visions of change are not a band you hear about very often, which is a terrible shame. i discovered this band partly by accident, partly by intuition. you know the kind of game you play when browsing for records: filter through all the common crap, all the uncommon crap that you know isn't interesting. then something catches your eye, perhaps it's the name of a band that you read about years before in the puszone, or MRR, or some other review. maybe it's the artwork that sticks out, or a band name that piques your interest. in this case it was a combination of the artwork on their first album along with the name of the band that struck a chord somewhere inside of me. it also helped that the band were british. luckily, i was shopping at jerry's records in squirrel hill, pittsburgh, where they have a few turntable listening stations set up to try before you buy. the insert had a few good visual cues, too, but it was when the needle dropped that i was quickly sold.visions of change played (active throughout the late 80s, as far as i know) a solid mix of melodic hardcore with a bit of a paisley bent (perhaps it's the hammond organ!). i was going to write that they are maybe comparable to snuff, or later-era government issue and seven seconds, but this band really had their own sound going on drawing equal influence from the hardcore of the time, punk, and the soul/garage sounds of the 60s. the band actually released a few records under the name "the depraved" before deciding to propel out of a stagnant HC scene, changing the name and taking the music in a little different direction. the depraved albums are also brilliant and are worth tracking down if you like this. my mind's eye is their second of two albums, i do believe. not sure of any other records that may have released.
visions of change - my minds eye [vinyl rip]
mp3 320kbps VBR [57.58 MB]
http://lix.in/-3871ab
01 endless
02 still tomorrow
03 witness
04 i see in you
05 what i want
06 when i talk to you
07 intention
08 an accountant like miranda
vocalist ian murphy can now be heard in the absolutely fantastic UK hardcore punk outfit, section 13.
you can read an interview with visions of change from flipside magazine in the operation phoenix records internet punk zine archive here.
human sufferage were apparently one of the most notable offerings to the midwest/ohio hardcore scene, columbus, ohio to be exact. i say that with a certain sense of pride, having lived here for the past 6 years. during that time, i've only uncovered a few clues to the pre-1990s history of hardcore in this town. i've run into another internet black hole trying to ferret out information on this band. the sound is not unlike their midwest contemporaries, 
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