All From Autumn to Ashes Songs Ranked
ON THE MIGHTY KINGS OF CAPTAINS |
| 51 |  | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Placentapede: The only album track from this band that failed to stick the landing for me, and even then it isn’t unlistenable or anything. It’s just clear this song is very low on ideas so they beat its hook into the ground an unpalatable amount of times since it’s not a very strong hook to begin with, and it’s really the only moment in their catalog where Fran’s signature timbre glaringly works against the song to my ears. It’s still fine I guess but I was certainly glad when they broke out “Kansas City 90210” as the token Abandon Your Friends song live last month instead of this. |
| 50 |  | From Autumn to Ashes
Sin, Sorrow and Sadness
IV: Competent but unremarkable instrumental, not much to say about it. |
| 49 |  | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
The Fiction We Live: A pleasant but fairly unnecessary reprise of “Autumn’s Monologue” that does not lend itself as well to Fran’s timbre. |
| 48 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Jack + Ginger: I love Abandon Your Friends. It’s obviously the worst album in the FATA discography but it still stands out in its own way due to the sheer amount of variety on the album. It’s a textbook example of the kind of album I go back to and understand completely why the scene kids hated it, yet more or less not being bothered by the general problems people have with it (not that I don’t have my own as the sequencing is a disaster). I get why it was so divisive though, with Ben only contributing to half of the songs on the album, leaving Fran to have to scramble together a handful of slower cuts that went way out of the fanbase’s comfort zone. Generally I think Ben’s cuts are reasonably strong, but the reason I saved most of the album background for this song is no matter how many times I jam the album I barely remember how it goes |
| 47 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
Autumn’s Monologue: Melanie Wills rules and her voice is a wonderful contribution to this and “Short Stories”, and as the title track shows this song would not have nearly as much going for it without her, but this song still just kinda stands as a lesser version of “Short Stories” to me. I like the harmonies in the chorus though, it’s certainly a pleasant song and a welcome take on the “clean moment of respite” formula that gets pretty redundant on a lot of core albums. |
| 46 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Abandon Your Friends: I think I like this song more as a standalone song than I do a closer, I feel like sequencing it in the middle of the record would do it wonders. As is, it sits kind of awkwardly at the end of Abandon Your Friends and following “Jack + Ginger” it leaves the album off on some of its most half hearted material. Definitely would have worked better as an interlude. |
| 45 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
Lilacs and Lolita: I feel like this song hurts itself by bringing its chorus back a bit at the end, but this is the point of the list where there’s a big jump up in quality from the place beforehand. All 45 of these songs beat ass. |
| 44 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Where Do You Draw the Line: Kind of a retread of “The After Dinner Payback” but a relatively successful one that’s refreshing amidst the other material here as the most direct line to their prior album. |
| 43 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Sin, Sorrow and Sadness
A Lie Will Always Defeat the Truth: Can see why this song was not redone for the debut album, but it’s still bursting with the dynamism that makes the early incarnation of this band so enthralling. |
| 42 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Inapprope: Of the Fran dominated clean centric tracks, this one spices itself up a tad by having the boy rip into a few screams right at the end. Though his vicious roar is all over the first two albums, this is the first time he really unlocks the specific howl that defines Holding a Wolf by the Ears. |
| 41 |  | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
On the Offensive: The lowest Holding a Wolf by the Ears song would be at the top of most other band’s lists because this album is one of the most focused and exciting albums of its kind. Really the only thing that knocks this song down is I think Fran coulda written a better chorus here, but the rest of it rules. |
| 40 |  | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Mercury Rising: If I was doing a list of the best core interludes this is honestly probably in the top 10. |
| 39 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Streamline: I think this song is gorgeous but having Fran serenade you over shimmery clean guitars is definitely gonna be a “mileage may vary” thing. They nailed this ballad though. |
| 38 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Hang the Mason: Gonna be honest, points are docked for the delivery of the Sunday school line. Great song otherwise, sounds a lot like the two Senses Fail albums that followed it which I jammed the fuck out of in high school so it taps right into my nostalgia. Don't really mind that this is a bonus track but it is great. |
| 37 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
Every Reason To: Not really a highlight on Fiction, if there’s anything that ultimately kinda cemented it a solid 3rd place in my FATA ranking is the general lack of variety and this song kinda exemplifies that, but also shows that even the mid tier songs beat ass and have a plethora of fun riffs. |
| 36 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Sin, Sorrow and Sadness
Trapped Inside the Cage of My Soul: Honestly kinda wish this made Too Bad You’re Beautiful, it rules and perfectly exemplifies the range of dynamics they were pulling within their songs in the early days. That acoustic riff is one of my favorite riffs in their catalog. |
| 35 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
