''Too Bad You're Beautiful'' is the debut studio album by Long Island-based post-hardcore band

From Autumn to Ashes From Autumn to Ashes is a 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 line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark (lead vocals, drums), S ...

. 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 From Autumn to Ashes is a post-hardcore band based in Long Island, New York (state), New York. The group formed in 2000 under the name Who's to Blame. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark (vocal ...

'' 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 Brooklyn, New York and plays with Tidal Arms. Before ...

(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 was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touri ...

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 NORA's vocalist, Carl Severson, and based in West Windsor, New Jersey. Ferret recently started an imprint called ...

, 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, recording engineer, songwriter, and music producer, best known as the lead guitarist and backup vocalist from Massachusetts metalcore bands Killswitch Engage, Aftershock, and ...

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel an ...

at Zing Studios in

Westfield, MA 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. '' 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 (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

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

. 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 refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

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 Scott Gross is an American musician, guitarist, composer, producer, audio engineer and writer known as a member of the band From Autumn To Ashes and owner and founder of Hit And Run Studios in Long Island, New York. Before From Autumn To Ashes he ...

– 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