From Autumn to Leaving

[Jason Tate]

Ben Perri, frontman of From Autumn to Ashes (http://www.absolutepunk.net/fromautumntoashes), has left the band (http://blog.myspace.com/fromautumntoashes).

[btbam > you]

so much for fata. at least we got one good album out of them

[bitterhalo]

wow, that could explain why the last album sucked. i know fran can scream, i'm actually excited to hear this. hopefully they'll be able to put out a good record because i have lost almost all faith in them.

[tombo85]

so is he gonna drum and do all vocals.. that would be weird

[jake_rm]

so is he gonna drum and do all vocals.. that would be weird

did you even read it?

[love_american_style]

sucks....he was the burly, screaming guy right?

yeah. didnt see this coming.
/sarcasm.

[bitterhalo]

so is he gonna drum and do all vocals.. that would be weird

well if you had read it you would know they have a replacement drummer and he's gonna just sing, but he is capable of doing both, i mean, that's what he's been doing for the last 3 records.

[gladnads]

So I guess Ben will come to Nashville and open the bar he talked about, or just die off.

[tombo85]

they should just break up anyway because the drummers voice gets really annoying especially live

[weworemasks]

they should just break up anyway because the drummers voice gets really annoying especially live

agreed. i hate the fact that the last two records have featured more and more singing from him. their progression as a band has been one of the worst in my opinion. their first record was unbelievable, and somehow, abandon your friends is one of the worst CDs i have ever heard.

why don't they just break up? francis could just focus on that horrible biology side project, cause FATA really has nothing going for them now.

[bitterhalo]

he's not gonna be singing the whole time. he said they wrote 80% of the music for screaming. Don't count them out just yet.

[tombo85]

they have like one or two original members so its really not even FATA. Break up or change the band name

[Talib Scottie]

Whoa. That's nuts.

[mikeyx]

agreed. i hate the fact that the last two records have featured more and more singing from him. their progression as a band has been one of the worst in my opinion. their first record was unbelievable, and somehow, abandon your friends is one of the worst CDs i have ever heard.

why don't they just break up? francis could just focus on that horrible biology side project, cause FATA really has nothing going for them now.


Agreed, Too Bad You're Beautiful was an amazing record.

[GaryCondit]

they have like one or two original members so its really not even FATA. Break up or change the band name

Only one now to my knowledge...Fran.

[leary0315]

This should be interesting. I'll find out on the 27th at the Thursday holiday show.

[aloneatlastnj]

Only one now to my knowledge...Fran.

brian has been with them since the beginning as well

[aloneatlastnj]

This should be interesting. I'll find out on the 27th at the Thursday holiday show.

let us know how it is. from the pictures on the band's myspace, it seems like a pretty intense show

[.KillMoneen.]

so much for fata. at least we got one good album out of them


they wrote 3 good albums and im sure the fourth will be good. So your wrong.

[ACA]

TBYB owns.

Thursday Holiday Shows = bad luck, it seems.

-ACA

[love_american_style]

they wrote 3 good albums and im sure the fourth will be good. So your wrong.

good luck with agruing an opinion.

[ACA]

1) That wall of text was painful to read. Fucking MySpace. That font size and lack of paragraphs = killer, I had to import it into Notepad just to make it through.

2) I urge you all to read all that before commenting in this thread.

-ACA

[love_american_style]

2) I urge you all to read all that before commenting in this thread.

-ACA

blocked from myspace.

post it. please

[Roboman]

blocked from myspace.

post it. please

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.
Even though Ben obviously doesn't care about us or any of his fans I truly hope he finds happiness with whatever he plans on doing. Parts of him will be missed very much.

Thanks for the support,

Francis Mark

[GaryCondit]

brian has been with them since the beginning as well

I didn't think he was on the EP but I very well could be (and probably am) wrong.

You learn something new everyday.

[livethesounds]

its sad to say because this was one of the first harcore bands i ever listend to when in high school...but...
nobody gives a crap anymore.

[Kevin Kevins]

I stopped listening to them after TBYB, but I don't know, this record might be interesting.
Ill give them one more try once this comes out.

[houseofleaves]

i'm actually really looking forward to this. i thought Abandon Your Friends was a superb record. Let's see if we'll be disappointed or not by the next effort.

[Roboman]

Well....this is....interesting. At least it explains why Ben isn't on Abandon Your Friends very much. It's a shame, but I'm one of the few who will say that I am still looking forward to what they have coming up, as I have always enjoyed Fran's voice and am not stuck in a rigid mindset for how any band should sound.

