Live Review: Eighteen Visions w/Landscapes & Counting Days at Camden Underworld 09/11/2017!

Opening up for Eighteen Visions at Camden Underworld tonight are Counting Days [4] – a London based Metalcore crew boasting Vocalist Thom Debare (ex-Heights), Guitarist Curtis Ward (ex-Bring Me The Horizon), Bassist Alex Dench (Rough Hands), Guitarist Charlie Wilson and Drummer Lasselle Lewis both from London hardcore mob The Revolution Continues aka TRC. Their debut full length “Libertated Sounds” was released in 2016 and new song “Born Enslaved” bodes well for their future. The band deliver a crushing twin guitar attack, hammering through half an hour of material that’s greeted by headbanding and cheers from gradually growing and suitably impressed audience. A solid set, full of promise with “Die Alone” and “The Sands of Time” outstanding.

Next up are Somerset melodic hardcore crew Landscapes [3] who sound good from the moment they hit the stage but there is an immediately obvious problem. For all the passion and energy of their frontman Shaun Milton and guitarist Kai Sheldon who both clearly love every second and pour their hearts into it, the remaining 3 members of the band do not. Second guitarist Martin Hutton livens up as the set goes on but in truth, when 3 members of your band don’t even look like they want to be there, it stands out like a sore thumb. There is no doubting their muscianship and their debut full length album “Modern Earth” released via Pure Noise Records is also testiment to that, but while the lights are on, no-one is home. It’s a real shame because it’s actually weirdly distracting and detracts from the performance. Frontman Shaun Milton headbangs throughout and even leaps into the audience during their closing number but the set ends up being greeted by warm applause rather than receiving the reception that their music truely deserves.

It’s been a long wait for Orange County’s finest to re-appear on the scene after a lengthy hiatus. They have a cracking new album under their belt in “XVIII” and Stick To Your Guns guitarist Josh James (ex-Evergreen Terrace) now firmly in their ranks and they are greeted with warmth and affection while they hang around the merch stand before the show. We meet vocalist James Hart and it’s abundantly clear that Eighteen Visions [5] are loving every moment of their return. After than band finish tuning up – drummer Trevor Friedrich and Josh James onstage, guitarist Keith Barney off stage behind a curtain – the stage is bathed in smoke and an eerie blue light before their pre-recorded intro kicks in. The band then take the stage to rapturous applause an immediately smash through a career spanning set at a break-neck pace with the kind of energy that brings back days of old. New songs “Crucified”, “Underneath My Gun” and “Oath” sit well alongside the older material on show tonight, while “Tower Of Snakes” and “Obsession” are both instant crowd sing alongs. James Hart stage dives and high-fives everyone throughout the set, while offering up the mic for the front row to sing along at various points during almost every song. The surprise of the night comes in the form of a version of “Victim” from the bands comercial self-titled release, indeed the only cut from it that appears – I say “version” because it sounds like the 1999 version of the band playing the song as if it was a cover song – it’s brutal! It’s a triumphant return for Eighteen Visions and even if they are now a part time venture, it’s brilliant to have them back.