Their debut release was the "Lifeless" EP on Life Sentence Records. They followed this with a full-length album titled "Yesterday Is Time Killed" on Cedargate Records. Upon switching to Trustkill Records, they recorded their 2000 album Until The Ink Runs Out. For their next album, "Best Of", the band re-recorded much of their earlier, out of print, material. The music style of the band changed a lot since their 2002 debut "Vanity", which birthed a music video single for "You Broke Like Glass" which played in heavy rotation via MTV2's Headbangers Ball. Eighteen Visions then released "Obsession" in 2004 which would be their last album for Trustkill Records.
On July 18 2006 they released a self-titled album through Epic Records. Their single "Victim" climbed the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and was the official theme song of WWE Vengeance that year.
Eighteen Visions broke up in April 2007.
On February 9, 2017, an official Instagram account of the band was launched, with James Hart, Keith Barney, and Trevor Friedrich being tagged on the first picture which contained the message, "the countdown begins..." All three members uploaded the same picture onto their respective private accounts as well. They continued to share studio footage and a teaser of a new song. Mick Kenney (Anaal Nathrakh) was revealed to be producing, mixing, and mastering the band's comeback record at his Huntington Beach, CA studio The Barracks.
On April 20, 2017, ten years from the day of their farewell show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, the band confirmed details surrounding their comeback album XVIII, which would be released on June 2 via Rise Records. They also released a full stream and music video for "Oath." They released a second single, "Crucified," on May 9 with a lyric video. Both songs are under 2 minutes in length and marked the return of heavy screaming as a prominent element of the band's sound. The band also confirmed that one of the album's tracks, "Live Again," is a tribute to the late former bassist Mick Morris. The third single released was "The Disease, the Decline, and Wasted Time" on May 25.
In June 2017, it was revealed that Ken Floyd couldn't take part in the reunion due to his full-time job as a tour manager for Zedd. It was also reported that the band decided not to replace Mick Morris with another bassist out of respect for him. Instead, his bass tracks will be used at live shows for the songs released prior to 2017. Keith Barney, however, ruled out the possibility of any extensive touring in the near future due to full-time jobs that band members have.
XVIII was released as planned on June 2, 2017, coinciding with the release of a music video for "Live Again" and a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana with Retox and Seizures.
vanity
Eighteen Visions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where do you get your motivation?
And what motivates me to hold your hand?
And I don't want you to see all these things I hide
When you were holding my hand I didn't think I'd die
And I wonder why do you make that midnight drive-by?
Well this rope is tightening
You couldn't tell me that this was the best you could do
And now you're left me to hang here all alone
And she waits for me
In her sunday dress laced with pink and white
You shouldn' why have shut me out.
When you're the one that changed your mind
You could've changed your mind
While I was sitting there all alone
If you should die before you ask me How am I?
If you should die before you ask me For my life
If you should die before you ask me If I'd die,
If I'd die with you
She's innocent but she's got a gun
She'll hand it over then shell run
I'll pull the trigger, yeah, I'll pull the trigger
I'll shoot her up, yeah, I'll shoot her up.
Bang
I want your plastic perfection
I want to see your vanity
I want you sexy psychotic
So I can see you lunacy
And I wonder where do you get your motivation?
And what motivated me to hold your hand?
Sweetness
This isn't working
I thought the breath that you'd bring would give me life
And she's a mellow dramatic
She thought that I was romantic, but then the gun went off
And now I've left you there to bleed here all alone
And I look so beautiful
In her Sunday dress laced with pink and white
The song Vanity by Eighteen Visions is about an individual who is wondering where their inspiration and motivation come from, and what motivated them to hold the hand of someone they love. The lyrics also touch on the theme of betrayal and a relationship that has gone sour. The individual feels as though they have been left to hang alone yet again, while their partner is moving on to someone new. The chorus features a twist with the sudden introduction of violence, as the singer describes shooting the person they desire in order to possess their "plastic perfection" and see their "vanity."
The song's use of metaphors such as "plastic perfection" and "vanity" convey a sense of superficiality and a desire for physical beauty. The lyrics evince the belief that the individual's partner is more concerned about their looks and public perception than true love and loyalty. The chorus seems to indicate the singer's desire to possess their partner, even if it means resorting to violence.
Interestingly, the song also features a variation of Alice Cooper's classic hit, "School's Out," in the middle section. The background vocals perform a cover of the chorus ("School's Out for Summer!"), while the lead vocalist shouts lyrics of despair and frustration over the top. The song Vanity was released in 2002 on the album "Vanity" by Eighteen Visions.
