Vision

The Kids Will Have A Lot to Say (Grilled Cheese)
by Scott Hefflon

The differences are subtle, but they sometimes make all the difference in the world. Vision plays melodic hardcore punk. That means absolutely nothing, cuz almost everyone does, or claims to, or can be described as such. Vision is hardcore punk as in it’s not metalcore, it’s strong, harsh, single note vocals mixed with group shouts, group singalongs (not popcore’s stacked harmonies, however), and various melodic breaks where the singer shows he really can sing, he just chooses not to most of the time. But the truly amazing thing is the amount of classic metal worked in. By song two, you’ve heard the rampaging drums (think NOFX or Exodus, same thing), but now there’s the powerful chorus sung over held powerchords, kinda like WASP and everyone else did “back in the day.” And within the next few songs, you realize the guitarists can make a guitar riff sing as well as shred (think NOFX and old Metallica), not to mention offsetting the foot-to-the-floor driving beats (with ripping solos, no less) with choruses you’ll sing along to, despite the trite lyrics. While the single-note barking may get on your nerves after a while, the songwriting and musicianship of this band easily make it worth it, and there’s plenty of honest-guy melody (think Bouncing Souls) mixed throughout to break up the monotonous tone most hardcore bands have. Vision is good. Damned good.
(4901-906 Morena Blvd. San Diego, CA 92117)