No Trivia: The first in a string of pop punk ballads this band would go on to produce, and definitely the most popular of them. The hooks on this song are great and it hits super refreshingly in the context of the album. |
| 34 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Long to Go: Basically just “No Trivia 2.0” but with a bit more dramatic swell behind it that ends up giving it a very slight edge. |
| 33 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
I’m the Best at Ruining My Life: “I’m the Best at Ruining My Life” does a good job condensing the template of the last closer to something that can be done in house rather than relying on Melanie’s voice and strings to achieve a grandiose coda. This song exists within the usual economy of a FATA song, but leans more heavily into Fran’s cleans than any of the other heavy songs on the album to help bridge everything the album did together. Think I like it more on paper than I do in execution but it rules |
| 32 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Vicious Cockfight: Though Ben was checked out entirely by this album, the songs he does contribute to beat a pretty respectable amount of ass. I will say though, he doesn’t really elevate any of those tracks as much as they’re just solidly written, and you can sub out the vocalist with anyone and they’d probably rip the same which is what unfortunately keeps this and “Pistol Whipped” lower than they could have been in the hands of Fran. |
| 31 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Eulogy for an Angel: This being the first real Too Bad You’re Beautiful song on the chopping block is by no means an insult, rather an indicator of this album’s ridiculous level of consistency. Intro riff is addictive as hell |
| 30 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Kansas City 90210: The best FATA pop punk ballad for my money. The further this song goes into the bridge and leans into the vocal layering the higher I ascend into heaven |
| 29 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
All I Taste Today Is What’s Her Name: If we’re ranking this based off breakdowns the one this song builds to would probably be top 10 |
| 28 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Everything I Need: I’VE GOT EVERYTHING I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED |
| 27 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Short for Show: Ben gives more to this one than the usual Abandon Your Friends fare but this is again a better representation of their instrumental tightness than his own strength as they pummel through with a plethora of killer riffs and breakdowns |
| 26 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Love It or Left It: Fran’s got some odd vocal choices in the background of the chorus that rule but took a minute to adjust to and put this in Wolf’s relative A tier rather than standing atop the best of the best with the big dogs, but even the relatively weaker songs this album has to offer feel vital |
| 25 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
The Funny Thing About Getting Pistol Whipped Is…: The best shot of adrenaline on Abandon Your Friends, “Pistol Whipped” is one of the most aggressive songs they ever made and illustrates the dedication to each song maintaining its own vibe on the album rather than the sprawling journeys of the debut ("Sugar Wolf" aside). Generally that lent itself better to tracks like this |
| 24 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Take Her to the Music Store: you break my heart into a million pieces and then you say it’s because i deserve better??? |
| 23 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
A Goat in Sheep’s Rosary: Perfect penultimate counterpart to "Pioneers", shares a lot of the same musical elements but emphasizes the heavier side of the band more so it's breakdown hits like a mf |
| 22 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Abandon Your Friends
Sugar Wolf: One of the catchiest hooks I’ve ever heard elevates this song above its otherwise pretty bad lyrics, but generally this song leans in the favor of being sick once it hits that winding clean bridge. |
| 21 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Y2K: Wolf is already a stone cold 5 but this song rips colossally and only woulda made it even better. Kinda like a cross between “On the Offensive” and “Recounts and Recollections”, and beats as much ass |
| 20 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Capeside Rock: Perfectly placed in the context of the album, kicking off with a massive burst of energy that offsets the icy “Mercury Rising” brilliantly |
| 19 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
The After Dinner Payback: Love the guitar riffs in the chorus of this song which provides the right amount of sweet before dropping into the colossal breakdowns that bear the band’s teeth. |
| 18 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
The Switch: Well named song in the sense that its most memorable moments come from its many switch ups. This has some of the most effective ebbs and flows between the visceral and beautiful sides of the band and exemplifies the dynamism on display on the debut |
| 17 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
What Good Is My Virtue: Definitely wish this made the final tracklist somewhere. Shows the band playing around with a 6/4 feel which doesn’t happen too often, and they lean into the bounce magnificently despite this song sounding terrified for its life, understandably so once Fran slices his signature howl through and raises the hairs on my skin. |
| 16 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Chloroform Perfume: The first ballad in the discography greatly emphasizes the coldness of the debut’s landscape, initially evoking emptiness and desolation much more effectively than much of their ilk before building to a killer payoff in the outro. Showed that even in their softer moments they were down to take you on a journey |