Line by Line Meaning
And I wonder where do you get your inpiration?
I am curious about the source of your inspiration.
Where do you get your motivation?
Where does your motivation come from?
And what motivates me to hold your hand?
What motivates me to keep holding your hand?
And I don't want you to see all these things I hide
I do not want you to see all the things I hide within myself.
When you were holding my hand I didn't think I'd die
I felt invincible when I was holding your hand.
And I wonder why do you make that midnight drive-by?
I am curious about why you make that drive-by at midnight.
When you left me out to hang dry?
When you left me feeling betrayed.
Well this rope is tightening
My anguish is increasing.
You couldn't tell me that this was the best you could do
You neglected to tell me that this was your maximum potential.
And now you're left me to hang here all alone
You abandoned me to face the consequences by myself.
And she waits for me
Someone is waiting for me.
In her sunday dress laced with pink and white
She is dressed in a Sunday dress decorated with pink and white.
You shouldn' why have shut me out.
You should not have closed yourself off from me.
When you're the one that changed your mind
You are the one who changed your mind.
You could've changed your mind
You could have gone back on your decision.
While I was sitting there all alone
While I was alone and helpless.
If you should die before you ask me How am I?
If I do not get to see you again and cannot ask how you are doing.
If you should die before you ask me For my life
If I never get to express my love for you.
If you should die before you ask me If I'd die,
If I will die in heartbreak if you perish.
If I'd die with you
I would also die if you were to pass away.
She's innocent but she's got a gun
She seems sinless, but she has a gun.
She'll hand it over then shell run
She will give it to me and then try to escape.
I'll pull the trigger, yeah, I'll pull the trigger
I am willing to shoot the gun.
I'll shoot her up, yeah, I'll shoot her up.
I am willing to shoot her with the gun.
Bang
The sound of the gun firing.
I want your plastic perfection
I crave your superficial beauty.
I want to see your vanity
I want to experience your egotism.
I want you sexy psychotic
I want you to be attractive and crazy.
So I can see you lunacy
So I can witness your insanity.
Sweetness
My endearing way of referring to you.
This isn't working
Our relationship is not working out.
I thought the breath that you'd bring would give me life
I was expecting you to bring me happiness and respite from my woes.
And she's a melodramatic
She is a melodramatic person.
She thought that I was romantic, but then the gun went off
She believed I was romantic until the gun went off.
And now I've left you there to bleed here all alone
And now I have left you there to suffer by yourself.
And I look so beautiful
I appear lovely.
In her Sunday dress laced with pink and white
She is dressed in a Sunday dress adorned with pink and white.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: KEITH BARNEY, KENNETH W. FLOYD, JAMES STEPHEN HART, MICK MORRIS, BRANDAN SCHIEPPATI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jay Snow Music
I remember the first time I heard this song back in 2002...
It was one of the heaviest songs I listened at that time.
It was the rising of Metalcore days... good times!
Dep ShallBurn
@DrJuice1 because the sound never gets old when properly executed
DrJuice1
There were SOOOO many metalcore bands back then too. It's weird seeing tons of new bands today still making the same sound
Radical Anti Globalist
Jay Snow Music I got into hardcore in 2005 started with the "metal core stuff" like throwdown, poison the well, it does today, then in like 07 got more into the biohazard, madball, etown concrete stuff. I still love all that stuff and I still go to shows but I fucking miss like the 2006 metal core climate. Id given anything to see like blood has been shed at this point or hopesfall
Earl Thornton
eighteen visions was always "rock and roll" and heart, and in the early records you can see it in the lyrics but mostly in James' stage presence. they were great live. it was inevitable that they would become less and less heavy. their early stickers said "we're rock and roll kids playing metal music in a hardcore band." Taken was another good band that came out of that OC (I think) scene around that time
Kevin R.
Eh, not entirely. They were (and still might be) straight edge, and the typical rock n roll lifestyle is completely against straight edge.
Johnny Little
You really can hear it in their early stuff and it’s tragic because they were once one of the best hardcore bands around. James, in my opinion, saw that limelight and completely sold out to it and they haven’t been the same since. New album is decent but the lyrics are a complete joke. By far the most confusing band I’ve loved listening to
Paul McD
+Earl Thornton seeen them with atreyu way back in the day, one of the best shows to date
Steve G
classic, i always hear compliments when its playing in the background and someone walks in.
Justin Widle
Ken Floyd over here KILLING IT in the drums.