From First To Last Biography
"Kill the lights!" a growling throat commands just seconds into From First To Last's monumental debut Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Bodycount. And it's in this darkness that FFTL's magnetic amalgam of influences like hardcore, rock & roll, blood curdling metal and punk fuckin' rock takes on a life all its own.
Gripping, powerful, cathartic and alluring, this Los Angeles (by way of Gainesville, Florida) quintet shapes the future of music on its Epitaph debut. Just check the unique, steadfast roar of "The One Armed Boxer vs. The Flying Guillotine," which keeps pace with the screamo movement while incorporating the atmospheric spirit of U2's Boy and the guttural bark of vintage Madball. Moments onward, FFTL throws another curveball with the riveting, evocative, "I Liked You Better Before You Were Naked On The Internet." Here, Sonny Moore's vocals are as heartfelt and immediate as his bandmates' execution is intricate and damn near invincible.
From First To Last's explosive approach on Dear Diary is a natural extension of their live initiative, and at the core if it all is an unorthodox credo. "We believe in head banging like there's no tomorrow and playing until you puke," drummer Derek Bloom asserts of the group's ferocity. "We started out wanting to put out live like we always thought bands should."
With two broken arms, a couple of concussions and numerous head wounds to their credit, the men of FFTL - also known for guitar mutilation and getting vertical - have met and surpassed said goals with flying colors. And as red as their concert displays have been, the L.A.-based troupe's newest studio pursuits have been just as ambitious.
Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Bodycount is an exercise in variety, from the unflinching power of "Featuring Some Of Your Favorite Words" - replete with thumping rhythms and angular riffs - to "Emily," a sadly gorgeous acoustic ode to long distance heartbreak.
"We want you to feel like you're watching the wrong band but listening to the right music," guitarist Travis Richter explains. His group's ability to juxtapose chaos and control is all the more impressive considering they have just one EP under their belts, 2003's acclaimed Aesthetic.
Recorded for New York micro-indie Four Leaf Recordings in the months before Moore and bassist Jon Weisberg signed on, the disc earned From First To Last - who had already shared the stage with the likes of From Autumn To Ashes, Cave In, All American Rejects, Tsunami Bomb, Glasseater and Senses Fail - the attention of Epitaph.
Oft-times reckless yet inexplicably refined, Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Bodycount is a passionate, gut-wrenching debut disc. As you reach for the light switch and bear witness to shards of glass, bits of shrapnel and pieces of splintered wood, remember this is only the beginning. From First To Last has no plan for slowing down.
Popular Biographies:
Zero ohms Biography: Richard Roberts is a writer, painter, musician, teacher, and producer. He follows a philosophy that he calls "the Tao of Zero Ohms." That translates literally to "way of no resistance." From...
Rooney Biography: The '80s-pop inspired group Rooney is comprised of Robert Carmine (vocals/guitar), Taylor Locke (guitar), Matt Winter (bass), Louie Stephens (keyboards), and Ned Brower (drums). They began honing...
Erreway Biography: Argentinean pop quartet Erreway (R Way) were introduced to South American youth audiences as the four protagonists on the popular TV series Rebelde Way. Luisiana Lopilato, Camila Bordonaba, Benjamin...
Twelve girls band Biography: It wasn't the like-minded, classical-meets-pop band Bond that gave Wang Xiao-Jing the idea for Twelve Girls Band, it was Chinese numerology according to the man himself. When the "father of Chinese...
Nasio Biography: An exciting, persistent singer from Dominica whose story should inspire anyone who wants to be a recording artist. Nasio financed his first recording, produced, financed, promoted,...
Omarion Biography: There's no doubting the ripple effect caused by the phenomenal success stories of newly-minted solo chart-toppers, like Beyonce and Justin. Next up to the plate is Omarion, who is primed to make his...
Cappadonna Biography: Cappadonna (b. circa 1969) was one of the last members to join the Wu-Tang Clan. He had known the members since grade school in Staten Island, and he had even decided at the age of 15 that he could...
Kings of leon Biography: The southern rock outfit Kings of Leon is comprised of the brothers Caleb (guitar), Nathan (drums), and Jared Followill (bass). While traveling across America's heartland during the late '80s and...