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Imprint (Vision of Disorder album)

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Imprint
A computer-altered image of a scarring injury
Studio album by
Vision of Disorder
ReleasedJuly 28, 1998 (1998-07-28)
RecordedApril 1–19, 1998
Studio
Genre
Length43:33
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerDave Sardy
Vision of Disorder chronology
Vision of Disorder
(1996) 		Imprint
(1998) 		For the Bleeders
(1999)

Imprint is the second studio album by the American metalcore band Vision of Disorder, released on July 28, 1998, through Roadrunner Records. Recorded with producer Dave Sardy at various studios in New York City in April 1998, it is a metalcore and heavy metal album featuring a raw sound and complex rhythms and arrangements. Its lyrics were primarily inspired by vocalist Tim Williams receiving a permanently scarring face injury, decipted on the album's cover, and are centered on turning negative experiences into positive ones. Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo makes a guest appearance on "By the River".

Imprint received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and number 197 on the UK Albums Chart. Vision of Disorder toured internationally in support of the album and embarked on a co-headlining tour of North America with labelmates Sepultura and Earth Crisis. Four months after its release, Roadrunner pulled the band's touring support, leading to their exit from the label. Retrospectively, Imprint is viewed as one of metalcore's greatest and most influential albums.

Background and recording

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In 1996, Vision of Disorder released their self-titled debut album through the Roadrunner Records imprint label Supersoul. Following the album's release, Supersoul was shut down and the band signed directly to Roadrunner.[1] After touring in support of the album and performing on the inaugural Ozzfest tour, Vision of Disorder began writing material for their second album, Imprint.[2] Pre-production commenced in November 1997, and the band spent seven or eight months rehearsing together.[3] Guitarists Matt Baumbach and Mike Kennedy and bassist Mike Fleischmann wrote most of the album's material before discussing their arrangements and figuring out a drum part with Brendon Cohen.[3] The band then gave a demo to vocalist Tim Williams, who would come up with lyrics in a day, according to Baumbach.[3]

Vision of Disorder recorded Imprint with producer Dave Sardy between April 1 and April 19, 1998,[3] at Sear Sound, Studio 900 and The Magic Shop in New York City.[4] Baumbach said that the band wanted to work with Sardy after listening to his albums with Helmet and Skeleton Key, which "all sounded like a band playing in a room—as compared to a bad, processed record like our [debut]".[3] Cohen recorded his drum tracks in twelve hours.[1][2] The last song completed for Imprint was "By the River", a duet with Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo, whom Williams was introduced to during the Ozzfest tour by Robb Flynn of Machine Head.[5] With the rest of the band's approval, Williams asked Anselmo to make an appearance on the album and subsequently travelled to New Orleans to record his vocals.[5] Williams and Anselmo recorded at the same studio used by Down for their debut album NOLA (1995).[6]

Composition

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Imprint is a metalcore[7][8] and heavy metal[9] album. Retaining the metal/hardcore crossover style of Vision of Disorder's debut,[10] it features a rawer, more experimental sound,[11] complex arrangements,[3][12] shifting rhymths and time signature changes,[13] and melodic elements.[3] The 1997 albums OK Computer by Radiohead and Through Silver in Blood by Neurosis, which the band got into during Ozzfest, served as influences on the album's writing. Fleischmann highlighted the influence of the latter on "Twelve Steps to Nothing", "By The River", and "Colorblind".[11] Williams frequently switches between shouted,[7] screamed and clean vocals during songs.[8][12][13] Jason Arnopp of Kerrang! likened his vocals to Obituary's John Tardy, Death's Chuck Schuldiner, and Gorilla's John Whitby.[13]

