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The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy


4.5
superb

Review

by Happymeal USER (8 Reviews)
January 14th, 2005 | 243 replies


Release Date: 2003 | Tracklist


*TFoT is a bit hard to classify, but melodic metalcore/indie punk is probably the closest I can describe it

The Fall Of Troy are
Thomas Erak: Guitar/Vocals
Tim Ward: Bass/Backup Vocals
Andrew Forsman: Drums

The Fall Of Troy are a relatively new and unknown band in the hardcore/metalcore genre, but I can safely say they are one of the most talented and original in their league.

In essence they're a metalcore band, but they're sound is far from the usual. They mix in some grind, solos, progressive elements and that reminiscent indie punk sound, with a LOT of singing parts, making them strangely yet beautifully melodic.

The closest band that sounds like them is probably At The Drive-In, only a lot faster and louder, minus the uber weird lyrics. Don't get me wrong. Thomas Erak is no Omar Rodriguez nor Tim Ward another Cedric Bixler, but they manage to grasp that unique ATDi indie punk sound at the same time being fresh and original.

The Rush-stlye lineup is very impressive, Andrew Forsman keeps up with the other two with a semi-grind style of drumming in most songs, varies his lines every now and then to keep you sucked in. Tim Ward does all the bass and vocal stuff, which he is very versatile in. His solid screams suddenly shifts to singing mode, without much of an effort. The transition is very well done, being intense in one moment and smooth in the next. I guess the best of the three is Thomas Erak. He is just plain f*cking tight. It's his well calculated solos and riffs that make them so diverse in the genre department. His lines aren't that complicated, but they really complement in the subtlety of their songs(think Mike Einziger).

Sorry if the review's a bit biased, they're my favorite right now and I hope I can get many people into them. This is my first review too, so comments are very much appreciated.

Track by Track:
1. Rockstar Nailbomb (2:02) - Starts off with 4 drumstick taps, and Tim's intense screams joins the barrage. A great album opener, this song is very fast, thanks to Thomas' lightning-fast riffs. A good introduction but not yet all that TFoT has to offer. 4/5

2. Spartacus (1:15) - This song is a mix of short melodic and aggressive bursts, the screech near the end is a bit creepy. This track is more like a filler song than anything else, but still good. 3/5

3. The Circus That Brought Us Back To These Nights(Yo Chocola) (3:09) - Ahh.. the first highlight of the album. The ATDi sound kicks in, sort of tribal/native drums in some parts. It has some of that emo quality too(good or bad, depending on your taste). Screams are a bit more desperate than intense. I like it very much 5/5

4. Mouths Like Sidewinder Missiles (3:51) - A very start-stop track. He screams fast, then sings. Very very nice. The singing only lasts for a while, then instruments take command until the end. Guitar stands out as usual. If you like a bit of jamming, this one is perfect. 5/5

5. The Last March Of The Ents (2:59) - Another one of those of those brash, distortion filled openings. This is one of the louder, faster tracks in the album. Still good. "'Father please come home!' But what she doesn't know yet, DADDY'S AS GOOD AS DEAD!!!". Very amusing. 4/5

6. F.C.P.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P. (4:40) - This is probably the most melodic and accesible song in here. Guitars aren't distorted that much, with Tim singing in the majority of the song. Sort of formulaic, it's bit far sounding from the others. If there was a single off this album, this would be it. 4/5

7. Whacko Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones (4:51) - Faint drumming in the background, then everything else comes in. Still a very good song, but it sounds kinda like a random mix of everything else on the album. The part near the end is great though, very turbulent, the screams are very much like Jacob Bannon's. 4/5

8. Reassurance Rests In The Sea (3:58) - My favorite track. A loud track, at the same time very melodic. Thomas really rips out his skills throughout the song, just fantastic. It has a very catchy chorus too. Solos dominate the bridge, soft at first then things get interesting. F*ckin' A!! 5/5

9. The Adventures Of Allan Gordon (4:06) - i find this one to be a bit boring compared to the other great songs. Same ideas and lines are somewhat recycled here. I wouldn't say it's a failure, but it's the weakest song on the album, IMO. 2.5/5

10. I Just Got This Symphony Goin' (4:14) - Wow, insanely catchy intro leads to.. insanely catchy verse and insanely catchy chorus. The energy goes up again by a few notches. Another good song to get into The Fall Of Troy. You won't get tired of it easily. "SCREAM OUT MY NAME!!!" 4/5

11. What Sound Does A Mastodon Make? (7:12) - The big mo' fo' finale, sums up most of the album, but manages to stand out from the rest, sort of an epic. Very proggy here, even funny female vocals come in a part. This is one of my favorites too, a lot of variety here. The guitar absolutely shines. The best track, TFoT pulls out all the stops here, everything is just topnotch, there are no signs of them getting tired. Soft strumming concludes it.

