An Orange County, California quintet had so many visions for their music and life in the late 1990s that they even named their band after their aspirations. Eighteen Visions, the straight-edge alternative metal band that resulted from the minds of dedicated musicians James Hart (vocals) and Ken Floyd (drums), has taken America captive with sing-along goodies and edgy metal music with a glamorous flair, leading the way for post-hardcore bands of the period.

Hart and Floyd formed the Southern California band Eighteen Visions in 1996, releasing one CD with a European label while recruiting other original group members Javier Van Huss (bass), Brandan Schieppati and Keith Barney (guitar). The band came together mostly out of different bands like Bleeding Through and Throwdown, eventually catching the eye of the label Trustkill. Releasing their debut album Until the Ink Runs Out in 2000, Eighteen Visions quickly climbed the rock charts, tackling a grueling set of performances and tours until 2001, when Van Huss exited the band and Mick Morris replaced him. Preparing for 2002's sophomore release Vanity, the straight-edge rockers were busy recording for the album when Schieppati quit the band, leaving yet another hole in the lineup. Regardless, 2004's Obsession was a Billboard favorite, reaching the Billboard 200, Top Heatseekers and Top Independent Albums charts and also attracting a record deal with Epic. Basking in the glory of everything that was Obsession, Eighteen Visions once again embarked on a long string of live performances, including Warped Tour dates and shows with already-established rock bands Atreyu, HiM and Avenged Sevenfold.

Riding the wave of post-hardcore fame, Eighteen Visions released their eponymous album with Epic in 2006. Despite the album's positive reviews, however, the band chose to quit while they were ahead, disbanding in 2007 and playing two farewell performances in California before fleeing the rock scene.