No Time For Love - Review

*Note that the videos are of the re-recorded versions from 'The Best Of Eighteen Visions', the one's in the download link are 100% legit the 7" versions*

Before the arena rock pulsing of ‘Eighteen Visions’, the heartache of ‘Obsession’, the hardcore riffage of ‘Vanity’ and the dark torment of ‘Until The Ink Runs Out’, Eighteen Visions released this short, 3-track EP as their first release under Trustkill Records.

Released within months of joining Trustkill (and 7/8 months before the release of ‘Until The Ink Runs Out’), it can only be assumed that ‘No Time For Love’ was released as a way to show off what Eighteen were about and that they were the real deal, not to mention giving a pretty good indication as to what to expect in the full-length album released later that year.

Like every Eighteen release this had a slightly different sound to the previous work; here the vocals were clearer, and the sound was more hardcore and more to the sound of conventional metal than the earlier almost deathcore sound they had crafted on ‘Lifeless’ and ‘Yesterday Is Time Killed’.

Like the previous recordings, this album had multiple filmic references, even taking its name from the movie of the same title as well as using samples in 2/3rds of the tracklisting.

On to the actual music, and the first track is the haunting ‘Diana Gone Wrong’, a telling of Princess Diana’s death and the public’s obsession with it and her in general. Lyrically it also delves into a larger matter of regular people becoming attached and obsessed with celebrities and how in reality the feeling is far from being reciprocated. To this point, personally I’d say this was James Hart’s most profound and meaningful lyrics that he had written, earlier tracks had relied on the darker aspects and lyrics, with more than a few looking to the stereotypical devil, evil and religion well. Now though, it was clear that James was more than capable of writing a complex, thought-provoking song.

The second track we come to is one of my absolute favourite songs ever, “Russian Roulette With A Trigger Happy Manic Depressive”. Lyrically, I will admit this seems as it’s less complex or insightful as the previous track, however it does cover what thoughts might run through someone’s head if they were in the situation of depression. The lyrics are harrowing; every piece is detailed perfectly and if listened to correctly and felt the listener could easily get hit by the song.

The EP concludes with the 98 second “Isola In The Rain”, which describes a day James (lead singer) spent with a girl where they listened to an artist called Isola in his car because it was raining outside. When she asked him the question “kiss me”, James hesitated, she left and he never saw her again. Though short, the lyrics are concise to the point, we get the entire story in less than 100 seconds and we get the rage and possible regret he feels through the vocals. It was also the song that spouted the line that was associated with Eighteen for years and even went on to become a clothing line (now called Roket), “if your not gonna ride the rocket, then get the fuck off!”.
The EP then completely ends with an audio sample from ‘Dumb And Dumber’, a total contrast to the last 8 minutes and 12 seconds of mayhem that the listener has just went through.

This EP, though short includes some of Eighteen’s best work up to that point, and would go on to sell very well and become somewhat of a rare item for collectors today with its hand-numbered vinyl pressings.
From here they took this new-found less-demonic sound to the recording studio for ‘Until The Ink Runs Out’ which would go on to become one of Trustkill’s best-selling albums ever and start the massive rise of Eighteen Visions.

----

One of the things I didn't want this blog to become is a file-sharing site, number one reason is I don't want to shaft over the bands and music that I love.  But I have agreed (with myself) that I will uplaod items of bands that are no longer going, therefore they aren't losing out on any money.

Below is a download link to the EP, this is THE proper 7" version, which is still available regularly on eBay and Discogs.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hfpflyv8ppxzec6
no password, and its just zipped so no need for WinRAR or anything

Hope you all enjoy, and let me know what you think.