THE FALL OF TROY

A friend of mine who doesn't listen to any (traditional) prog whatsoever recommended this band to me. I was kind of skeptical given his tastes, but I did some research on them and figured they would probably suit my tastes and decided to give them a chance. And to be honest, I'm quite glad I did. They're a post-hardcore/heavy prog band that really has some lightning-speed chops, especially in guitarist/lead vocalist Thomas Erak.

As I said, the music on here is a mix of post-hardcore and heavy prog in the vein of The Mars Volta. Throw in the technicality of, say, Protest the Hero, and you'll kind of get an idea of what this music is like. One quickly learns that The Fall of Troy really only have two speeds most of the time: off and as fast as possible. They also love using polyrhythms in their music, and being a musician and fan of much in extreme and experimental metal, this is an element of the music I particularly enjoy. While I do enjoy the band, this album isn't the reason I do. The music really doesn't have too much variation except for slowing the tempo down occasionally (F.C.P.S.I.T.S. G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P. for example, which would be one of the four songs on here that would be remixed and re-released on their second album). The music on this release is also not fully matured in comparison to what the band would create in future albums. There are a few good songs on here, but not enough for me to give this any more than 3 stars. Start elsewhere with the band, preferably with their next album, Doppelganger, or their fantastic EP Phantom on the Horizon. Barely 3 stars and this is really only recommended to those who are already fans of the band.

TFOT's self titled album is logically, and enjoyably, the best place to start if you are venturing into their music.

This debut is noticeably under-par in terms of the recording quality; the performances, although not lacklustre, are not as frenetic and polished as in their later releases. Along with this a number of the songs on the album (I Just Got This Symphony Goin'; F.C.P.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P.; Whack Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones; Mouths Like Sidewinder Missiles) are all re-recorded as much improved versions in their second release, Doppelganger.

When I say that it is the logical and enjoyable place to start when venturing into TFOT discography, I mean that it is a good release and if you like what you hear on this album then things can only improve for you.

Rockstar Nailbomb! - 02:03

Oh yeah, be warned that if you don't like screaming/harsh vocals, TFOT aren't for you. The opener is a perfect demonstration of why. It is also a perfect demonstration of how they switch between more conventional riffing/singing/timing and snap into crazy/manic fills and solos.

Favourite Section: 00:00 - 00:22

Spartacus - 01:16

Starts with an odd muted-riff and fills that fall into place. I find the vocals to be a bit off on this one when it comes to the 'sung' stuff. Towards the end the guitar makes some superb noises and gives me chills, echoed by a Thomas Erak scream.

Favourite Section: 00:53 - 01:01

The Circus That Has Brought Us Back To These Nights (Yo Chocola) - 03:09

The song opens with a soothing riff that tends to be repeated throughout underneath the overlaying hook. It holds a somewhat normal song pattern for the first half before transforming to the usual insanity.

Favourite Section: 01:20 - 01:37

Mouths Like Sidewinder Missiles - 03:52

This is one of the songs that is redone, much more successfully in my opinion, on Doppelganger. As it stands it is still a good recording, and still a strong song on the album. However, having listened to V2 this song sounds a bit slow and sloppy to my ears. The song is non-stop, guitar and drums are on some kind of adrenaline the whole way, a fantastic wall of noise. Just over halfway there's a little breakdown/bridge before it breaks out back into full force instrumental ensemble

Favourite Section: 02:00 - 03:52

The Last March Of The Ents - 02:59

As weird as it sounds I find this song to be a bit of a mess, while the chaos of TFOT is usually easily discernible and 'organised' this song seems to me to be uncoordinated. At 01:44 where it changes briefly I can relax for a bit. and again at 02:13. I think it's partly to do with the overbearing cymbal work on this song.

Favourite Section: 01:44 - 01:54/02:13 - 02:22

F.C.P.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P. - 04:41

Another song bettered on Doppleganger (as 'F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.'), F.C.P. V1 is much slower than its younger brother. It does showcase Erak's normal singing voice (although not that perfected yet) better than any other song on the debut. If you want to experience a much improved version, I'd recommend the latter.

Favourite Section: 02:42 - 03:00

Whacko Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones - 04:52

Number 3 of the re-recordings. The weirdly recorded drums to start this song confuse and put me off. Otherwise it's one of the re-recorded songs that doesn't sound that much worse than the second version. I love this song for the drumming (apart from the aforementioned introduction) and it's truly maniacal.

Favourite Section: 03:57 - 04:52

Reassurance Rests In The Sea - 03:59

As with a lot of their songs, the opening riff here has a lot of groove to it, providing a catchy opening before they descend into the madness. The chorus of this song I really like, it's kind of an inverse of the rest of the song: they switch from clean vocals/chaotic guitar to chaotic vocals/clean guitar, and the combo really suits their styles. I don't particularly, again, like Erak's clean vocals in this song, as they still require a bit of work at this point, and so come off sounding untrained and disappointing.

Favourite Section: 00:00 - 00:45

The Adventures of Allan Gordon - 04:07

The song has a really nice, building, intro that culminates into the full blown song magnificently via doodling guitar, and beating drum fills behind. This sounds to me like one of their more polished songs off the album and it shows. Everything in the song just seems to slot into place that bit more easily.

Favourite Section: 02:16 - 03:10

I Just Got This Symphony Goin' - 04:14

The final re-recorded song. It has a really upbeat frantic guitar intro, which are quickly caught up and replaced by frantic drum fills squeezed in all over the place.Not as good as the second version, but still awesome. At 02:10 the slower section for me sounds sloppy, but I may just be being picky.

Favourite Section: 03:15 - 03:34

What Sound Does A Mastodon Make? - 07:13

When I first started listening to TFOT, I was surprised to find that they were actually really good with longer songs. For me their strength had been in their bursts of frenetic, crazed energy. However, they have managed to prove me wrong on every release by putting in at least one substantially longer song that I always enjoy the most. This song is definitely fantastic and really showcases the talent and maturity of the band even at this early stage.

Favourite Section: 01:59 - 02:20/02:50 - 04:28/06:26 - 07:13

As I said at the beginning, this is definitely the weakest of the TFOT releases, but this may just be down to recording difficulties. There are many moments in this album where you can see the glistening potential the comes to fruition in the subsequent releases. Well worth a listen if you can get hold of it; I had some difficulty deciding between 2 and 3 star ratings, but I felt that in the grand scheme of things it doesn't quite match up to many other releases, by many other artists, that I would also give 3 stars to, so for me it's 2 although that shouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.