The Fall of Troy

by Pete Aleksa

Hailing from Mukilteo, Washington, The Fall of Troy are a three-piece progressive-hardcore band that sound like the amphetamine-addicted bastard child of a ménage à trois between The Blood Brothers, The Mars Volta and King Crimson.
The trio of Thomas Erak on lead vocals and guitar, Tim Ward on bass and vocals, and Andrew Forsman on drums, had already released an EP, Ghostship Demos, and their full-length debut, the self-titled Fall of Troy (released when the band’s members were only 17) when they signed with the Equal Vision label last year.
The band recently released its second full-length record, Doppelganger, a genre-defying mix of screamo, math-metal, post-hardcore, pop, jazz, experimental rock, and most everything else. In the face of this seemingly chaotic blend of styles the band is able to maintain a delicate balance throughout the album. The resulting record is a collection of brutal breakdowns, melodic hooks, free-jazz spaceouts, and lo-fi ambiance that manages to flow effortlessly despite the wildly complex arrangement of the material; Erak’s frantic vocals and elaborate fretwork adorning Ward and Forsman’s complex rhythms as the songs shift at ADHD speed.
Following the unspoken rule of the semi-pretentious post-hardcore scene that mandates song titles that are bizarre amalgamations of pop-culture laden wit, Doppelganger features songs with titles such as, “We Better Learn to Hotwire A Uterus,” “Macaulay McCulkin,” “Laces Out, Dan!” and “Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man’s Bones,” demonstrating the band has style as well as substance.
Fresh off a recent stint on the Dudestorm Tour opening for label mates Bear vs. Shark and Fear Before the March of Flames, The Fall of Troy have made waves with their energetic live show, a delightful blend of wild onstage freakouts and improvisational jamming. The Fall of Troy are set to hit the road with the likes of The Jonbenet and The Number 12 Looks Like You in the coming months.