From Autumn To Ashes - Holding A Wolf By The Ears

Stil (Spielzeit): Screamo/Metalcore (39:56)
Label/Vertrieb (VÖ): Vagrant / Rough Trade (05.04.07)
Bewertung: 7,5 - 8/ 10
Link: http://www.myspace.com/fromautumntoashes
Irgendwie fällt mir die Rezension dieses Albums schwer. Zum einem liegt es daran, dass ich ihr letztes Album "Abandon Your Friends" definitiv überbewertet habe. Es war zwar nicht schlecht, aber das Songwriting war absolutes Mittelmaß und Routine. Hab ich da leider nicht so gesehen – das Fansein kann einem manchmal die Ohren verkleistern. Durch diese Erfahrung hat sich zwar die Relevanz der Band für mich wieder relativiert, aber diesmal ist etwas anderes der Knackpunkt.
Denn Shouter Ben Perri hat die Band verlassen. Und anstatt die Rente einzureichen, steht nun Francis Mark am Mikro, der sonst hinter dem Schlagzeug saß und nur einen kleinen Teil der Vocals (vor allem die cleanen) beisteuerte. Kann er schreien? Ja, kann er – das hat man ja streckenweise auf den alten Platten mitbekommen. Jetzt ist er allerdings Vollzeit-Schreihals (und singt nach wie vor die Cleanparts) und obwohl er seine Sache erstaunlich gut macht, gibt es auf „Holding A Wolf By The Ears“ ein paar Momente, wo die Stimme ein wenig dünn ist und man sich das wuchtige Organ von Perri zurückwünscht. Aber ehrlich gesagt ist er an seiner Aufgabe gewachsen und legt einen ziemlich guten Job hin. Es ist halt nur schade, dass es keine dunklen Screams mehr gibt.
Die Probleme, die zum Ausstieg Perris geführt haben, sorgten aber glücklicherweise für Spannungen, die die Band wunderbar musikalisch umsetzen und somit ihr letztes Album ohne geringste Probleme überflügeln konnte. Das Songwriting hält sich endlich nicht mehr dogmatisch an klassische Songstrukturen (wenn es auch ein zweites „Too Bad You`re Beautiful“ wohl in der Form nicht noch einmal geben wird) und FATA sind wieder hungrig geworden. Der Name des Albums ist noch nicht einmal eine große Übertreibung – denn hier wird endlich wieder auf dem Vulkan getanzt. Ruhigere und heftige Parts wechseln sich wieder unvorhersehbarer ab und man hört der Band an, dass sie es sich wieder beweisen wollte – ab und zu gibt es wieder richtig schöne Ausbrüche. Die Songs sind einfach heftiger als die der letzten beiden Alben! Leider gibt es diesmal keinen „Klaviersong“, wenn auch das ein oder andere Mal das Tasteninstrument eingesetzt wurde. Aber ein so zerbrechlicher Song wie "Autumn's Monologue" ist hier leider nicht zu finden. So großartige Singalongs wie auf dem „The Fiction We Live“-Album leider auch nicht. Aber das ist auch nicht ganz so schlimm, denn dafür haben sie sich aus ihrem Winterschlaf erhoben und haben endlich wieder richtige Zähne, die auch beim Zurückblicken noch weh tun (im Gegensatz zu ihrem letzten Album). Somit haben sie auch endlich wieder Relevanz!
Ich persönlich hoffe, dass sie auf dem Weg weitermachen. Wenn sie das nämlich noch steigern können, könnten sie irgendwann mal wieder an den Härtegrad oder das geniale Chaos von „Too Bad You`re Beautiful“ heranreichen. Dafür, dass ich sie mittlerweile zu den etwas lahmeren Screamobands gestellt hatte, geht „Holding A Wolf By The Ears“ wieder verdammt gut ab und zeigt die Band in voller Kraft und ab und zu sogar ein klein wenig experimentierfreudig. Standart und Routine klingen jedenfalls definitiv anders. Falls das nächste Album wieder so eine Steigerung wie dieses hier ist, werde ich dann gerne wieder Fehler in meiner letzten Rezension einräumen.
Hier noch der MySpace-Blog der Band zum Weggang Perris und seine Antwort darauf:
Francis Mark / FATA: "There has obviously been a monumental change in From Autumn to Ashes and I am sorry for not explaining it sooner. I want to give you an accurate account of what happened but it is important that I do so without saying negative things about Ben or mentioning anything about his personal life. Even though he left this band in a most inconsiderate manner I will show him the courtesy that a "friend" of seven years deserves. It all started with an appropriately titled album, "Abandon Your Friends". As you know the members of FATA went up to a house in the Catskill mountains to write that record. We were up there for a total of three weeks and had been writing almost a song per day. By the end of the second week we had the music for ten songs finished but had not heard any vocals by Ben. It had appeared that he was writing a lot and he spent most of the nights alone in his bedroom. By the end of the third week we had the music done for fourteen songs and still no lyrics or vocals on any of them. When we asked Ben about this he assured us that there was nothing to worry about. He maintained that he was ready to go and he was just organizing the vocal parts in his head. On faith that lyrics were finished, we flew to Vancouver and entered the studio to begin tracking the music for the album. We finished the drum tracks, finished the bass tracks and were half way through the guitar tracks and still no lyrics had been presented to us. Ben kept telling us not to worry, that he was ready to go. Instead of admitting that he needed help he lied up until the moment that it was time to start tracking vocals and he had nothing useful written. At this point producer GGGarth Richardson handed me a pad and a pencil and said, "You had better start writing some lyrics or else we don't have an album here". It was one of the most stressful situations I have ever been in. Now you understand why there is not much vocal interplay between Ben and I on that record. We were barely speaking due to this incident. I sang half the songs myself and then gave him lyrics to sing on the other half of the songs and I went home frustrated. All things considered I think "Abandon Your Friends" turned out to be an interesting record but it was difficult to go on tour and support it. Even more difficult was trying to say something positive about it in interviews because the recording process was so tough and we didn't want Ben's failure to be public knowledge. This was a big contributing factor in the band taking a five month hiatus. 