According to Williams, the main theme of Imprint is turning negative experiences into positive ones.[3][14] In an interview with Terrorizer, he said that much of its lyrics are about "situations—like fights—that I got caught up in".[3] One particular incident, which resulted in his face being permanently scarred by a razorblade, served as the "catalyst" behind many of the album's lyrics.[6] Its cover artwork is a hospital photo of Williams' injury, manipulated on the computer by Kennedy.[1] In an interview with Metal Hammer, Williams said that although he did not want the incident to be the album's "focal point"—it was not mentioned in its press bio—Imprint "would have been totally different" if it had not occurred.[6] He also said he was no longer concerned about what others thought about his lyrics and their subject matters.[3] Nick Terry of Terrorizer opined that the album "captured the true schizophrenia and directionless derangement of city life".[15]

Greg Prato of AllMusic called Imprint's opening track, "What You Are", an example of its "over-the-top assault[s] on the senses".[16] "Twelve Steps to Nothing" features four alternating rhythms,[17] whilst "Landslide" progresses from frenetic riffing and drumming into a bridge with shimmering guitars.[13] "By the River" is a duet between Williams' and Anselmo,[9] with the latter using "guttural" screams[18] and spoken word vocals.[7] Williams derived its title from one of Anselmo's lyrics.[5] The album's title track is about Williams' scarring injury and how he dealt with it.[6] "Colorblind", which Williams viewed as a tribute to The Doors,[2] offsets its "pantherlike lunge and thurst" with "chiming" guitarwork, according to Terry.[17] "Up in You" criticizes "scenester posturing" behaviour that Williams felt was detrimental to the hardcore community, and includes the lyrics: "Mindless bastards/Words no action…With your scattered accusations/Nothing but a punk caught up in the masses."[3] Written a day before recording commended,[19] the closing track of Imprint, "Jada Bloom", recounts "an emotive tale of addiction and lost love" and progresses from an aggressive beginning into more melancholic territory, per Terrorizer's Zena Tsarfin.[3]

Release and promotion

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Imprint was released in the United States on July 28, 1998,[20] and in Europe on August 3, 1998.[1] The album debuted and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart,[21] and number 197 on the UK Albums Chart.[22] In July 1998, the band toured the East Coast of the United States with Day in the Life.[23] The band then toured with Anthrax,[24] before embarking on a co-headlining tour of North America with Roadrunner labelmates Sepultura and Earth Crisis.[25] Vision of Disorder spent the rest of 1998 touring Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii.[2][26] Tensions during the Australia tour almost led to the band breaking up that year.[27]

According to Fleischmann, Roadrunner pulled Vision of Disorder's tour support four months after Imprint's release and asked them to start working on another album; he said the band were offended by this and took it a sign the label "hated" the album and them.[28] After several meetings, Vision of Disorder split from the label. Fleischmann said that Vision of Disorder were offered a better record deal and a $150,000 advance for their third album with Roadrunner but turned it down, citing the label's perceived lack of faith in the band and their desire to have a fresh start.[29]

Reception and legacy

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal7/10[12]
Kerrang![13]
Metal Hammer7/10[10]
Metal Storm9.0/10[7]
Rock Hard7/10[30]
Terrorizer[17]

Imprint received positive reviews from critics.[25] Prato of AllMusic hailed the album as "the best heavy album of 1998".[9] Terry of Terrorizer likened it to Pantera's Far Beyond Driven (1994), considering it to have such "obvious" crossover appeal "as to make any normal conventions around the hardcore/metal divide redundant."[17] Arnopp of Kerrang! and Prato both praised the album for presenting a heavy sound differing from contemporary acts similar to Korn.[9][13] Martin Popoff highlighted its complex arrangements and alternating vocals and called it "Organic, manic, and stuck underground like a pig".[12]

