Vision Of Disorder / Imprint

Looking at the state of metal from the standpoint of the early 21st century, it's hard to believe that the Long Island hardcore metal act Vision of Disorder didn't connect with a larger audience. Perhaps it was because they were together during a period when MTV/radio largely shunned hard rock/metal -- in the pre-Headbanger's Ball relaunch and Uranium landscape. Looking back upon their first two full-length releases, 1996's Vision of Disorder and 1998's Imprint (reissued as Roadrunner's on-going Two From the Vault series), it certainly wasn't the music that held them back. While it's their debut that is often considered their best by fans (which included such early favorites as "Element," "Through My Eyes," "D.T.O.," etc.), it was their sophomore effort that saw the quintet truly come into its own. While the majority of the album was an over-the-top assault on the senses ("What You Are," "By the River"), the album's closing track "Jada Bloom" showed that band also had an appreciation for melody as well. The Two From the Vault VOD edition only makes you wonder what could've been of this oft-overlooked band if they'd begun their recording career just a few years later. ~ Greg Prato