Fast forward to the Vans Warped Tour. Vagrant records had their own stage this past summer and asked if we would come out and play. The offer sounded appealing and I think we all really missed playing together but the idea of taking on a two month, hot summer tour was kind of scary after having done nothing for five months. We played The Bamboozle fest in Jersey as a test run and it was amazing. It felt so good to be on stage together. So off we went on Warped Tour and every show was better than the day before it. At the end of the tour we came home inspired. It was the best we had ever played together. Our friendship was tighter than ever and we all knew that with this new found energy we could write a record that would destroy "Abandon Your Friends". It was the first week of September, 2006, when we started writing at a new rehearsal space in Brooklyn, New York. I would meet with Josh and Brian every afternoon and songs were pretty much writing themselves. It was really exciting, it felt like old times. Everything was perfect, except for one very important thing. Ben did not show up to a single practice. It was happening all over again. We had sketches for ten songs and Ben hadn't even heard them, let alone written any lyrics for them. I did receive an email from him in this time period saying that he was really excited about some of the new stuff he had written. I figured if he actually did write some decent lyrics that would be great, and I'd love to see them get put to use, but as a precaution I started writing lyrics for all of the songs so that I was prepared if we had a repeat of last time. 

September 18th, 2006, we head down to Baltimore for a week of pre-production (demo tracks) with producer/friend Brian McTernan. Ben did not come so I used the lyrics I had written and recorded some demo vocals for him. Believe me when i say that I really tried to hook him up. The demo vocals I put down were probably 80% screaming. We sent him the demo tracks and he seemed excited. We were set to begin recording on October 2nd. Everything was so relaxed. The music was more technical than our previous album but it was coming together effortlessly. At this point Ben was still in New York. We expected to start tracking vocals on Monday, the 23rd of October. Ben said he was ready and excited but on that Monday there was an excuse why he couldn't come down. "I can come on Tuesday", but that didn't happen either. We spoke on the phone tuesday night. Everything was good to go. He sounded happy. I booked him a bus ticket for Wednesday morning. Wednesday, the 25th, around 11 am we were getting ready to pick Ben up from the bus station when we received an email stating that he would not be coming. He turned his phone off so that we could not call him. In the middle of recording the best album of our career, and just two weeks before our tour of Australia with The Bled, Ben quite literally abandoned his friends. With the support of my friends/band, and the support of an amazing record label, I have stepped up to front this band. I tracked the vocals on the new record and we brought a touring drummer to Australia for my first shows as the singer for From Autumn to Ashes. I know a lot of you are skeptical about this and I don't want you to accept this change with blind faith. Most of you are probably wondering if I can scream. On December 13th our new album will be mastered and we will post some new songs, then you can decide for yourself if this change is for the better. I feel confident that you wont be disappointed. I truly hope Ben finds happiness with whatever he plans on doing. He will be missed very much."


Und die Antwort von Ben Perri: "Dear FATA Fans,

As I am sure you have read on the band Myspace, I have left the band. Everything you read was essentially true, just without the malice. I want to take this time to first off, thank you all for the amazing support you have shown me for the last seven years and to apologize for leaving so abruptly.

As you all know, we as human beings go through tough times. I had been going through a rough time ever since last summer. A few times I thought the band was done, when I was still all in, and somehow we kept on truckin'. I did it because I still loved what I was doing and loved playing for all of you.

Somewhere in between the end of this summer and a month ago, I lost the passion......the fire that kept me going for all these years. I did not want to continue doing this without it. I know that was part of the reason you have all stayed with FATA is that fire and that passion that I had. I loved helping you with my words and talking to you all at shows and just performing with these guys day in and day out. But, i am sure you know what it is like when the passion dies. It takes it's toll on you physically and mentally, and I did not want drag you down with me.

The way I left and the timing was all deplorable on my part. I take full responsibility for my actions and I am sorry, but if I didn't do what I felt was right for ME, I would be lost. For the first time in my life I acted selfishly....maybe to a fault, but I did it for ME.

I hope you all understand and continue to support the band through all of this. They have always risen above adversity and they will continue to do so.

You all mean the world to me and I would not trade the last seven years for all the money, sex and power in all the world.

Thank you to FATA and all the fans.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Perri"