From First to Last

From First to Last: Throne to the WolvesThrone to the Wolves (2010)
Rise Records

Reviewer Rating: 2

Contributed by: Dante3000Rich
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on March 30th 2010From First to Last have had an interesting history. From touring with a member of Limp Bizkit, to signing to a major label, getting dropped then signing again, only to release an album that was recorded twice and even going through a volley of different singers. Even with all that knowledge in my br.

From First to Last have had an interesting history. From touring with a member of Limp Bizkit, to signing to a major label, getting dropped then signing again, only to release an album that was recorded twice and even going through a volley of different singers. Even with all that knowledge in my brain, I wouldn't consider myself familiar with their music at all. This made it a somewhat daunting task when I considered reviewing their new album, Throne to the Wolves, but after realizing the band has basically reinvented themselves over the years I felt that now would be the perfect time to really discover From First to Last. This is my invitation to join me, as together we uncover the mystery of this band and their music.

"Cashing Out": The intro is reminiscent of In Flames. The production is super slick, right down to the vocal effects and the electronic samples. Something about it makes the drums sound downright programmed. Lots of screaming and nasally singing from vocalist/guitarist Matt Good.

"Chyaaaaaa!": I didn't know this was its own song. It sounded like the sick breakdown from the track before.

"Elvis Said Ambition Is a Dream With a V8 Engine": "I'd rather be a starving artist than a wealthy critic." Hey buddy, you sent me your album, not the other way around. The song highlights a dislike of bitter and jaded critics, but offers no better alternatives or explanations for why their lifestyle choice is any better.

"G.R.I.T.S.": The drumbeats and guitar riffs just seem to strike me the same as the previous tracks. Lyrically, it sounds like a high school band singing about leaving town and breaking up with your first girlfriend.

"Going Lohan": I'm glad they tackled the edgy issue of hating America's celebrity culture. While the song has some sweet guitar solos, the growl/scream and the repetitive beat makes it unbearable.

"I'll Inoculate the World with the Virus of My Disillusionment": This song lives and dies by the vocals--the group singing is fun, the screaming and vocal distortion is overused.

"You, Me, And the Significant Other": A screamo song about being hurt by a girl, that starts out soft, then progresses to angry screams. No surprise.

"The He Man Woman Haters Club": Same as the previous track but this time the singer is surrounded by a sea of worthless women, or "fame whores" as he calls them. Also, features an electric beat similar to an Orgy track at the opening.

"M.O.": At this point I'm pretty sure all the songs are bleeding together in my mind. I swear I've heard this.

"A Soft War": Hey-o! Someone invited T-Pain to the party. Much like Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak, this electro-driven, vocal-affected track is an unexpected, if uninteresting and unenjoyable, departure from the norm.

"Now That You're Gone": The album ends like it starts. At this point, it's all a jumble of nasally vocals, repetitive drum tracks, guitar riffs, screams and vocal effects, just in different measure.

With a new label and claiming complete freedom from the major label system From First to Last had a chance to truly prove themselves as artists and not just fashion-focused screamo. However, the only thing that comes across is they know how to produce a slick album and have technical, though uninteresting, guitarists. The subject matter is mundane and covered so poorly that more than once I found myself asking, "Did an adult really write this?" The album doesn't come across as angry as much as it does frustrated. Issues are taken from simple perspectives and no insight is given nor lessons learned. It's just, "I'm surrounded by whores, well, any port in a storm," or "celebrities are stupid and want fame but then cry about it." There's literally nothing to be gained by actually paying attention to the album, at all. Throne to the Wolves is like a white Styrofoam box, clean, smooth and well-produced, but artificial-feeling and incredibly boring.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

ren_saiyuri (August 12, 2010)

Oh, and one more thing, this dude like's Brokencyde? Really? Seriously?
Absolutepunk.net describes the album he has listed as his favorites: "There were more times than I could count in the duration of BC13 where I was convinced that this album, this band is one big joke that simultaneously spoofs two notoriously ailing genres. With lines like, "Girl you make my pee pee hard" and "If you want me baby feel me in/Cause I don't waste my time with lesbians" -- it all has to be a joke, right? Right?"
Same reviewer: "Brokencyde is simply an embarrassing gauge of where we are as a society, a disgusting joke, a capitalization on pubescent desires and our oversight for such stale bullshit gaining unreasonable notoriety."
"crusaderreviews.blogspot.com": 'The song (Freaxx) is the closest thing to an audio holocaust as there ever will be, it is literally indescribable like watching a thousand puppies burn – but I will attempt to do so for your benefit.'
That's three. I'll just stick with that. Go ahead, call me an FFTL fan boy. I lul'd the last time someone did. But here's my point: "The fact that this reviewer alone has such a shitty band's album on his list of favorite albums and has the balls to even still be on the sites staff is nothing short of a joke on a level that either rivals or matches that which Brokencyde has turned itself and the music it tries to produce into.
And with that, a nice fuck you but have a great day. :D

ren_saiyuri (August 12, 2010)