Retrospectively, Imprint is regarded as one of metalcore's greatest albums.[8][31] In 2000, Terrorizer listed the album as one of the 100 most important of the 1990s.[15] In a 2011 retrospective on Vision of Disorder's career for MetalSucks, Finn McKenty (a.k.a. Sergeant D) called Imprint "a landmark record" and believed that, regardless of how much acknowledgement they received, much of contemporary metalcore and screamo music was heavily indebted to the band and album.[32] Gallows guitarist Laurent "Lags" Barnard, writing for Metal Hammer in 2015, called Imprint metalcore's first successful album due to the support it received from the press, which he attributed to Vision of Disorder's association with Roadrunner, as well as "the most enduring and influential album of its genre", with later metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage and Trivium expanding on Williams' vocal style on the album.[18] In 2017, Nate Hertweck of Grammy.com said that its "pure, unadulterated aggression [...] still sounds grating, pained and eviscerating nearly 20 years later."[33]

Bassist Stuart "Stu" Ross, also a member of Gallows, cited Imprint as an influence on his songwriting and his other band Misery Signals.[34] Producer and Fit for an Autopsy guitarist Will Putney, who would go on to produce Vision of Disorder's fifth album The Cursed Remain Cursed (2012), said that "Imprint was like listening to Hell."[35] Touché Amoré vocalist Jeremy Bolm featured the album in his 2016 list of "Ten Underrated Hardcore Records" for Vice, stating that he was "floored" by the album when it came out.[36] Dave and Greg McPherson of InMe both credited Imprint with shaping their tastes in metal music; the former cited the album as an influence on their song "I Swear", from their eight album Jumpstart Hope (2020).[37]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Vision of Disorder, except where noted.

Standard release
No.TitleLyricsLength
1."What You Are" 3:35
2."Twelve Steps to Nothing" 3:42
3."Landslide" 3:29
4."By the River" (featuring Phil Anselmo)
3:36
5."Imprint" 3:45
6."Colorblind" 6:09
7."Rebirth of Tragedy" 3:58
8."Locust of the Dead Earth" 3:28
9."Up in You" 3:24
10."Clone" 4:10
11."Jada Bloom" 4:19
Total length:43:33
Japanese edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Soul Craft" (Bad Brains cover)
2:32
Total length:46:05

Personnel

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Adapted from liner notes.[4]

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
Position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[21] 10
UK Albums Chart (OCC)[22] 197

