Hard rock ‘n’ roll

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

personally don’t get warmed until I’ve been playing for 20 minutes, so

two sets in one night is no big deal for me.”

Eighteen Visions’ sound is a hybrid of metal and hardcore music. The

group just entered the studio to record its new album and longtime fans

may be in for something new.

“It’s still going to be really heavy and hard, but there are some

different aspects,” Floyd said. “I want to incorporate electronica in the

beats and there are some mellower rock songs that don’t have constant

screaming like we have done in the past.”

The songwriting has been by committee for all the Trustkill releases

and continues to be that way. The band takes care of the music and Hart

takes care of all the lyrics.

While each of it’s members either have day jobs or are in school, the

goal is to play music full time.

“I realize that with our type of music there is a plateau as to how

big we can get,” Floyd said. “This thing has already gotten bigger than I

ever expected, and if we stay this size and have the opportunity to write

songs and tour the world I’ll be very satisfied.”

* PAUL SAITOWITZ is a news editor. He can be reached at (949) 574-4295

or by e-mail at paul.saitowitz@latimes.com.