[TheAtticusFinch]

i didnt even start listening to them unitl after Fiction came out, i always felt that all 3 records were pretty good so ill definately get the 4th. ill support any LI band out there

[love_american_style]

sucks

[oh!shit!fuck!]

haha about time.
i remember when they were good.
sad story by far the worst progression story of a band in recent history.

[starsonstrings]

you have to at the very least admire his honesty. he didn't say they were going to be the best theyve ever been. and he said theyre posting demos for you to decide for yourself. their very careers are now entirely based on whether you choose to give it a chance and listen or be a dick and write them off completely. theyre pressing forward and accepting change. most bands are fucked when they lose their lead singer/lyricist.

i can't wait to hear "yeah, i saw FATA back when they had Ben" in the general conversation of waiting in line at shows.

[rpk004]

it's sad news but it was bound to happen. Although I'm really only a fan of TBYB I'm really really excited to hear the new stuff.

Kind of far-stretched, but maybe they should pick up a new vocalist and keep Fran on drums, change the name or something like that. new vocalists almost never lead to anything prosperous though.

[love_american_style]

well....Ben sounds like quite the douche from Fran's side of the story

[ACA]

well....Ben sounds like quite the douche from Fran's side of the story

Yep.

I want to hear Ben's side.

-ACA

[love_american_style]

Yep.

I want to hear Ben's side.

-ACA

same here. thats why i added "from fran's side of the story." haha

[PomonaForEmpusa]

sucks.. he had a great scream.

Fran can do it though.. he's obviously a good lyricist if you've ever heard his Biology album.... too bad he can't drum anymore, he's phenomonal.

[xtbs7645x]

I personally think alll 3 of their cds are really good and to be honest i like frans screaming parts in the songs, so im excited to see how this sounds. Also sometimes bens vocals are a little too much, thats just my opinion though.

[jimboj917]

he could always join reggie

[atticus1492]

met that guy at warped tour. he was pretty cool. kinda weird.

[Matt_Dizzle]

dayum ben did them diiirty a few times huh.

[love_american_style]

indabutt

[Alex DiVincenzo]

Damn, that really sucks. I loved their first EP and full length. The second album was decent. The last one was okay. Now I love Fran, but I found myself skipping most of his songs on the AYF. Glad to hear that he's doing some screaming, but it won't be the same. I still look forward to hearing the new stuff though, as it may be just what they need to better themselves.

[animmortalsoul]

Okay, so my first FATA record was Abandon Your Friends, so I don't have much credibility here, but I thought it was a good cd. Hoping they put out a great next one.

[shoop]

Damn thats sad.. I wish the best of luck to FATA. They definately seem dedicated in what they do.. most bands seem like they'd just quit at this period. Good luck to them.

[Co and Ca]

I went to this thread on Punknews.org, holy balls they're fucking brutal! I hate that site though, yet I still visit it frequently. The users on this site handled the news more maturely. FATA is my favorite band in their genre. I cant wait to hear some new material from them.

[SmokieB.High]

weak

[radtyler23]

they should get a drummer so he can be lead.

im a little dissapointed, i saw them at warped tour in az, and it seemed as if everything was good.

[DreamOfUnity]

haha

[AdamTheGreat]

Damn..

[RiCCioLi]

First off I love how people post here with out even reading the blog. It cracks me up how u can voice an opinion on something that u don't even know the whole story on.

With that said, this situation sucks, but it could be worse. Ild rather see Ben go then Fran. I like Frans voice and screaming. AYF is a wonderful album and probably my second favorite of theirs. He shows so much emotion on cd and live. Biology is amazing too! But I am sad to see Ben go.

[Heart-A-Tact]

I liked TBYB and Abandon Your Friends, but I really didn't like Fiction. I'm not going to write them off just yet, though. I can tolerate Fran's voice, so we'll just have to see where they take their new sound.

[Toner]

I'm glad that there's finally some explanation to the lack of duel vocal work on Abandon Your Friends. It's definately going to be a different band without Ben, but this next release should make for a pretty interesting listen.

Anyone doubting Fran's ability to scream should check out 'Sugar Wolf' off Abandon Your Friends. If that song is anything to go by then we've got the possibility of a stunning record coming up...

The only thing I am dubious about is Fran's lyrical ability. I find most Biology songs unbearable at points because of his choice of lyrics.

[jerkstore20]

I didn't think he was on the EP but I very well could be (and probably am) wrong.

You learn something new everyday.

you're right, he's not technically an 'original' member. but he's on all the real, official releases, so whatever.

TRUE TIL DEATH.
Jason.