| 15 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Travel: Wolf doesn’t ever really let its foot off the gas, but it also rarely goes full throttle tempo wise which makes “Travel” such a glorious shot of energy. One of the catchiest songs in their catalog, and one of the album’s best instances of cleaner verses being juxtaposed against a heavier chorus. |
| 14 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Cherry Kiss: A lot of this band’s most effective transitions between levels of intensity come from this gargantuan track which brings nearly every flavor of their debut album to the table in glorious fashion. |
| 13 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Recounts and Recollections: Once that goddamn intro riff slides in you know you’re in business, and it complements Fran’s vicious snarl perfectly. This is one of the most seamless displays of confidence between the 2007 3 piece incarnation of FATA who clawed their way to put this album out, with each member perfectly slotted into their economy. |
| 12 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
Milligram Smile: The Fiction We Live serves as more of a condensing and a tightening of Too Bad You’re Beautiful rather than an expansion of it, but this song integrates more of the debut’s hallmarks than a lot of the rest of the album, namely in the gorgeous acoustic outro that builds into the final chorus |
| 11 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Sensory Deprivation Adventure: While this whole song is amazing and emblematic of every hallmark that makes this album amazing, what really takes it up a level and distinguishes it further is its gorgeous bridge that dips into some of the most delicate and warm territory the album treads. Inject those shimmering manipulated guitar lines into my veins |
| 10 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
The Royal Crown vs Blue Duchess: Up with “.44 Caliber Love Letter” and “12/23/93” for the most exhilarating debut openers in the ecosystem, the band’s ridiculous vocal chemistry, blistering lead and drum work, and seamless fusion of dynamics are all at work to deliver a crushing set of breakdowns the rest of their discog would forever be compared to, only letting up for a brief gorgeous moment of respite in the middle before thrusting you back into the mayhem of the pit. |
| 9 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Daylight Slaving: The lyrical highlight of their discog arguably comes in the 2nd verse here with “If poverty builds character and spoils breed arrogance, I’d rather consort with the low and the decadent”. So far above the usual scene paygrade. Not to mention said verse sounds like the sunlight itself is spilling out of it behind one of the most stunning vocal passages Fran’s ever written. Otherwise, one of the hookiest tracks in their discog and a consensus darling for good reason. |
| 8 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
Alive Out of Habit: The lyrical highpoint of Fiction comes in a song about the gratitude of a near death experience and falling back into old patterns as that gratitude fades away. As a mf who totaled my car a month before seeing this song live y’all better believe this had me misty eyed as a mf |
| 7 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Underpass Tutorial: Fran’s vocals are absolutely goddamn maniacal here as he fucks shit up. His performance on this album is all around one of it’s strongest assets, often sounding like he’s legitimately losing his mind whenever he opens his mouth, and this is the most frantic he gets as he absolutely fucks shit up and takes no prisoners in the verses before dropping into a killer more linear hook. |
| 6 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Reflections: One of the most impressively paced songs in the FATAverse, “Reflections” does it all in spectacular fashion. What starts with one of the most elegantly composed acoustic lines in the genre ends with bone-crushing breakdowns complete with both vocalists losing their shit entirely. All timer scene heater |
| 5 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Delusions of Grandeur: The best example of Wolf balancing a sung verse with a screamed hook, Fran sears through the chorus like a heated knife after establishing a tuneful bouncy, mid-tempo template in the verses, and it’s one of the most exhilarating dances of contrast the band ever played. |
| 4 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful
Short Stories with Tragic Endings: The scope of this song is ridiculously wide, and the level of ambition it shows right off the bat is pretty jaw dropping. An immaculate 8 minute piece largely built around Melanie’s vocals but one that integrates her firmly within the FATA sound instead of just working within the acoustic economy like on “Autumn’s Monologue”. Her gorgeous voice and the strings complement the band’s jaggedness incredibly, and it stands as one of emocore’s most enthralling album closers |
| 3 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Deth Kult Social Club: One of the most exhilarating album openers I’ve ever heard, Fran wastes no time biting your goddamn head off and then parading your head around for all to see. |
| 2 | | From Autumn to Ashes
The Fiction We Live
The Second Wrong Makes You Right: Most overlooked song in their whole discog and the most thrilling display of vocal chemistry between Fran and Ben. Fran wails overtop the chorus yet utilizes himself in a way that serves basically as chords behind Ben going the fuck in with his best hook in their catalog. That’s not even mentioning the lead into the breakdown where Fran delivers his most searing screams pre Wolf, slicing the track open for Ben to deliver the killing blow overtop an onslaught of chugs. |
| 1 | | From Autumn to Ashes
Holding A Wolf By The Ears
Pioneers: Fairly agreeable number 1 but it’s hard to top this glorious intersection of the most meaningful lyrics in their catalog (sending themselves off on an anti-colonialist post hardcore anthem? fuck yeah) and one of the best hooks their genre has ever seen |
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