''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' is the debut studio album by

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

-based

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

band

From Autumn to Ashes From Autumn to Ashes is an American post-hardcore band based in Long Island, New York. The group formed in 2000 under the name Who's to Blame. While the band had gone through many lineup changes, the members include Francis Mark (lead vocals, ...

. The album is unique in that it features the dual vocals of Benjamin Perri and drummer Francis Mark. Perri provides the hardcore-esque shouts while Mark sings and occasionally contributes background screams. The album was reissued in 2005 with the ''Sin, Sorrow, and Sadness'' demo as bonus tracks at the end. A music video was released for the song 'The Royal Crown vs. Blue Duchess.'

Background and release

From Autumn to Ashes formed in 2000 with Benjamin Perri (vocals), Stephen Salvio (guitar), and

Francis Mark Francis Mark is an American drummer, singer, guitarist, songwriter and artist known as a member of the bands From Autumn to Ashes, Warship, Biology, and Tidal Arms. Mark currently resides in Detroit, Michigan. Before From Autumn To Ashes, he w ...

(drums, clean vocals). The band spent its first few months touring and would record the EP ''Sin, Sorrow and Sadness'', which would be released through

Tribunal Records Tribunal Records is a heavy metal and hardcore punk label that started in 1999. The label also has a subsidiary entitled Divebomb Records. Tribunal has hosted bands such as From the Shallows, Scarlet, and Century, while Divebomb hosts bands such ...

that same year. Following the EP's release, the band would appear on

Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...

over the summer. In early 2001, From Autumn to Ashes performed with Skycamefalling and Martyr AD, where Carl Severson, founder of

Ferret Music Ferret Music was an American independent record label turned Warner Music Group subsidiary, founded in 1996. The label is owned by metalcore band NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and based in West Windsor, New Jersey. Ferret recently started an ...

, was in attendance; the band would be signed to the label the following day. Around this time founding guitarist Stephen Salvio left the band and was replaced by Brian Denevee. Production of ''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' lasted from May 15 to 23 in 2001. The album was produced by the band and

Adam Dutkiewicz Adam Jonathan Dutkiewicz (born April 4, 1977) is an American musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist of the metalcore bands Killswitch Engage, Aftershock (band), Aftershock and Times of Grace (band), Times of Grace, as well as the ...

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...

at Zing Studios in

Westfield, Massachusetts Westfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled by Europeans in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield metrop ...

. Each song on ''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' is written about a relationship vocalist Benjamin Perri had. The album was released through Ferret Music on August 14, 2001. ''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' has sold over 100,000 units and remains one of Ferret's best-selling releases.

Track listing

Reception and legacy

''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' has received highly positive reviews since its release. The album is often considered to be one of the best metalcore albums ever released. '' Chronicles of Chaos'' reviewer Xander Hoose praised the band's ability to mix fast-paced

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

with slower, melodic moments. Hoose criticized drummer

's clean vocals noting his vocals were off-key at times and kept the album from being perfect. Lambgoat reviewer Mustapha Mond noted the band's ability to mix hardcore,

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

emo Emo () is a genre of rock music characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and from the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands ...

. Mond highlighted the songs "Cherry Kiss," "Capeside Rock," "Take Her to the Music Store," and "Reflections." Mond stated that "'The Royal Crown -vs.- Blue Duchess' took so many disparate elements, and yet somehow managed to keep a unified sound - it stayed one song the whole time. But over the course of 'Too Bad,' one cannot help but feel that too many things happen separately, and never quite gel." Mond concluded by calling ''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' one of the best albums of 2001, despite its flaws. In a 5/5 review, Punk News praised the album for its variety of musical styles and elements, from the hardcore of album opener "The Royal Crown vs. Blue Duchess" to the metal of "Cherry Kiss" to the acoustic emo of "Chloroform Perfume" and the

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

of "Mercury Rising." The review highlighted "Take Her to the Music Store" and "Reflections" as examples of how the band can quickly change tempo and song structure. The review called closing track "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" a masterpiece, praising the use of violins and Melanie Wells's performance. In 2020, Brooklyn Vegan included ''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' on its list of "15 albums that defined the 2000s post-hardcore boom."

Personnel

;From Autumn to Ashes * Benjamin Perri – screamed vocals *

– drums, clean vocals/additional screams * Scott Gross – guitar * Brian Deneeve – guitar, backing vocals (all tracks except for 11–14 on the reissue) * Mike Pilato – bass * Stephen Salvio – guitar (tracks 11–14 on the reissue) ;Additional personnel *

– producer, engineer, additional guitar, additional vocals on "Reflections" and "Short Stories with Tragic Endings," double bass on "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" * Melanie Wills – additional vocals on "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" * Victoria Pilato – violin on "Short Stories with Tragic Endings" * Alan Douches – mastering * Phillip Dwyer – artwork, design * Jessica Lynn Lastowski – photography

References

{{Authority control From Autumn to Ashes albums Ferret Music albums 2001 debut albums Albums produced by Adam Dutkiewicz