From Autumn To Ashes

An example of a band that can impress or deflate like a blow up doll would have to be Long Island’s From Autumn to Ashes. Their fourth album, Holding a Wolf by the Ears, is the reincarnation of a band that never really found their groove. After their short run on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour, lead vocalist Benjamin Perri departed, leaving backup vocalist/drummer Francis Mark with big shoes to fill. Mark stepped it up (and down from the drum throne) and learned how to stomp some serious ass because FATA have returned with a CD overflowing with post-hardcore and screamo delicacies. These guys may not have invented the genre but they remember how to bring metal, screamo and prog rock together. "On the Offensive” attests to the fact that they still have a few breakdowns and winding guitar riffs left in them and is reminiscent of Hopesfall’s The Satellite Years. They exhibit more bloodlust on tracks like "Everything I Need,” which starts off in a thrash style with full force drumming before tempo shifting in the final seconds. In contrast, FATA have crafted songs like "Daylight Slaving” and "Travel” that carry pop-infused rhythms that crave mainstream attention. Holding a wolf by the ears is a sink or swim situation: taking the hit or doing the dirty work. FATA have fought against the current and returned to their beginnings of hard music and strong vocals.