I've been a fan of FFTL since shortly after they came out with their EP in 2003. Probably about 3 or 4 months after that. Sonny Moore was great, personally I think he made a horrible move leaving FFTL to pursue Electronica. Case in point, has anyone even heard anything of him outside of whatever close knit community he's managed to gather? Or maybe that's exactly what he wanted, who knows? Straight up, in my opinion this reviewer needs to get his head out of his ass. Granted, he admitted that after the countless line-up changes with the loss of Sonny and then the loss of Travis who picked up the entire concept after Sonny left he was unfamiliar with the band. I agree with that much. If you contrast "My Teenage Angst Has a Body Count" and "Heroine" as one era (naturally) and their self-titled album with Travis at the helm, then the loss of Travis to round out the (quite literal) game of musical chairs, your left with a lot of confusion. I really do hate when reviewers refer to an album as artificial, because that in and of itself sounds quite artificial. What exactly is that supposed to entail? It may sound artificial but is it really? I'd love to know what kind of conversation this dude had with Matt or anyone else that was part of the production process that would lead him to believe that there is anything artificial about it. Do note, that I'm not ragging on the guys job. He reviews albums for a website, his job description requires that he give an opinion. What I am saying is that I know myself and others like me listen to the music because they appreciate the band and the sound. Making something made to entertain out to be something clinical is kind of like putting together two magnets of the same polarity. Nothing clicks. FFTL was brought together to do exactly what this album did, which has heavy drums and guitars with bass strong enough to blow out your cars windows if you wanted to. And again, that's what they did. And with that, /rant.

istapledmyfoot (April 7, 2010)

"I back this, but only the old stuff like Diadem of 12 Stars. The new shit sounds like Evanescence."

ha! Troll detected, but just in case I'm wrong: There is that one female vocal section on two hunters, I can only imagine that's what you're referring to. Though I guess the woman has a similarly deep and full delivery, the music sounds nothing like evanescence.. that's actually one of my favorite parts of the album.

TD99 (April 1, 2010)

Kids listen to this garbage because Hot Topic tells them to.

blackwavearcade (April 1, 2010)

Even for bad "screamo by numbers" this band is shit and this record is just backs that up

Not a terrible review but I'd seriously consider avoiding a song by song breakdown in the future. After the first two I skipped to the wrap up paragraph.
A reviewer really has to be able to write in order to successfully capture and keep the readers attention through a song by song description. many try, few succeed.

mattramone (April 1, 2010)

Why do kids even listen to this shit?

conduit (March 31, 2010)

"Everyone should just listen to Wolves in the Throne Room instead..."

"I back this, but only the old stuff like Diadem of 12 Stars. The new shit sounds like Evanescence."

Music should be a moot point for you anyways, because apparently you are fucking deaf.

thepopeofchili-town (March 30, 2010)

"Everyone should just listen to Wolves in the Throne Room instead..."

I back this, but only the old stuff like Diadem of 12 Stars. The new shit sounds like Evanescence.

randalla (March 30, 2010)

Heroine was a good album. Thats about it for this band. Sonny Moore, although still nasally and annoying, was at least interesting and seemed authentic. Matt Goode sucks mega balls and all of the bands originality seemed to go right out the window when Sonny left.

Havn't heard this album... don't really plan on listening to it either.

Deadpan (March 30, 2010)

Ah, casual misogyny. You really are the secret ingredient.

RedElephant (March 30, 2010)

thats gotta be some of the worst cover art i've ever seen.

R3vengeTherapy (March 30, 2010)

I have a pretty good idea of what I would find to be the most offensive, terrible, and downright irritating record of all-time...and this review is telling me that someone has attempted to bring that to life. This review reads like a checklist of things I never need to hear.

istapledmyfoot (March 30, 2010)

Everyone should just listen to Wolves in the Throne Room instead...

brangelina (March 30, 2010)

Also Coody is stoked.

brangelina (March 30, 2010)

I knew you loved Orgy.

Cos (March 30, 2010)

If you ain't first, you're last! Eat it, 14!

thepopeofchili-town (March 30, 2010)

Had the displeasure of hearing this entire album at a party a coupe weeks back. I think two stars is too generous.

preston (March 30, 2010)

Wolves in the Throne Room?