Vanity (album) explained

Vanity
Type:studio
Artist:Eighteen Visions
Cover:Vanityoriginal.jpg
Released:August 13, 2002 (original)
January 25, 2005 (re-issue)
Recorded:Dec. 2001 – Jan. 2002
Studio:F1 Studios
Genre:
Length:60:00
Label:Trustkill
(TK0038)
Producer:Greg Koller
Prev Title:The Best of Eighteen Visions
Prev Year:2001
Next Title:Obsession
Next Year:2004

Vanity is the fourth full-length studio album, and seventh overall release, by American metalcore band Eighteen Visions. It was their first album to feature a music video, which was for "You Broke Like Glass". It was the last album to feature guitarist Brandan Schieppati as he left immediately after the recording of the album to focus on Bleeding Through. The band toured for the album with a single guitarist, Keith Barney. As of 2007, the album has sold over 100,000 copies in the United States.

Most critics and fans consider Vanity to be their final metalcore album, the band moving towards a more post-hardcore sound after this. It should however be noted that the band considered this change to have begun prior to this album, with the recording of "Motionless and White" which was featured on The Best of Eighteen Visions the year before. Hart's improved vocal style lead the band to write more melodic song structure rather than their previous technical metalcore compositions.

Album versions

To promote the release of the album, Trustkill also issued a 7" single, which included the title track, "Vanity", and the then considered single "I Don't Mind". The 7" was pressed in quantities of 1,000 each on red and white, and 200 on pink. Good Life Recordings also released a 12" pictured vinyl limited to 1,000 copies.

The album was re-issued on January 25, 2005 as part of Trustkill Records re-issue calendar (which also saw Bleeding Through's This Is Love, This Is Murderous get the same treatment simultaneously). It featured new artwork and the album now had an enhanced video section which included the music video for "You Broke Like Glass", the only single from the album. This also provided a chance for the track listing to be fixed, as the song "There is Always" was left off on the original CD covers of the album. It should, however, be noted that the picture LP released by Good Life does not feature the listing of either "interludes" on the album, "The Notes of My Reflection" and "There is Always". The possibilities that "The Notes of My Reflection" was actually mistakenly left on the track listing is often wondered. Nevertheless, both interludes are listed on the reissues' track listing.

The album was once again re-issued in 2020 on a hot pink/baby pink pressing limited to 100 copies and a hot-pink/transparent pressing limited to 200.[1] These re-issues sold out in only a few hours, leading the band to do two more pressings, one being a splattered hot pink and blue/transparent, which was limited to 100 pressings, and a baby-blue/baby-pink pressing that was limited to 150 pressings.[2]

On July 5, 2022, the band released a new recording of Vanity in support of the 20th anniversary of the original album. The 2022 version is noted for being played one full step down, in drop A tuning instead of drop B.[3]

Film references

As with most records by Eighteen Visions, there are a multitude of film quotes and references within the album. Until the band's comeback release XVIII, Vanity was the final album to feature audio samples from films, possibly due to the fact that the band's following two albums would be co-distributed by Sony.

Track listing

  1. "Vanity" – 5:46
  2. "Fashion Show" – 4:13
  3. "One Hell of a Prize Fighter" – 5:14
  4. "I Don't Mind" – 4:38
  5. "The Notes of My Reflection" – 1:36
  6. "A Short Walk Down a Long Hallway" – 4:17
  7. "The Critic" – 4:19
  8. "Gorgeous" – 2:52
  9. "You Broke Like Glass" – 3:08
  10. "In the Closet" – 3:16
  11. "Sonic Death Monkey" – 5:21
  12. "There is Always" – 1:41
  13. "Love in Autumn" – 13:33

"Love in Autumn" ends at 5:10 followed by silence until 12:23, at which point a phone conversation fades in which leads to the end of the track.

"Gorgeous", "There is Always", and "Love in Autumn" (including silence and hidden phone call) are not included in the 2022 re-recording.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]

Eighteen Visions
Guest musicians
Production

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eighteen Visions on Instagram: "VANITY PRE-ORDER Vinyl reissue is now available! **LINK IN BIO** Vinyl and bundles are very limited. Vinyl variant 1 is limited to 100. Vinyl variant 2 is limited to 200. Digital download for re-recordings of "Vanity" and "You Broke Like Glass" available with purchase. #vanity #eighteenvisions #18V #18Visions #metalcore" .
  2. Web site: Eighteen Visions on Instagram: "VANITY 2ND PRESSING PRE-ORDER Vinyl reissue is now available! **LINK IN BIO** Vinyl and bundles are very limited. Vinyl variant 1 is limited to 100. Vinyl variant 2 is limited to 150. Digital download for re-recordings of "Vanity" and "You Broke Like Glass" available with purchase. #vanity #eighteenvisions #18V #18Visions #metalcore" .
  3. Web site: EIGHTEEN VISIONS Record and Release New Version of 'Vanity' Album . 2022-07-31 . lambgoat.com . en.
  4. Web site: There Is Always Publishing Information . ASCAP Public Repertoire .
  5. Web site: There Is Always on YouTube . YouTube . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/0AqPvGIVhd0 . 2021-12-14. live .
  6. Web site: Theme Song from The Manchurian Candidate on YouTube . YouTube . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/Z4zH7NyvA6Y . 2021-12-14. live .
  7. Book: Vanity liner notes. 2002. Trustkill Records.