Album review : VISION OF DISORDER – Vision of Disorder / Imprint (2 CD Deluxe Digipak)

Cherry Red [Release date : 28.02.25]

The early nineties was a strange time for Heavy Metal.
US band, Vision Of Disorder emerged from a morass of subgenres and splinter groups, all following different paths, all pursuing different objectives, mostly with “metal” on the back or the front … Thrash, Power, Melodic, Punk, Metalcore, Hardcore and so on.

Very succinctly and with moderate success, VOD “blended melody and groove” into a traditional hardcore framework (with a bit of Prog thrown in).
Imagine Jimi Hendrix jamming with Rammstein, both seduced by the bombastic insanity of some crazy doom metal band, then you’ve got VOD.

They released their self titled debut in 1996.
The music was a shock to even the most liberal minded Metalcore system. But its willingness to go down unlit “heavy metal” pathways, primarily delivering a series of one word, hard as nails apocalyptic panoramas (Viola, Divide, Suffer, Excess and Gloom, to name but 5) eventually won them praise from the more open minded fans and a receptive media.

It was enough to gain them a place on the Ozzfest Tour of 1997. Recognition indeed.

They released the follow up, Imprint, in 1998.
It got little label promotion, just one on a short but weighty list of label let downs over the years.
This was a travesty. The calibre of the band’s songwriting had jumped up several notches in the two year gap. Add that to multiple award winner, Dave Sardy’s distinctive, almost unique production sound, and we had a metal album that was so good as to be almost impossible to categorise.
Maybe that was the problem.

Putting these two albums together in one package, plus the inclusion of a rare bonus track (the Japan only ‘Soul Craft’), is a significant achievement for Cherry Red. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan

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DOCTOR BLACK Drag Me Down (indie)
COHEED AND CAMBRIA Goodbye Sunshine (Virgin Music Group)
LEONI JANE KENNEDY Closer (indie)
SMALL TOWN POLITICS Red Lights (indie)

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