From the Ashes is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise.
Background and recording
Pennywise released their sixth studio album, Land of the Free?, in June 2001. The band promoted it with a short stint on the Warped Tour, a Midwestern tour of the United States, and shows in Australia and Japan until April 2002. After this, guitarist Fletcher Dragge spent three months writing material for their next album. In November 2002, it was reported that they had spent a few months in a studio, having completed 15 demos. In January 2003, the band began recording their next album; sessions continued into April 2003. Sessions were held at Stall #2 in Redondo Beach, California; Darian Rundall and the band produced the proceedings. Drummer Byron McMackin said 14 songs were recorded from a potential pool of over 30. They took a break from recording to play a benefit show in February 2003. The band took further time out when Dragge's father died; the album was eventually mixed in June 2003.
Composition and lyrics
Music and themes
AllMusic reviewer Johnny Loftus described the album's sound as punk rock and said it borrowed a "page from NOFX's War on Errorism, promoting an agenda of awareness amidst its fist-pumping, sun-drenched anthems". Stein Haukland of Ink 19 referred to the album has skate punk with elements of hardcore punk. Lollipop Magazine writer Ewan Wadharmi classified it as hard rock and compared the guitar riffs to the work of Bon Jovi and Thin Lizzy. He wrote that it explores the "political whistle-blowing of Land of the Free?" as the band attempt to "answer what to do in the aftermath".
The overall sound of From the Ashes recalled that of Pennywise's third studio album About Time (1995), while one reviewer referred to it as their "most fuming album" since their fourth studio effort Full Circle (1997), with the combination of "[s]ub-grindcore drums; chugging, circle-pit guitar; and Jim Lindberg's distinctive vocals, all velvet and venom". Larry Getlen of CityLink Magazine said the music was a "generation removed from that of the band's hardcore predecessors, with many of the drum fills and guitar licks owing more to metal than punk".
Dragge said the lyrics for From the Ashes were written as a reaction to Land of the Free?, which received a minor backlash from some people due to its political nature. He explained that following the September 11 attacks, "people were a little confused as to what Pennywise was about, because we had a lot of anti-government-type songs on that record, and people were feeling like they needed to be behind the government". As a result, they had a meeting and decided that they were going to write about what they "believe is true and what needs to be talked about and what we feel in our hearts".
Dragge said the album's title "symbolizes a type of starting over, and learning lessons from major events like 9/11". He attributed some of the "more heartfelt" lyrics to the band's state of mind following the September 11 attacks, and mentioned that the death of their former bassist Jason Thirsk was a "pretty profound moment" for them. The album's lyrics also covers the Bush administration's handling of the attacks, in addition to ideology beliefs, such as gun control, news media bias and government abuse.
Tracks
From the Ashes opens with "Now I Know", a skate punk song that deals with self-discovery. "God Save the USA" is critical of the US government and alludes to the work of the Sex Pistols. Lindberg said it dealt with the "government's refusal to protect our greatest natural resources". "Something to Change", another skate punk song, deals with boredom. "Salvation" recalled the work of the band's labelmates Bad Religion. The tempo of "Look Who You Are" evokes the band's earlier material. "Falling Down" sees Lindberg tackle the topic of ageing and hitting middle age.
"Holiday in the Sun" was the most reminiscent of the material on Land of the Free?. "This Is Only a Test" is bookended by acoustic intro and outro sections. PopMatters contributor Christine Klunk said the acoustic accompaniment "provides an appropriate beginning to a song that details the tendency of humans to build such walls of 'arrogance' around themselves". "Rise Up" is about being held responsible for one's own actions. "Yesterdays" is the slowest song on the album and incorporates a piano. The album concludes with "Judgement Day", a song that Klunk said warns listeners that the "world is no longer ours, that we've had our fun, and it's time to realize there are consequences for messing with the planet's equilibrium".