From First To Last

Throne To The Wolves by From First To Last (Rise Records)

From First To Last has survived through member changes, tour misfortunes, as well as a brief tenure with a major label. Perseverance is the key here, and the band has unleashed what is easily their most compelling effort to date. Throne To The Wolves is an exhilarating collection of tunes, one that should impress their many fans all across the globe. Those who think they could even write off From First To Last after their exit from Suretone only need to know that their new home is Rise Records – an independent label which has become the talk of the town over the last few years thanks to releases from bands such as Drop Dead, Gorgeous and The Devil Wears Prada. Judging by what’s heard on Throne To The Wolves, this is a new beginning for a band more than ready to take on the challenges of a new tomorrow.

One listen to opening track Cashing Out, and you could clearly see that this band means business! Going Lohan has been leaked on their Myspace, and it’s certainly their strongest song to date – performed with impassioned vocals and some stellar guitar work. I’ll Inoculate The World With The Virus Of My Disillusionment is another top-notch track – catchy yet seriously aggressive.

You, Me and The Significant Other is dynamic in scope, and sure to become a crowd favorite when performed live. Be sure to stick around for the bitter end, as the triple threat M.O. / A Soft War / Now That You’re Gone provides a devastating and cathartic conclusion that is absolutely powerful.

The songs are infinitely heavy on Throne To The Wolves and there are moments of sheer lyrical rage spewing from the mouth of lead vocalist Matt Good – much of it focusing on the last few years of their tumultuous career. Good exudes so much unbridled conviction and magnetic charisma, that one wonders why they just didn’t let him be the vocalist from the very beginning. Good and fellow guitarist Blake Steiner supply the impressively technical guitar work while bassist Matthew Manning and drummer Derek Bloom are a tighter than hell rhythm section.

As some still lament back to the days of former vocalist Sonny Moore, this incarnation of From First To Last looks fearlessly look ahead to the future. Their Rise debut is a risky effort to be sure, but a brilliant work of introspective art that their fans (and maybe even detractors) are sure to appreciate tenfold. We all learn from the perils of the past, and From First To Last has presented an aural documentation indicating only great to come. Throne To The Wolves may be a bit heavy and over the top for some, but is a logical and necessary step for a band that continues to grow tremendously as musicians.

(Review by Kenneth Morton)

From First To Last on Myspace