Vision Detonate (2003) Chunksaah

Hey guys, guess who’s back. If you said Vision, give yourself a pat on the back, you’re a great guesser (or you read the title of this review). If you said Yahoo Serious, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m sorry I got your hopes up. Vision is one of the more underrated bands out there these days. Even after their stint on Epitaph and a solid release “Watching the World Burn”, Vision remains unheard by quite a few people. Hopefully with a new label and a new record, this will all change.

Right from the get go there are obvious differences between “Detonate” and “Watching the World Burn”, most notably, the production. While the band’s Epitaph release was rather clean sounding, “Detonate” is grittier. This can either be a positive or a negative depending on personal preference, I don’t particularly mind the difference, but I think the production could’ve been better. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this band, Vision plays a catchy mix of melodic punk and hardcore with some great sing along moments. Dave Franklin has one of the most immediately recognizable voices I’ve heard in a long time, you know it’s Vision as soon you hear him. His powerful vocals lend themselves well to the lyrics, mostly about personal struggles and overcoming obstacles. “Let’s brace for impact because we’re all in this together, at least that’s what we said when things were much better. Now noting is safe and my sanity is borrowed, and I’m drowning in mistake and I doubt I’ll see tomorrow.” (“Faster than Fate”) When it comes to musicianship, this band is topnotch. The bass playing, guitar work, and drumming are very creative, especially when placed up against similar bands.

So there you have it, another good album from a good band. Whether this one garners the band the attention it so sorely deserves remains to be seen, but those who do pay attention will be rewarded with a fine album.

Throw It Away MP3

(FortyMinutesWest)