adamvinny
11/02/09, 01:16 PM
The Fall of Troy - In the Unlikely Event
Record Label: Equal Vision
Release Date: October 6, 2009
The Fall of Troy is a lot like an onion. To use the “Shrek” metaphor, onions have layers. Ogres have layers. The Fall of Troy has layers. On the surface, you have some progressive rock. If you peel off the skin, you get some post-hardcore. As you continue to peel, you get some experimental metal, some mathcore, and maybe even some thrash metal. With every album that the Mukilteo, WA-based Troy boys release, more layers get peeled. Onions will make you cry, but they also stink. And the Fall of Troy’s fourth studio album does a little bit of both.
When The Fall of Troy released Doppelganger in 2005, it brought with it a cult following who already loved the band’s gateway drug-like approach to music; every song threw in a different genre that could appeal to anyone. From there, one could venture out and find bands that sampled with the same musical tastes. This led to great independent success (and a single on some game called "Guitar Hero"). That was good in 2005, but in 2009, it’s time to find a direction.
The band is technically proficient in numerous areas and that has allowed it to bend genres since its inception. Frontman/guitarist Thomas Erak is one of the most talented, if not the most talented, guitar player in the scene today. His playing is frantic and furious. He even packs a voice with decent range, being able to both sing beautifully and scream with the shrill wail of a siren. Erak brings that trademark punch to Event. Everything else is discombobulated.
“Panic Attack!,” the album’s first single, finds the Fall of Troy doing what it does best: a high-speed, math rock assault with wailing guitars, Erak’s screeching vocals, and a strong presence from the rhythm section, which includes newly acquired Frank Ene. But don’t let that fool you. The rest of the album plays out as if the Fall of Troy took a break from experimenting to borrow from other bands in search of inspiration. “Empty the Clip, the King Has Been Slain, Long Live the Queen!” by title alone sounds like a perfect fit for a Coheed & Cambria album. “Dirty Pillow Talk” takes a cue from At The Drive-In with its swerves in tempo and frequent solos, but the similarities are almost freaky.
In The Unlikely Event makes you wonder if the band will ever find that one genre that it’s great at. Being good at several things is not necessarily a bad thing, but if the Fall of Troy stuck to one idea and perfected it, perhaps it could move in the right direction (as ironic as that sounds). The Fall of Troy seems lost. If you are looking for Doppelganger II, this will not satiate your needs. Your mother probably told you before you went to college, “Experimenting is good, but do it responsibly.” I wish someone would say that to this band.
Record Label: Equal Vision
Release Date: October 6, 2009
The Fall of Troy is a lot like an onion. To use the “Shrek” metaphor, onions have layers. Ogres have layers. The Fall of Troy has layers. On the surface, you have some progressive rock. If you peel off the skin, you get some post-hardcore. As you continue to peel, you get some experimental metal, some mathcore, and maybe even some thrash metal. With every album that the Mukilteo, WA-based Troy boys release, more layers get peeled. Onions will make you cry, but they also stink. And the Fall of Troy’s fourth studio album does a little bit of both.
When The Fall of Troy released Doppelganger in 2005, it brought with it a cult following who already loved the band’s gateway drug-like approach to music; every song threw in a different genre that could appeal to anyone. From there, one could venture out and find bands that sampled with the same musical tastes. This led to great independent success (and a single on some game called "Guitar Hero"). That was good in 2005, but in 2009, it’s time to find a direction.
The band is technically proficient in numerous areas and that has allowed it to bend genres since its inception. Frontman/guitarist Thomas Erak is one of the most talented, if not the most talented, guitar player in the scene today. His playing is frantic and furious. He even packs a voice with decent range, being able to both sing beautifully and scream with the shrill wail of a siren. Erak brings that trademark punch to Event. Everything else is discombobulated.
“Panic Attack!,” the album’s first single, finds the Fall of Troy doing what it does best: a high-speed, math rock assault with wailing guitars, Erak’s screeching vocals, and a strong presence from the rhythm section, which includes newly acquired Frank Ene. But don’t let that fool you. The rest of the album plays out as if the Fall of Troy took a break from experimenting to borrow from other bands in search of inspiration. “Empty the Clip, the King Has Been Slain, Long Live the Queen!” by title alone sounds like a perfect fit for a Coheed & Cambria album. “Dirty Pillow Talk” takes a cue from At The Drive-In with its swerves in tempo and frequent solos, but the similarities are almost freaky.
In The Unlikely Event makes you wonder if the band will ever find that one genre that it’s great at. Being good at several things is not necessarily a bad thing, but if the Fall of Troy stuck to one idea and perfected it, perhaps it could move in the right direction (as ironic as that sounds). The Fall of Troy seems lost. If you are looking for Doppelganger II, this will not satiate your needs. Your mother probably told you before you went to college, “Experimenting is good, but do it responsibly.” I wish someone would say that to this band.