Dreamcatcher have returned with the second installment of their Apocalypse series — an eye-catching title if ever there was one! Their last comeback Maison wasn’t exactly apocalyptic, but it did seem to polarize listeners. This time, the group have invited June One of dance-rock band Glen Check to work alongside their usual suite of composers. Does this indicate a shift in their long-established sound, or does Vision simply act as an extension of Maison‘s theatrical rock energy?
I think we can safely say Vision is plucked straight from Dreamcatcher’s lineage. There are a few added electronic touches during the verses, but otherwise this is pretty much what I’d expect from one of their title tracks. Why fix things if they’re not broken? The group are experts at delivering evocative verses that burst into pummeling choruses. Their energy fuels Vision, but this time around I’m going to be the one complaining about repetitive melody (a criticism I often read in reviews of Maison).
Granted, I’ll always prefer electronic touches over nu-metal guitars, but aside from that instrumental flourish, Vision’s chorus feels a little undercooked. It’s largely the same melodic line repeated over and over, and this particular hook doesn’t do much for me. It’s as if the song is stuck in a groove, turning over but never scaling the walls to shoot for the stratosphere. It’s expertly-produced and performed, but like many recent Edenary-penned tracks it feels closer to diminished returns than a new, thrilling highlight. Of course, Dreamcatcher on autopilot is still more satisfying than many of their peers.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
Grade: B-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I have the same thoughts. Well done but firmly within the Dreamcatcher lead single formula. What it says on the tin. Even the second verse, the rap is always the same. Darling daughter loves Dreamcatcher, so I get to hear a lot of their songs back to back, and after a while they do sound similar.
(On her year end 2022 list, “Maison” will easily be on top.)
The chorus could use a low vocal (or bass note) an octave down from the main line singing the same line to double it up. Its all unison at a soprano belt, and feels thin despite having several of them singing it. Funny thing is, I could say the same exact comment about the chorus on Maison, add a doubling line down an octave.
Small ell love it. Rating is about right.
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I want to love this. Alas, it turns out impossible for me even to like the song. Both arrangement and melody feel undercooked. Overall, worst DC’s comeback ever, and that’s a shame. 7.75 for me.
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Dreamcatcher is my ult gg but this comeback… I’m not completely sure yet lol. I don’t dislike it but I’m not feeling that same “HELL YA” that I had from their last few cbs.
For one this didn’t catch me as quick as Maison did. The instrumental snippet in the Lyrics spoiler hinted at something hard but I felt the actual song was at a lesser tempo and with a less intense sound. In a way perhaps my high expectations have something to do with my feelings 🙂
I liked Handong and Gahyeon’s parts especially. And I think the beats in the instrumental were really good but the tempo was slower than I expected. I know I’ll probably be humming this soon and their performances are cool too – but there’s something missing.
I don’t want to say this…. but it feels not really a completely DC song to me. For some reason all I got is this is like something Aespa would do and I do not want to make that comparison 😭😭
Also I’m probably spoilt lmao. Pritti-G’s Love Taker earlier this year is the exact kinda rock sound I love and I have thought more than once if something like that was in the hands of a powerful group like DC it would have been mind-blowing…. so seeing that Vision went for a less intense beat tha Maison definitely threw me in a loop 🙃
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1.2x speed is about perfect.
It may sound crazy, but I feel like Dreamcatcher should lean _harder_ into the rock sound. Most of the time the rock is the rock guitar laid over the top. The song otherwise is fully kpop in construction and execution, all the parts passed around as expected, all the points hitting right where they are expected. So it seems dangerous but really isn’t. Also, real drums would help, double kicking it.
I wish the girls would add more color to their vocals, growl a lot more, shout scream lower crazy higher softer other. It is always at the same intensity and range and just gets repetitive. Three of them have the very similar soprano belts.
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I so agree to leaning harder into the sound! I feel some of their old songs had more of that charm – say Endless Night or Goodnight. I don’t know much about vocals but yeah I get what you are saying! I would say that’s where Ateez and the Edenary team work better together lol. Like Guerrilla… If I’m being honest, the idea of that song terrified me – but Ateez’s execution made all the difference. Who knew Jongho screaming “Whoaaaaa” could hit so hard 💀 For DC, it seems the team tone their style down a bit… but sometimes I think they don’t need to? Give these girls some more freedom and that could just be it.
Also another thing I feel : Handong should sing more and Gahyeon should rap more. I feel they are both getting underutilized when their tones actually can add something different. I love Dami and I love her rapping – but sometimes the raps themselves don’t do her much justice 😭😭
Usually the DC-Ateez songs come in pairs moodwise : Because-Deja Vu, Maison-Guerilla… so I wonder if Vision is going to translate to something for Ateez too lol.
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Well said. This has an instrument typically used in rock, but it doesn’t sound like a rock song. The production is still clean and without blemishes, which is a very hard trait to pull off in authentic rock music. Most overproduced rock/metal sounds very corporate and impersonal.
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Fairly middling release.
They’re playing it safe after Maison.
Safe to say this ain’t making it onto any playlists 😦
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I set an alarm just so I can catch this, and managed to wake up despite having stayed up too late playing Genshin Impact, I mean, finishing my homework. After a listen, I went back to sleep finding it thoroughly underwhelming. Yet, I woke up with parts playing in my head. The pre-chorus to the first part of the chorus is just so potent. It’s so addictive, I memorized it immediately. And going off that just ingratiated the rest of the song to me.