[againstthecoast]

i always thought it was really dick when ben would walk off stage at shows so whatever his name was could sing no trivia.

i can't see this being good.



and for the record, we got two good albums out of them

1. too bad youre beautiful
2. the fiction we live

[jerkstore20]

First off I love how people post here with out even reading the blog. It cracks me up how u can voice an opinion on something that u don't even know the whole story on.

With that said, this situation sucks, but it could be worse. Ild rather see Ben go then Fran. I like Frans voice and screaming. AYF is a wonderful album and probably my second favorite of theirs. He shows so much emotion on cd and live. Biology is amazing too! But I am sad to see Ben go.


i mean, realistically, Fran is the band. it was he and scott's brainchild. yeah, scott's gone, but i think without the distraction of drugs and having a band full of fuck-ups, Fran is perfectly capable of writing a great FATA record (with Brian and Josh's help, of course). for now, i'm going to continue looking forward to it and hope that it's the record that puts them back on the map and gets them the fanfare they sort of almost deserve.

TRUE TIL DEATH.
Jason.

[abusedcat]

I have faith in this.

[killerswells]

weak

weak sauce my friend, weak sauce indeed......

[knibl]

they should get a drummer so he can be lead.

im a little dissapointed, i saw them at warped tour in az, and it seemed as if everything was good.

if you read the entire post on his myspace, you probably wouldn't have to mention those two things as they are both addressed in his post.

im just saying, you should really read the post before you comment.

[loganmmm]

Should they just rename to band Biology?

[Doctor Martyr]

Fran has been a front man before and has been in the hardcore scene forever. He was the front man for Whose To Blame and he was awesome and that EP/Demo was really sick. Although the last album blew I am interest to hear what he could do though to be honest am alittle weary about it. But whatever, definately worth a listen.

[screamoutmyname]

strange time to leave the band... as they are finishing their album ?

[joe has a cat]

i saw FATA at the perth gig western australia on the 2nd december.
was kinda weird seeing fran coming out as lead singer but he deffiantly pulled it off.
one thing he did tho, he got pissed at the replacement drummer cause he went out of time so he put his hand on the symbol and gave him and assholish look haha.
im def amped for the new album, frans scream is pretty good aswell live.

[myworstmistakes]

ben sounds like a real douche.

[mybreakingpoint]

oh well, never cared for any of their stuff really. several of my friends have been into them at some point or another, i've just never found any attraction in them save a few songs when they only sang and didn't scream...those rare couple of songs were quite good actually, imo...i enjoyed those....oh well, rambling...

[You Won't Know]

I'm glad that there's finally some explanation to the lack of duel vocal work on Abandon Your Friends. It's definately going to be a different band without Ben, but this next release should make for a pretty interesting listen.

Anyone doubting Fran's ability to scream should check out 'Sugar Wolf' off Abandon Your Friends. If that song is anything to go by then we've got the possibility of a stunning record coming up...

The only thing I am dubious about is Fran's lyrical ability. I find most Biology songs unbearable at points because of his choice of lyrics.

I agree with all of these points. Fran can definately scream, in fact, I think he's a much better screamer than an actual singer. Listen to many of the breakdowns from Too Bad You're Beautiful... he has a brutal high pitched scream. Listening to this story, alot of things make sense, especially the lack of vocal interplay, as well as the mostly weak (and now it seems, rushed) lyrics.
I met Ben at Warped too, and he was cool as hell. He seemed completely psyched to do a new record. When I asked him why they had gotten less agressive compared to older stuff, he started talking about the ATV Offroad song the band was recording, and called it the best music they'd written in a long time. It seemed genuine, and there was no tension from what I could tell, the band was just chilling.
I just can't help but think there's some reason going on here, be it drugs, or something completely different - people who seemed so passionate usually don't just become so unreliable. I can't put my finger on it, but I agree with everyone that I want to hear what Ben has to say.
I will say this though, Ben was definately sober when I chatted with him, but it was not long after their set.

I think that this new record could actually be pretty damn good - but only if Fran steps up lyrically and vocally (the scream is already better in my mind). I hope all works out for them, because they all seemed like good people... I just wonder what the hell is going on in Ben's life.

[Rest_Easy]

i like drum and vocals. There used to be this band Lincoln Conspiracy that had a drummer, bassist and keyboardist. The drummer was the lead singer and was insanely good at both drums and vocals.

also, dave grohl did backup for nirvana and the backup singer guy in atreyu is the drummer (the one that actually has a good voice)

oh and yeah, the band was downhill so lets see what happens

[BenForTheMasses]

nobody knows how to spell.

[Blueskyburning]

this band sucked after tbyb