A Magnum Opus of Emo: From First To Last's 'Heroine'

FROM FIRST TO LAST: HEROINE

SCORE: 100/100

The band's second and last album with Sonny Moore on clean, lead vocals with the addition of Wes Borland on bass, Heroine manages to be just as punchy as their debut - if not moreso to a degree, with strikingly emotional vocals that showcase artistic growth from Moore before he would go on to produce electronic music, and a consistency from the band that picks off right where Dear Diary left off.

This album almost feels more aggravated than Dear Diary does - with material that is even more personal and striking with songs about the problems in Moore's life that had followed him since he was even younger than he was already on this record. The songs are harsh and exceptionally sharp, with loud, distraught vocal performances and incredible instrumental work from every member of the band. This album has a lot more instrumental power than their previous effort (even though it is near impossible to compare), with this project branching out their sound into something even heavier with more solos and varied elements than their album prior had.

During the band's debut, Moore was not yet able to lay things out as much as he does on this album - with more metal influences and personal lyrics creating a much darker, more intense album - it's clear to see the troubled past and life that Moore lived, and he was grown artistically by tenfold with his ability to articulate and write about such potent topics like he had never done before; Dear Diary was the blueprint for what his writing would come to be, but this album is something exceptionally dark, moody, and heavy. It's less sorrow-laden and more angry throughout, and the band's best instrumental work resides here.

For Moore, being in the band meant vocal struggles that he would eventually have to get surgically repaired - part of his departure from the band and what cause the band to end their tour(s) short during the time period in which this album was released in. 

The focus on artistry and musicianship rather than appeal and highlighting expectations led to the band having a less chaotic and pressurized experience with writing the album despite the extended amount of time they spent on doing so, and the band wrote the material that they wanted to write without concerning themselves with what might have been expected of them. 

From a unique recording experience to a new producer, the band had a new and thrilling experience with recording the album, leading them into new territories that helped to amplify their sound by tenfold despite how good they had already been. 

There is truly no other emo record out there that sounds like this - and the ninth track even showcases a highly experimental form of electronic music that was highly stylized and inspired by the work of Aphex Twin. 

It's a warped, dark album that utilizes striking vocal performances, heavy tracks, and stunning instrumentals to create what could be considered the band's opus - and despite my soft spot for Dear Diary, this is an exceptional album that makes it hard to choose between their impossibly incredible two-album run before Moore left the band.