And all things do change...
"Young woman and young man,
forgive us if you can.
Abandon your best friends.
Demanding detriment.
Leaving your lover home waiting.
Putting much faith in her patience.
Don't fool yourself. It's not endless.
Phone calls are poor consolations.
We've abandoned our best friends..."
-- From Autumn To Ashes,
"Abandon Your Friends"
At the end of 2003, I was introduced to a band to which I spent a great deal of time listening in 2004, as they're musical themes summed up a lot of my own emotional variances. They quickly became one of my "favorite" bands, their powerful combination of emotion and aggression having impressed me a great deal. I'll admit they do fall under the "hardcore/screamo" genre, which is definitely not for everyone, but it works for me. ;) Their performance at last year's Vans Warped Tour was my reason for attending it finally, and I loved every bit of it.
So I managed to find From Autumn To Ashes' new album via bit torrent and coveted it rather soon thereafter, as it will not be "released" until Tuesday. After listening to it, however, I was taken aback by how different the guitar work sounded. Something was missing. The new album isn't bad. Actually, I really enjoy most of it, but it's just not the same sound with which I had become so enamored when I heard their other albums. Perhaps what I enjoyed so much before was their "progressive" sound, a constant changing that just kept the music moving with beautiful yet powerful, layered guitarwork. Even though the new album still maintains that feel in a couple songs, many of the songs seem quite a bit more "accessible" or "radio friendly", which I definitely wasn't expecting from them.
After a bit of research, I finally uncovered a sad bit of news for me. I found an interview with one of their vocalists where he states that the first two albums were primarily written by their old guitarist, Scott Gross, with the rest of the band adding their own changes afterward. He also states that any lyrical themes that might have come across were a part of the old guitarist telling a particular story with the music. Unfortunately, Scott Gross left From Autumn To Ashes in early 2004, having decided officially to "pursue other interests". Another report said he left to "deal with personal issues". As I can definitely understand the reasons for this, it remains sad that the previous thematic driving force of the band will no longer continue. He will be missed.