Release history

[edit]
Release history for Imprint
Reigon Label Format Date Ref.
United States Roadrunner Records
July 28, 1998 [20]
Canada
Europe
  • CD
  • cassette
  • LP
 August 3, 1998 [1]
Various Music on Vinyl LP May 11, 2018 [38]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Kaye, Don (August 1, 1998). "Chaos AD!". Kerrang!. No. 710. UK: EMAP. pp. 40–41. ISSN 0262-6624. Archived from the original on November 18, 1999. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via vod.com.
  2. ^ a b c d Hinkson, Rick (November 1, 1998). "Vision of Disorder". Hip Online. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on August 5, 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tsarfin, Zena (August 1998). "Vision of Disorder: Leaving Their Mark". Terrorizer. No. 57. Scantec Publishing Ltd. pp. 38–39. ISSN 1350-6978. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2024 – via vod.com.
  4. ^ a b Vision of Disorder (1998). Imprint (booklet). Roadrunner Records. RRCY-1065.
  5. ^ a b c wookubus (March 11, 2021). "Tim Williams Reveals How Vision Of Disorder Landed Phil Anselmo On "Imprint", Explains Band's 2002 Breakup". ThePRP. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Carlsson, Martin (August 1998). "Scarred for Life". Metal Hammer. UK: Future plc. ISSN 0955-1190. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2024 – via vod.com.
  7. ^ a b c d deadone (September 2, 2015). "Vision Of Disorder - Imprint review". Metal Storm. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Young, Simon (March 23, 2018). "The 21 Best U.S. Metalcore Albums Of All Time". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e Prato, Greg, "Vision of Disorder - Imprint Album Reviews, Songs & More", AllMusic, archived from the original on January 20, 2024, retrieved May 19, 2023
  10. ^ a b Bent, Grahame (August 1998). "Under the Hammer". Metal Hammer. UK: Future plc. ISSN 0955-1190. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via vod.com.
  11. ^ a b Smith, Zach (September 13, 2012). "Decibrity Playlist: Vision Of Disorder". Decibel. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 490. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Arnopp, Jason (August 1, 1998). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 710. UK: EMAP. pp. 44–45. ISSN 0262-6624. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via vod.com.
  14. ^ Stone (Fall 1998). "Vision of Disorder". Pit. No. 25. Mosh, Inc. ISSN 1553-2844. Archived from the original on October 10, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Terry, Nick (February 2000). "The 100 Most Important Albums of the Nineties". Terrorizer. No. 75. Scantec Publishing Ltd. pp. 52–53. ISSN 1350-6978.
  16. ^ Prato, Greg (n.d.). "Vision of Disorder/Imprint - Vision of Disorder | Album". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d Terry, Nick (August 1998). "Reviews". Terrorizer. No. 57. Scantec Publishing Ltd. p. 55. ISSN 1350-6978.
  18. ^ a b Barnard, Laurent (March 5, 2015). "This Is Hardcore: Vision Of Disorder – Imprint". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via loudersound.
  19. ^ McLennan, Scott (August 2, 1998). "SJ8:98 is a dream bill of heavy music". Telegram & Gazette: 7. ProQuest 268699317.
  20. ^ a b "Just Out". CMJ New Music Monthly (60). CMJ Network, Inc.: 70 August 1998. ISSN 1074-6978.
  21. ^ a b Anon. (August 1, 1998). "Billboard's Heatseekers Albums Chart". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 31. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 17. ISSN 0006-2510.
  22. ^ a b "Chart Log UK: V - Vybe". www.zobbel.de. Archived from the original on August 12, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  23. ^ Erik (1998). "MoM-Interview with VOD". Metal on Metal. Archived from the original on February 20, 1999. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  24. ^ Anon. (September 3, 1998). "VOD Interview 98 @ Right Up Front". Right Up Front/Killjoy Circus. Archived from the original on January 17, 2002. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via hardcorewebsite.com.
  25. ^ a b Prato, Greg (October 23, 1998). "Sepultura, Vision of Disorder Prove Metal Still Shines". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  26. ^ The Postman (1998). "Vision of Disorder". Satan's Mail Box. Archived from the original on June 12, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  27. ^ Behrman, Lorne (July 2001). "Disorderly Conduct". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 94. pp. 56–57. ISSN 1074-6978.
  28. ^ wookubus (October 27, 2015). "Vision Of Disorder's Bassist Details The Bands Soured Record Deals With Roadrunner & TVT". ThePRP. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  29. ^ Downs, Alicia (2001). "From Bliss to Rough Edge: An Interview with Vision of Disorder's Mike Kennedy and Tim Williams". Roughedge.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  30. ^ Jaedike, Jan (July 28, 1998). "Imprint". Rock Hard (in German). Vol. 135. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  31. ^ Hill, Stephen (November 12, 2020). "The Top 20 best metalcore albums". Metal Hammer. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2024 – via loudersound.
  32. ^ D, Sergeant (April 8, 2011). "Let's Talk About Vision of Disorder!". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  33. ^ Hertweck, Nate (May 24, 2017). "Coal Chamber to Pantera: 15 memorable late '90s metal albums". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  34. ^ Misery Signals (July 22, 2020). "The Top 10 best proto-metalcore records". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023 – via loudersound.
  35. ^ Gitter, Mike (September 18, 2012). "Vision of Disorder: Members of Killswitch Engage, Glassjaw Recall Metalcore Pioneers' Early Days". Noisecreep. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  36. ^ Ozzi, Dan (September 13, 2016). "Ten Underrated Hardcore Records According to Touché Amoré's Jeremy Bolm". Vice. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  37. ^ Weaver, James (October 13, 2019). "InMe release new song 'I Swear'". Distorted Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  38. ^ wookubus (April 23, 2018). "Vision Of Disorder's "Imprint" To Get New Colored Vinyl Release". ThePRP. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
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