From Autumn to Ashes
Too Bad You're Beautiful

THE REVIEW

For those who don't know them: grab a pen and paper and write down this name "From Autumn to Ashes." It might be familiar to some, while others may have read it as "FATA," but the essence is the same, it's still them. A 2001 album which calling it just an album would be offensive—rather, it's a MASTERPIECE. Sorry for those who disagree. In America, this "Too Bad You're Beautiful" achieved such huge success that a reissue was necessary... In Italy, they are known by a niche audience who appreciate this record as much as those who you all mere mortals call "albums of the year" or things like that.

Hardcore. Metal influences and an emo attitude. These are the ingredients that make up this concentrate of anger, sadness, and resentment. Masterfully channeled into music, into notes, and into words, sometimes screamed with an uncommon ferocity, other times sung almost like prayers. Consisting of ten tracks, the album starts strong with "Royal Crown Vs. Blue Duchess" and follows with a kiss by "Cherry Kiss." Then comes "Chloroform Perfume." A track sung almost entirely by the drummer, who has a very melodic voice. The duo "Mercury Rising" and "Capeside Rock" won't give you time to breathe. But right after these two ticking bombs comes "Take Her To The Music Store" with the intro sampled from the teen TV series Dawson's Creek. Certainly the most complex track of the album but, and there's a but, if you manage to listen to it properly, you'll fall in love immediately.

The album almost concludes with "The Switch," "Refliectios," and "Eulogy For An Angel," but in the last piece lies the album's strong point, the anthem for FATA fans, and the song that best describes their sound. It is called "Short Stories With Tragic Endings" (once again, a beautiful title). It lasts almost 10 minutes. And it lives between the fury of Benjamin Perri (the screamer), the melancholy of Francis Mark (the drummer), and the sweetness of Melanie, the singer from OneTrueThing who further enhances the contrast between anger and sadness that From Autumn to Ashes delivers in every note. Beautiful.