Sure, I still have complaints. I don’t really appreciate the snap silence on the ascending “vision” that ends the first half of the chorus, which makes it feel a teensy bit awkward. The second verse is probably one of the most repetitive I’ve heard in their career. And I do wish this song was slightly longer, had more time to spread its wings, and was less risk-averse–it doesn’t do a ton wrong, but it doesn’t toss in any truly exciting wrinkles like the best of their latter-day work does.
But the song has that one extremely effective hook, and the rest does enough not to fuck it up and some. It does a good job keeping up the heft this song goes for, even Dami’s rap while not her best doesn’t derail it at all. The ending too, you all know the power vocals are just gonna belt it out but they always do it so well. I’m streaming the video because I legitimately enjoy it and not as a chore for a shot at another win (in fact, given this month being a bloodbath, I’m tempering my expectations). It’s not an all-time great song, I think it’s in the lower half of their title tracks but it’s a hell of a grower and deceptively catchy, and I do enjoy it still. I just hope for a bit more risk-taking and more length (because more Dreamcatcher is always good as far as I’m concerned!) next comeback.
Rating: 9 (9/8/9/10) though let’s be honest I cannot be objective about this group.
About the album: I do wish they’d thrown in at least one EDM track, but what we get instead are two extremely solid alt-rock tracks that very could have been the title and a typical ballad (and of course cool intro/outro). Just like the title, not their best, but still enjoyable and solid. What do y’all think?
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I also cannot be objective and I agree with you. I like the album, but none of the songs are going into my DC favourite.
I would also rate Vision high, because while I think that the chorus is not interesting enough, I really like the chords and the chord progression in this song. I love the whole atmosphere that they set from the first sounds we hear.
And I absolutely love Fairytale. The fact that there’s two rock b-sides and no EDM actually made me think they were trying to shut up people who say they don’t do rock anymore (which is ridiculous, they just don’t always do the exact same type of rock sound). After Starlight, I would also have loved more electronic, but Fairytale makes it up for me.
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Like, Fairytale is so good. I like Vision a lot, but I love Fairytale more and more as I listen to it. Some Love is great too, agreed neither is going to be a career highlight when all is said and done but I still enjoy the hell out of them.
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Ooh I love Glen Check! Their album that came out earlier this year, Bleach, is fantastic. But I don’t really hear any of their influence here. It would have been interesting to have thrown more electronica into the mix.
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I quite like it. The keys during the first verses (or is it a treated guitar?) sound so 80s, and then it quickly becomes retro-futurist during the chorus. Time will tell if it grows even better with repeated listening, but I liked it right off the bat.
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I like it, but I thought it sounds very similar to Maison. Not hugely fond of the chorus.
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I personally prefer “Vision” over “Maison”, and quite enjoy this title track. But I do wish this mini album had more metal elements and harder sounds.
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It doesn’t beat Maison’s prechorus but it does beat its chorus for me. Pretty good. On the other hand, this is one of their weakest minis.
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This comeback is not their best but I still like it. I enjoyed everything about it but the only problem is that it’s forgettable.
Rather than ‘Vision’ their b-side ‘Fairy Tale’ is SO GOOD. I’ve been listening to it non stop since it’s release. Definitely a Buried Treasure.
~ We’re Living A Fairy Tale, Follow Your Heart, Follow Your Heart, Follow Your Heart, We’re Living A Fairy Tale
OMG the chorus is so good and catchy. ‘Fairy Tale’ has made me forget what ‘Vision’ sounds like
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I like both, but Fairytale is definitely my favourite from the album. It wouldn’t have worked as a TItle because it’s almost too hopeful and nice and not dark enough x) but it’s such nice song!!
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I haven’t loved a single DC comeback since Scream but this one is just boring and too repetitive. Also, something I’ve had trouble since Scream, starting with Boca is the pronunciation of foreign words, or rather the intonation? (Unsure what’s the right word here), so it goes from being underwhelming to actually grating.
They’re also not going as hard as they can. I still wish they can release an actual rock song.
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this is… fine. very reminiscent of Maison, but that’s the whole point right?
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I felt this song actually exceeded my expectations. Maison didn’t blow me away and I felt the chorus being too underwhelming, I also didn’t really vibe with Because. Dystopia trilogy was always my top eras. So vision really scratched that itch I had about a satisfying heavy beat and vocal chorus. Coming off from a Cyberpunk Edgerunner marathon, this was exactly the kind of music I needed. I also cannot be objective about this group.
Fairytale might content with Whistle as my all time favorite B-side from Dreamcatcher and Vision tying with Odd Eye and might surpass Scream (though I will need to see if this song ages well).
Notice I did exclude previous cb because anime style jrock songs require me to be in a completely different mood to really vibe to. (What holds as top title for that).
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Its like Maison, though I enjoyed it, if its third time I don’t think I will enjoy tho. Also nice to see Leez on this album, but still wonder if he will keep producing for ATEEZ and Dreamcatcher and possibly, theres possibilty that this album might have already recorded before he left EDENARY.
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it sucks that i can’t get into the chorus (one note, repetitive, not one ounce of melody or emotion. where’s the grandness of odd eye), because everything else is way up my alley
the hypnotic creeping synths at the start and at the bridge!! the thrum of the bass in the verses! that gorgeous build in the prechorus — one of their best, especially after maison’s pitiful (1) line rip.
I love siyeon’s power note at the climax and the crisp pots and pans of the instruments during the rap 😭😭 And that guitar 😘👌
dreamcatcher’s title tracks are pretty formulaic, but vision would’ve been a clear distillation of my favourite parts of their sound if not for the boring phrasing in the chorus.
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