Matt

The Fall of Troy

'Manipulator'

Genre: Emo/Screamo/Rock

Equal Vision Records

The Fall of Troy create a delightful cacophony of sounds. They spawn noises that develop and unfold on your senses with every second, and its your perceptions of the album that will chop and change throughout second album 'Manipulator'.

Equal parts guttural screaming and jarring, almost awkward music is partnered with dulcet, sweet sounding and suitable vocals that manage to soar over the disjointed and jarring style that Fall of Troy pioneered with debut 'Doppelganger' and continue to perfect on tracks such as 'The Dark Trail' and 'Oh! The Casino!'.

Its quite impossible to tell the direction each song will take, making the first time you listen to this album a singularly interesting venture. The delicate yet forceful way that the album moves along is enough to hold the listener's attention with a constant barrage of brutal assaults and soothing vocal melodies courtesy of singer/guitarist Thomas Erak and the intricate and dynamic sonic input from bassist Tim Ward and drummer Andrew Forsman.

The production skills of Matt Bayles (of Botch, Isis and Mastodon fame) has helped the band to blur the boundaries of emo and punk and certainly adds a new depth to a steadily stalling genre. The new dimension adds originality and spark to the record and its done with a passion and energy that most bands would find hard to top.

The interesting thing about the Fall of Troy is that because they don't stick to a particular formula, their musical attributes are obviously steeped in a rich, cultural mix of musical diversity. There are elements of classic rock on 'Quarter Past' and 'Problem?', along with the emo and post hardcore/screamo influences thrown in for good measure.

The band have an obvious penchant for silly, long 'emo' song titles, the most ridiculous being 'Shhh!!! If You're Quiet, I'll Show You A Dinosaur'. It doesn't stop it from becoming one of the stand-out tracks however, along with the ballad-like 'Caught Up' and frantic opener, 'Cut Down All The Trees And Name The Streets After Them.'

This is definitely one for the emo/hardcore crowds, but take heed: there is something here for everyone.

Powerpoints: 9/10

MATTHEW INGHAM