The Fall Of Troy
Doppelgänger

THE REVIEW

The Fall Of Troy is a band from Mukilteo, Washington, that mixes math rock with the primordial fury of hardcore punk. After their self-titled debut album (although very raw and with poor production, it showed some good ideas), in 2005 they released "Doppelgänger". In the lineup, we have the leader Thomas Erak on guitar and vocals, Tim Ward on bass, and Andrew Forsman on drums.

This second album showcases the complete evolution of The Fall Of Troy's music compared to the first work: lightning-fast guitar sketching melodies with convulsive tapping, heavy breakdowns as metalcore tradition demands, alternating between desperate screaming and clean vocals. It is in this maelstrom of elements that the listener often gets lost, searching somehow for a foothold that leads back to the canonical song form. A task that is not as titanic as in the case of The Mars Volta (a band to which Erak and company not so subtly pay tribute), but the sense of confusion is often substantial. It's also notable that all the song titles have nothing to do (at least at first glance) with the song's lyrics themselves. However, it is a thoughtful confusion with its foundations rooted in a modern and extraordinarily inspired math-rock. In this album, The Fall Of Troy creates a nebula of very complex melodies but refuses to delve too deeply into each one. The Hol[]y Tape is an example of what is said: sharp riffing, fast solos, intrusive rhythm parts, continuous time changes are the expression of a musical Tourette syndrome that forces the song to veer ceaselessly and restlessly.

What has been said might lead to the conclusion that the music of the Mukilteo trio is mere inconsequential stylistic exercise: in reality, helping the listener to piece together the fragments of each song are choruses that often hark back to emo culture, without descending into the pathetic or self-indulgence. The tracklist also includes four tracks that were already present in the debut album, rearranged and improved with the help of producer Barrett Jones (who had already collaborated with Foo Fighters): F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. is one of TFOT's best compositions, with melody and unleashed energy being its best weapons. The instrumental skills of each member are undeniable, and it should be noted that in the year the album was recorded, none of them was over twenty years old.

"Doppelgänger" is proof that instrumentally complex albums can be written without taking oneself too seriously. I particularly recommend it to all fans of metalcore and progressive.