10 Years Later: From First To Last’s ‘Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count’

On June 29, 2004, it was summer vacation for me. In just a couple of months my friends and I would be moving on to be sophomores in high school. At the time screamo/emo was growing into “mainstream” popularity. At the time I was into metal and punk. That did not last too long and I eventually found myself listening to screamo. The bands in this scene that released albums over the next few years laid the groundwork for similar artists to rise and become popular in the genres that we see today.

I don’t remember how I first learned about From First To Last, but I am pretty certain the information came from one of my friends. They were one of the bands to emerge and steal the spotlight for a few years in the early 2000s. While only really committed fans knew about their EP before they became popular, it’s their debut full-length Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count that really caught people’s attention. It’s was chock full of exactly what you would expect – angsty, hormone-driven songs. A type of music that would draw in hordes of screaming teenage fans.

For a little while, their vocalist Sonny Moore (new to the band at that time), was every scene girl’s wet dream. Just look at that baby face.

Such squeezable cheeks

Such squeezable cheeks

Considering that screamo isn’t much of a thing anymore, and being a scene kid has fallen out of favor to wearing tanktops and snapbacks, it’s safe to say that at the very least, elements of what made this album awesome stopped being “cool” a while ago. It’s likely that younger fans of the post hardcore scene today wouldn’t be into the album. Even fans of the band now might not be as into it as they once were. It was a trendy album that came out during a period of time where a specific style was sought after.

With that being said though, bands like From First To Last and Underoath helped open the door for similar groups to become successful down the road like Drop Dead, Gorgeous, Greeley Estates, Alesana and more. Many of these bands are still together and making music, though they have changed their sound over the years as certain sub-genres have fallen out of style.

“Note To Self” and “Ride The Wings Of Pestilence” were the two singles to come from the album. They were huge hits, and honestly the songs are still pretty enjoyable to listen to today. They are a little cheesy, and at least one of them is pretty dark, but otherwise the lyrics in them are some that are still relatable today (except for “Ride The Wings” I hope), though probably more so if you just got your heart broken by your 15-year-old girlfriend.

Regardless of trends, there are some legitimately good songs on the album. Are they timeless? No. Are they fun to listen to? Yes. The music scene has become so over-saturated with so many bands trying to sound “different” but end up mostly sounding the same. There is nothing out there that sounds like Dear Diary though. The band made something that was unique back then, and it’s managed to stay as such ten years later.

“Screamo” is not a term that is really used anymore, and this form of emo has morphed into genres like metalcore and post hardcore. Most bands who would have been considered emo 10 years ago have changed their sound to to be more like one of the aforementioned genres or something else along those lines. Dear Diary hasn’t really stood the test of time in the same way that other albums in similar genres have that came out around the same time. While there are plenty of fans who are passionate about FFTL, the album is really only relatable to those who are in the throws of being a teenager. There are plenty of songs that are still incredibly enjoyable tracks to listen to (I personally have “Note To Self” and “Ride The Wings” on a playlist I listen to regularly) but songs like “Emily” are just too sappy for anyone above the age of 16.


Editorial written by Kriston McConnell
Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has A Body Count turned 10 yesterday, June 29.

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