CONS:
If you're a "..but I want to hear what the hell he's talking about!" kinda guy, you probably won't like the vocals that much. The bass gets a bit overshadowed by the other two instruments most of the time, but it very much contributes to the heaviness of the tracks. Some songs end up sounding the same too, which is ok, but a softer track to take some breaks would be nice.

..But overall, I don't have much to complain about. The Fall Of Troy definitely has something to offer to everyone, their sound is not entirely groundbreakingly new, but it's a welcome breath of fresh air in an era of bands sounding the same. Top it all off with one hell of a DIY production, and you have yourselves a winner ladies and gentlemen.

4.5/5



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Comments:Add a Comment 
cbmartinez
September 11th 2004


2525 Comments


Nice review. You talk about these guys alot so I guess I'll check them out.

Happymeal
September 11th 2004


330 Comments


Thanks. Yes, I'm very infatuated with them right now. Hope you like 'em too.

Darknessca
September 11th 2004


34 Comments


They are great! Not a bad review....I like this band. Their new demo is really good. I suggest people check out the songs Ghostship Part 4 and Macauly Culkin from their 4 song demo. THe songs are longer and, in my opinion, better.

Happymeal
September 11th 2004


330 Comments


I've been trying to look for the demo on slsk, but I can't find it.. Ghostship Part 4 is awesome. Yes, I think it is an improvement over the songs on this. Tim screams and sings even better on that song.

Happymeal
September 12th 2004


330 Comments


bumppppers

no one else want to check them out??

pixiesfanyo
September 12th 2004


1223 Comments


I've checked them out. They are decent. Not incredible, but fun to listen to on ocassion.

3.4/5

The Raz
September 12th 2004


8 Comments


Rockstar Nailbomb is a sweet song. These guys are pretty sweet. Nice review, too

Happymeal
September 12th 2004


330 Comments


[QUOTE=pixiesfanyo]I've checked them out. They are decent. Not incredible, but fun to listen to on ocassion.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, not for everyone really. I don't expect alt/indie folks(or people who don't listen to this kind of music that often in general) to dig them as much as I do.


[QUOTE=The Raz]Rockstar Nailbomb is a sweet song. These guys are pretty sweet. Nice review, too[/QUOTE]

Yepyep! Actually the first song I liked was Ghosthip Part Four, which isn't on the album. I downloaded the other songs as I doubt I'll find a cd anywhere here..

To make it easier for you guys, they have a page on purevolume. www.purevolume.com/thefalloftroy

pixiesfanyo
September 12th 2004


1223 Comments


hehe. I like grindcore alot also. So it's not really there sound that bothers me. Just they don't seem that interesting to me.

Happymeal
September 12th 2004


330 Comments


Well, to each his own. Haha, I still love promoting them.

204409
Emeritus
September 12th 2004


3998 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This band is so amazing. Thanks again for introducing them to me.

Tomahawk
September 12th 2004


124 Comments


OK I checked these guys out. I got "Ghostship part 4" and "Rockstar Nailbomb". They're definitely trying to be ATDI. They aren't anywhere near as good as ATDI, but they're still good. I don't like the singer's screaming much, it's a bit too screechy. But other than that they're pretty solid.

pixiesfanyo
September 12th 2004


1223 Comments


The screamy is good. It's his standard vocals that bother me.

Happymeal
September 12th 2004


330 Comments


[QUOTE=DFelon204409]This band is so amazing. Thanks again for introducing them to me.[/QUOTE]

No prob.

*out of topic* In your review of Trophy Scars' EP you said they were post-hardcore, but you ended up including them in the list in the emo/screamo thread. What's with that?



I notice that TFoT's variety and effort to be original is definitely a make or break for them, but that's how I liked them in the first place. Ok, so I overrated them, sorry about that.:p

BuddyBigsby
September 13th 2004


531 Comments


Excellent band. Their guitarist is nuts.

Puma
September 13th 2004


2 Comments


Ghostship part 4 is an incredible song. The only song that I heard off of that album though is Sparticus, and that really wasn't that impressive. Good review.

Darknessca
September 13th 2004


34 Comments


The new Ghostship Demo is even better. He can sing well, he can scream well. They sound nothing like ATDI. ATDI suck, The Fall of Troy doesnt.

Happymeal
September 16th 2004


330 Comments


bump

cbmartinez
September 17th 2004


2525 Comments


Let the review die, son.

Happymeal
September 17th 2004


330 Comments


Just a little more please..*sniff*sob* Making another thread about them would be a bit useless anyways, even if I'm still on promote mode.:p



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