Eighteen Visions' influential second album, Until the Ink Runs Out turns 19 this year and we have commentary on the album from vocalist James Hart. Enjoy the read and let us know your thoughts on Until the Ink Runs Out nineteen years later.

First of all, how does it feel knowing Until The Ink Runs Out turns 19 this year?

Pretty wild man. Thinking about it, it would've been cool to do the reissue next year, but with the new album having come out in 2017, we were excited to be back doing things again and wanted to start reissuing the older albums once we got the masters back.

How did you feel when the album came out?

I remember being out on tour when the album came out that summer. We were doing one of the early Hell Fest shows that year. The one that got shut down before it even started. The venue would be magically moved last minute to save the show the following day. We were out with Throwdown on the "Good Times Tour" and everything was just fun and easy. I remember hundreds of kids waiting outside of the venue on the first scheduled day of Hell Fest. Since no one could get in, we started selling the cds out of our van and I recall there being a huge rush of people coming over to buy it. That was definitely a great and validating feeling.

Where do you think the album fits in the band's legacy?

I never really thought of 18V having any legacy of sorts, but I will say that it might be the most important album in the grand scheme of things. It was the first album Keith was writing on. He brought some elements to the table that we had never explored which ended up helping shape the bands sound and identity for future albums.

How did the band approach writing?

This was obviously well before any sort of in-home recording ability. The guys would just show up to rehearsal each week and we'd start compiling riffs upon riffs. Some songs had no end in sight which is why the older material has much less structure to the writing and the songs were way longer. The hardest part for me was not having a copy of the music to write to. I'd just have to repeat a part over and over again hoping that the following week I didn't forget what I had written which actually happened a ton.

What inspired the lyrics?

Typical shit. Life. Love. Betrayal.

Do any of the themes touched on the album still hold relevant for you?

Not really. That would be pretty sad if you think about it. Me holding on to the past. For the most part, I've always been a very situational writer. Pulling from what's going on in my life at the time or something I may want to refelct on that happened in between albums.

What were your hopes and expectations for the record during the writing and recording process?

I think we were just excited to be a part of Trustkill and have some real distribution behind it. Also the possibility of doing some cooler touring.

When you were in the studio, how was the morale of everyone?

Morale was good aside from one member. I think we did this in a weekend. Minimal takes. A very raw approach. That's the way things were done back then with no proper budget.

When was the last time you listened to the record? Are there memories and emotions that come back?

The last time I listened was when we were prepping for rehearsals in 2017 for our big comeback show. Just kind of listening you go back and say "yeah I really like this song or that part." Then of course there's a lot you could just do without sometimes.

What do you remember most about making the album?

Probably the writing process. Coming to rehearsal each week with new ideas. That was always fun.

Were there any bands in particular you enjoyed playing with while touring for the record?

That summer tour we did with Throwdown was great. I think we did some cool shows with Spitfire as well that year.

What sort of place was your life in when the album came out?

I was at a fun point in my life. I was in school studying to be a hair dresser which is what I do now for a career. Life was easy back then and we didn't care about much.

Do you remember what you were listening to at the time?

I've always been way into 90's grunge rock. So I'm sure there was a lot of that in rotation. Of course the metalcore staples as well: Cave-In, Converge, Botch, etc.

Did you ever expect the album to have the influence it did?

To be quite honest, I have no clue as to what type of influence this album had on the scene or the genre.

Looking back on things now, would you change anything about the release?

Of course, there are always things you'd probably go back and do different with some songs or sections of music, but I wouldn't want to tamper with the art that was made so I always say "leave as is."