The Fall of Troy,The Fall of Troy
Reviewed by f*v
Back in my days as a Local Semi-Friendly Rock Pusher, I'd invariably find myself invited by 17 and 18 year olds to "come check out our band." My overall lack of other social opportunities combined with an urge to support the youngsters compelled me to wind up at their shows at least once. I knew these kids well enough to know what they were listening to but the second their own outfits started playing, a list of bands formed in my head whether or not I had ever sold them an album or talked shop with the band members themselves. The members of The Fall of Troy, also 17 and 18, lean heavily on their influences but do far more than mimic their heroes or recreate a shortlist of "classic" songs. Sure, discerning fans of hard music will listen and namecheck Seattle-area bands The Blood Brothers and Raft of Dead Monkeys (note: Jeff Suffering sings on two tracks on the record) as an easy first association, but TFoT distinguishes themselves. Their sense of rhythm and angular guitar work cuddles up to the "math rock" crowd but cavorts into freneticism of a more metal than post-punk flavor, ripping scale-based riffs incredibly quickly over drumming good enough to even earn the praise of Matt Johnson (Roadside Monument, Raft of Dead Monkeys, plenty more) in a recent Bandoppler review. The vocals vary in pitch and intensity while fitting perfectly within well-written songs. The singing is spot-on and when you hear screaming, it means something; this record is expression more than blind raging catharsis. With this, their debut album, The Fall of Troy does more than win an affectionate pat on the head from their elders and the label "young talent," they claim their place as a terribly good band and offer a record that rivals the best of their peers and musical ancestors.