Album/EP

From Ashes To New - BLACKOUT (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Jul 23, 2023

7 min read

From Ashes To New - BLACKOUT
Released: July 28th, 2023

From Ashes To New Lineup:

Danny Case | Vocals
Matt Brandyberry | Rap and vocals
Lance Dowdle | Guitar and Bass
Mat Madiro | Drums

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In high school, the music I listened to most often was Eminem and Dr Dre. Until I left high school, I mostly just listened to what everyone else was listening to, and Eminem was a big deal at Rocky High in the early 2000s. I saved my tuckshop money to buy the Marshall Mathers LP and still know many of the words to the songs on the album. I was also super into EDM and went to several festivals like Parklife and good old Stezza (Stereosonic for the uninitiated). I think that's why I now lean so heavily into metalcore and heavy music that blends rap/hip hop and heavy elements.

Hailing from Pennsylvania, From Ashes To New are one such band that blends these elements, and I knew I had to get around their upcoming release BLACKOUT. It's giving I Prevail and Linkin Park (who the band cite as personal heroes), and it's giving rad!

https://youtu.be/rh1gQWwBp5Q

The first song ‘Heartache’ immediately makes me envision the ‘Lose Yourself’ film clip with the ominous building instruments. Matt Brandyberry raps about growing up in a rough place and not letting your past define you. This leads into the powerful, inspiring chorus where he and fellow vocalist Danny Case tell us they won't be broken. This song gets you pumped for the rest of the album and shows what the band is all about.

‘Nightmare’ draws us in with menacing synths and shows more of the band's electronic side. The lyrics talk about cutting toxic people out of your life to escape the nightmare they are inflicting on you, and the song's vibe fits this perfectly. It also includes a catchy, sing-along chorus and fantastic heavy breakdown.

https://youtu.be/iD7nQ_DledY

Things change a little on ‘Hate Me Too’ but not in a bad way. This song is a perfect example of one of my favourite song styles – heavy themes lyrically with a fun, catchy tune. The guitar from Lance Dowdle in this song stands out with a tiny bit of acoustic and fantastic riffs coming through. The contrast between the lyrics about the awful relationship, the bouncy, fun vibe and the anthemic chorus is perfect for the push-pull of being with someone you both love and hate. This song is fun and a fave of mine on the release.

‘Hope Your Happy’ stays with the toxic relationship themes, which is clear from the first lyrics "Should I sing you a happy song / with a noose around my neck / Apologise for bleeding / when you stab me in the back". After the bounciness of ‘Hate Me Too’, this song slows down a bit and conveys how stuck people can feel in bad situations. There is also an excellent, heavy breakdown in the middle.

Moving the story along is ‘Barely Breathing’, which talks about the pain of a relationship finally ending, even if the end was for the best. The verses have a more pop feel vocally, with the pre-chorus rap leading us into the soaring "Now you're leaving / I'm the one who's bleeding /cut out a piece of me and now I'm barely breathing." This song is where you'll hear FATN sounding the closest to Linkin Park with a cool ‘Numb’ type synth part throughout, excellent rap parts and a huge, emotive chorus. Another highlight of BLACKOUT.

The album continues this way – ‘Dead To Me' gets more metal and talks about never going back to the toxic person, ‘Monster In Me’ leans heavily into emo/SoundCloud rapper land, ‘Echoes’ is a slower, emotive ballad with a huge chorus and then we get to the massive single ‘Armageddon’ which talks about the shit state of the world.

https://youtu.be/LvqdZXEG5D4

Make sure you stick around for ‘Legacy’, which will be a very fun live track. It includes a fun pit-inducing heavy pre-chorus, a chorus that will surely make us want to wave our arms side to side and yet another fantastic breakdown. 'Until We Break' event features Memphis May Fire frontman Matty Mullins on collab duties, enhancing the track's already impressive display of musicianship, before wrapping up with 'Broke By Design', an obvious choice for the farewell track of the record.

All in all, this release is fantastic! It tells a story, tackles some heavy but incredibly relatable subject matter, shows versatility and is very fun. The band don't just lean on one influence; they ride through a few different styles while keeping the sound cohesive. They aren't just another rap/metal band; they carve their own spot, and while their influences are easy to guess – these guys aren't just a copy of them. They take those sounds and meld them into something of their own. There have been some lineup changes since their 2020, midst-pandemic album Panic, and it sounds like they are onto a winning formula. This new one is very worth a listen, and I hope I won't have to wait too long to head to a live show to see what these guys can do on stage because I have a feeling it'll be epic.