Review Summary: Two years ago if you would have told me From Autumn to Ashes would release an impressive, passionate, and honest record I would have called you a liar.
Over the years From Autumn to Ashes has changed quite a bit, both in terms of musical styles and in general progression. However, possibly the biggest change was when their old screamer left. Instead of sulking around in a corner, older drummer and main singer Francis Mark stepped up and lifted the curtain off of the last year of the band. The emotions present in some of his online blogs can simply not be faked. The frustration, the lying, and all of the controversy that he discussed would be enough to make most pack up their gear, run to the hills and call it a day. However, instead of quitting and following the 2007 trend, the group revealed that they already had a new record practically written and that Francis would be standing up from his drum throne and moving downstage taking the microphone with him. It certainly takes guts and was a bold move but it portrays From Autumn to Ashes in a manner never before seen or heard.
I’ll say the bland p word plenty of times throughout this review and for that I apologize but the first word to describe the album is progression; not as much for music itself but more so for the band and how they create and approach music. Things overall just sound a bit tighter than before and cohesively this is miles ahead of their previous work. In other words, their sound is now more convincing and solidly delivered then ever before. Guitar riffs and progressions sound finely tuned with one another, melodies sound inspired, and even their breakdowns have reached an all time high as they now represent intense climaxes of certain songs. In terms of the rhythm section, bass is audible a reasonable amount and holds things together nicely. Drums really do very little out of the ordinary but certainly come through with some strong and effective patterns and fills. Do you see the progression here? No? Good, because that is not progression as much as it is improvement.
Their progression comes thanks to Francis Marks. Yes, the man who has been verbally abused and called a whinny pussy, etc delivers a performance many dream of. Having the guts to step up like he did is impressive on its own, but his performance really overshadows the story. The lyrics are some of the most honest and well written I have come across recently in metalcore. Then again considering the recent situations the group has found themselves in motives are quite strong. His lyrics shine by themselves but when delivered vocally things reach a new emotional height. The power, urgency, and at times frustration expressed by Francis’ screams can really captivate listeners and comes across as an equally honest and impressive performance. Paired with his once more matured singing, the band establishes a new peak vocally. On top of all that, the blend of screaming and singing sounds more natural and fluent than ever. Overall the group has really nailed in how to intertwine their heavy core sound with a melodic edge and does so consistently without sounding forced and shoddy.
Holding A Wolf By The Ears is a record From Autumn to Ashes has been trying to create for plenty of years now. This is very evident as a result of the consistency and generally smooth flowing sound present throughout the record. The opening track in
“Deth Kult Social Club” wastes no time in getting right into things opening with a vicious screaming passage. The initial intensity in such lines as
“I know my hatred is perfect/for a culprit who deserves it” eventually leads to an incredibly melodic and inspired chorus as Francis’ superb lyrics
“Dead meat, against your broken bones/thrown in a ditch to die along” create an incredibly catchy but meaningful section. The theme of abandoned friends is certainly a potential theme for the opener.
“On The Offensive” keeps the album rolling with a furious pace and even introduces plenty of diverse sections. The riffs present here are extremely well performed, as it the breakdown which for the first time in the band’s career actually serves as an emotional climax as opposed to being tossed in for the sake of being heavy. The first single and closing track
“Pioneers” shows the band’s more melodic side, mainly in their riffing style and the constant vocal transitions. The lyrics here really excel,
“To all the pioneers, driven by suspicion/the old worlds gone and we keep wishing/for a new frontier to sink our teeth in/and forget you thought you believed in”. While intense and emotional, the real climax of the song occurs after the second chorus as merely drums and a soft clean melody play over Francis’ increasingly louder chanting of
“And those who resisted, were dragged out from their homes/this necklace was fashioned, out of their teeth and bones”. As he screams the last words the third time through the crescendo is complete and marks a perfect transition into the final chorus. Epic, inspirational, and brilliant all sum up
“Pioneers”. All three of these songs are examples of what the group has attempted in previous albums and have been only moderately successful at. Here the results are significantly improved due to increased passion and general improvement.
Now if you think
Holding A Wolf By The Ears is just From Autumn to Ashes improving upon their past sound you will have another thing coming. Certain tracks show a different side of the group as they often create some intriguing atmospheres. The fade in and moderately tapped intro of
“Daylight Savings” opens the somewhat dark sounding track. Melody wise the song has plenty going for it but does not sacrifice a second of heaviness. Once more a superbly delivered breakdown comes through with Francis frantically screaming
“You'd better have the strength of the wandering aimless/with an audience of the most prestigious/do you have to strain to love the one you came with?” In terms of atmosphere
“Everything I Need” creates an immense amount of suspense with its long and at times industrial reminiscent introduction. When it reaches the verse the pattern of the screaming over the guitars creates something extremely special as they just go together flawlessly. From there some of the record’s finest lyrics are revealed,
“We have no knowledge of cause and effect
Our fathers left behind the ugliest inheritance
Innocent victim it's every kid who has a wish
Oh God you're in for the greatest disappointment”.
Some interesting composition choices are chosen which keeps new sections coming. The final product is a consistently interesting song. The moderately tremolo picked riff during the bridge gives off a unique ambiance and the group wraps another impressive track. A rare bass intro opens
“Travel” before things turn into a brief riff fest. Francis opens the track with some great singing before turning to screaming during the prechorus. However, the real highlight of this one is the piano bridge as it comes out over some distorted guitars. The fact that they incorporated it over the main riff of the song and a solid rhythm section shows exactly how much they have improved as it really adds a dramatic end to the song without coming off as cheesy or forced. It’s a little something new for the band which hammers down exactly how much they have matured, improved and progressed.
Between creating some of their strongest tracks in their traditional mold and branching out and revealing new sides, From Autumn to Ashes does a large amount of things right on
Holding A Wolf By The Ears. They have managed to create an intelligent, long lasting, fast and fun, intense, catchy, melodic, and overall consistent record. Not bad for a band most labeled as an increasingly weakening metalcore band and, you know the minor detail that they just had their frontman walk out several months ago. In reality, Ben’s departure was quite possibly the best thing that happened to the band. The songs present here just seem so much more honest and heartfelt than before. The passion they are delivered with is noticeable from the first note and captivates listeners until the record comes to a close. Attention also stays at a peak thanks to an incredibly cohesive record. Tracks are varied for the most part and stand strongly as individual tracks. The fact that the group was finally able to create a complete record really highlights their maturity and improvement. To me this is the record of the band’s career and marks something completely new for them. No record previously released by From Autumn to Ashes has ever held my attention like this one has, thanks largely to the passion and truthfulness present, instrumentally, vocally, and especially lyrically. If a band has ever deserved a second chance it is From Autumn to Ashes and it is now. Believe in them and approach this with an open mind as
Holding A Wolf By The Ears elevates the group to an unexpected high.
Final Rating: 3.5/5
