by Greg Prato

On their second album, Imprint, the five-piece New York hardcore band Vision of Disorder has blossomed into one of today's best heavy bands. For starters, the album is a vast improvement over their 1996 self-titled debut, both sonically and musically, no doubt due to the involvement of producer D. Sardy (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Helmet, and others). V.O.D. has also sharpened their songwriting and direction -- where most bands nowadays are fixated with the heavy 'West Coast' sound (created by Korn), Imprint is chock full of raw, non-cliched heavy metal. The group's secret weapon is drummer Brendon Cohen, who impresses with stellar performances throughout the disc. Highlights include a duet between singer Tim Williams and Pantera singer Phil Anselmo (a self-proclaimed fanatic of the band) entitled "By the River," and as well as the melodic "Jada Bloom," and the crushing title track. Undoubtedly the best heavy album of 1998.