From Autumn To Ashes saw their stock rise unexpectedly in the past few years, as their debut album, "Too Bad You're Beautiful" became a tale of sleeper success, suddenly gaining acceptance from a staggering amount of indie fans and quickly giving the band an unexpected momentum towards being one of the scene's leaders. After a vigorous barrage of touring and a tumultuous label war that at one point found the band close to becoming Island's property but inevitably won by Vagrant Records, the quintet have returned with "The Fiction We Live", a follow-up with lofty expectations and the opportunity to be one of 2003's largest independent coups.

Much of the band's vitriolic aggression has been streamlined this time out, transforming searing metalcore into a dynamic emo/metal hybrid, and this evolution does extend an olive leaf towards new fans with a smoother, more accessible encapsulation of its varied themes. Benjamin Perri's savage screams which once sounded as though he were on the brink of insanity have now become more hardcore based, unveiling a thicker tough guy exterior that bludgeons the listener into submission rather than simply tear and claw at their eardrums. This change does take you by surprise, but he carries himself well behind the mic and allows his more aggressive nuances to reveal themselves. Perri virtually explodes with seething rage on the intimidating "The After Dinner Payback", an opener that intends to leave one crippled with it's vicious assault on your senses. Drummer Francis Mark controls the more emotive singing, and while he shows promise, the feeling of anguish and sorrow apparent on the last album seems to have been erased completely. With his renewed confidence,Mark has taken much of the vocal duties upon his own shoulders, resulting in a stronger presence but one devoid of the pure emotion that once gave the band it's identity. The two never quite click with one another on this outing, with the noteworthy exception of "The Second Wrong Makes You Feel Right", an outstanding emo/metal blast that benefits from the simplistic yet effective guitar riffs.

Producer GGGarth Richardson has outdone himself in drawing out the raw energy this band possesses and his production breathes life into even the stalest song within, imbuing the record with a ravenous, unquenchable thirst comprised of hard-hitting drums that tear at the skin; melodic guitar riffs that extend beyond the speakers and pierce one's soul; and relentless punk bass lines that demands attention. Perri's throaty bellowing feels all that much more intrusive, and while Mark's wails always feel on the verge of cracking, he catches this with vivid clarity. One True Thing's Melanie Willis makes her return engagement on "Autumns Monologue", a track that exposes her talents wonderfully, but feels out of place stuck in the middle of this blistering sensitivity and unfortunately pales in comparison to the gentle whimsy of "Short Stories With Tragic Endings". It is obvious that the band are impressed with her abilities, yet it is painfully clear how they are hoping to recapture the success of the past, and it is an unnecessary burden placed upon the album to somehow live up to it's predecessor. Such decisions are what stifle this from being the groups breakthrough release, hindering it from blooming into it's own entity and reducing it to only being a solid, if not underwhelming sequel to the groups full-length debut.

This is standard fare for the genre, melding raucous tough guy screams with emotive clean singing, metallic guitars colliding with delicate piano notes and brooding bass lines. From Autumn To Ashes have never been extremely original in crafting such a chaotic symphony of adrenalized passion, and as such there is nothing that truly stands out this time around. While the band have tinkered with the mechanics and have certainly worked on rectifying their weaknesses, not too mention matured as musicians, the fact still remains that very little on "The Fiction We Live" is fresh sounding. The material is basic, restructured metalcore adorned with the trappings of an emo band weighed down by formulaic lyrical designs inspired by unrequited love and heartbreak amongst other cliches. As a band, this is a step forward, as they do explore some atmospheric terrain and alter their musical whims to embody the fluctuations of aggression and sincerity; but much of this album leaves the listener wondering whether they just heard a batch of new songs or merely a chunk of reworked material from "Too Bad You're Beautiful". The groups affinity for emo continues to shine through, watering this album down considerably, and Mark's willowy vocalization is too thin to ever fully prove nourishing to those with a hunger for the style. The bleeding passion that was at the forefront of the band's sound has also seen a major drop-off this time around, and while they do bring forth a heavy blast with softer undertones, much of the music is missing the heart that was at one time the bands specialty. As it stands, this is a follow-up that documents a group confident in their sound and ready to move to the next level, but sadly lack the ideas necessary to take that courageous leap.