkey". As far I can tell this new 'enhanced' version is no different from the original pressing, except that it corrects the track list (which on the original is messed up) and has the video for "You Broke Like Glass", so if you have the old one, there's really no need to shell out another $15 for this one.
In the end every time I listen to "Vanity" I'm pleased. It's definitely my favorite album by the band, and their essential recording. Like I said diversity is key, and this album has plenty of it. While "Obsession" would abandon a lot of the trademarks the band established on this album (although it was an ok album), and "Until The Ink Runs Out" might be a little too heavy for casual fans' taste (but it's still an amazing album), "Vanity" lands right in the middle. It offers you the best of both worlds, without leaning too much towards one side. If you like the band or have never listened to them at all, this should still be your first introduction to the band. After that I would head to "Until The Ink Runs Out", and then to "Obsession". Nothing can really take anything away from this album, which is why it's so good. Check it out.
 I hate purists April 20, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Alot of people give this album a bad reveiw or make fun of the band for not playing the same crap over and over. Unlike purists, I like musical progression. This is a good album but it has its flaws.
With a title like that, expect the extravagant... February 3, 2003
C. Taylor (Rockland county NY)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The new cd from Eighteen Visions finds them adding new elements to their stuff, while still staying true to the original sounds that got them here till now. Get this on the sticked we had another 'Poison the wellish' stick that said "Blisteringly powerful yet melodiously catchy music for fans of: Stone Temple Pilots, Slipknot, Vision of Disorder". But you know what's funny? It's all there! Sounds and styles from all those bands seemed to be blended and intertwined with 18 Visions already chaotic sound. THis record finds them cleaning up their mix a bit, but still managing to keep their nasty pounding sounds. Lots of guest singers on this cd. Corey Darst(ex-zao) and Howard Jones(Blood Has Been Shed, new-Killswitch Engage) add great extras to James' already awesome sounding vocals! The Guitars still have that heavy sound, as does the bass, but this time they seem to be taking a more melodic touch to the lines. The drums are just as good as ever, and Ken even has a whole song he did by himself! It took a while before I could take "I don't Mind" seriously, at first I did think it was a joke song, the chorus sounded way too radio friendly at first, but after a few listens it all sunk in. Want more of a reason to buy this disc? Incredible artwork, and there's a song called "Sonic Death Monkey"! This cd does show some progression, which might have scared off some long time fans at first with "I don't Mind", but the rest of the record is a lot heavier and definetly makes up for it. My only complaints are too many guests and the tracks are labeled incorrectly on my cd, there are 13 tracks total, but only 12 are listed and they are kind of out of order. I think they forgot to put track 5 down. I like this cd a lot, and think this cd will definetly bridge a few gaps they had between what they've been doing and what they might do a few years down the road. I give this one a 5. Oh yeah if anyone accuses them of selling out, let me tell you something, I had to go into 8 stores before finding this cd, so if they sold out, they didn't sell out very well!
An esthetic education January 7, 2006
I. Eugene
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I think,Vanity shows it's actual beauty after several times of listening.I'm talking about that this lp has something,that calls "shell".this shell hides an amazing energy of record.it sounds hard,but it ain't too hard.just like movies by Takashi Miiko(Visitor Q,Audition,Ichi the killer):from one side it's crazy and brutal,from another-it has THE LIGHT,PASSION,EMOTION,BEAUTY,and..connectiion to GOD!!!My personal opinion:eighteen visions will never create such powerful and mystical,beautiful and essential record,as Vanity.
Being grunge and emo rock fan,I couldn't even imagine that my heart will be in this album!!!This Lp's crushing down borders between musical styles just to show us that we can be better,stronger,and LIGHTER.It doesn't matter how it sounds,but there's another so so so ipmortant thing:it matters,WHAT we're feeling during listening to VANITY...
damn good, but older IS better. October 26, 2003
shimmlez dimmlez fimmlez (Chicago)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ok, older 18v is better but Vanity is by NO means a bad album! This album gets a pretty bad wrap by metalcore purists and well it's just because 18v experimented with different sounds on this album, and in my opinion it works. 18v is no longer the raw sounding, brutal, and technical band they once were, but this is still incredible. I really like the acoustic love song the critic, it's mad ill! oh and the track listing got like really messed up so yeah. This is a great album though so if you were thinking of getting it, then get it.
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