The Fall of Troy - Manipulator

Band: The Fall of Troy
Album: Manipulator
Genre: Rock/Post Hardcore/Experimental
Label: Equal Vision

Tracks:
1. Cut Down All The Trees and Name The Streets After Them
2. The Dark Trail
3. Quarter Past
4. Problem?!
5. Semi-Fiction
6. Oh! The Casino!
7. Sledgehammer
8. Seattlantis
9. Ex-Creations
10. Shhh! If You're Quiet, I'll Show You A Dinosaur
11. Caught Up
12. A Man. A Plan. A Canal. Panama.

Few bands in the industry today have the work ethic of The Fall of Troy. When not on the road, these guys are in the studio working feverishly to evolve and tighten their unique sound which can only be described as solid rock and roll with a sprinkling of hardcore screaming and witty lyricism. Their latest effort, Manipulator, is their most ambitious work to date and that's not a bad thing at all.

Manipulator begins with the driving, "Cut Down All the Trees and Name the Streets After Them," which is double bass and riff heavy. Vocalist Thomas Eraks vocals sway seamlessly from a calm alto to shrill screams and near soprano levels and when mixed with his swift guitar work and the pounding beats, it's more than obvious why this was the lead song and single on the album. "Quarter Past," the third track, begins with the laid back swagger of a mid 70's jam. Erak's vocals plead for your attention while Andrew Forsman's bass lines keep you moving your head right along with the track. It appear that this track will be a gentle tone throughout, but about 90 seconds in, everything switches up and suddenly you find yourself in a post hardcore anthem. This is the niche that The Fall of Troy have built for themselves, and no one has been able to mimic them yet. On, "Oh, The Casino," the band sounds like a lo-fi indie act trying to be heavy. Black keeps the drums on a simple 4/4 beat while the guitar follows almost as if they were attempting to imitate early 1950's rock, but the driving chorus and heavy bass twists the noise into something of TFOT could produce. Another interesting facet of Manipulator is how every track manages to sound completely differen,t yet the album flows so well you'd think it was one long, evolving track. A prime example would be the change from "...Casino," to, "Sledgehammer," which takes the 50's inspired sound of the previous track and replaces it with near grindcore like guitar work and a pounding double bass perfectly mended with Erak's voice swaying from soothing singing to heavy screams before the track then folds on itself into a whole new more rock driven sound. Its really hard to even begin to describe the evolution this track takes, but it's best described as epic. It flows like a work of classical music in movements that take you from a frenzied state to calm and collective. It's just an amazing song and easily a highlight for the album. A few tracks later we come to the hilariously named, "Shhhh, If You're Quiet I'll Show You A Dinosaur," which is heavy enough to please any fan of hardcore, but still maintains musicianship that will keep the more indie and rock fans pleased at the same time. However, the next track, "Caught Up," the lightest song on the album, will definitely apply to those looking for a song to fill out that mix tape for their special someone. Erak is accompanied by only a guitar for the entire track, but his vocals grab you and force you to listen with yearning ears. Then, as the album comes to a close with the palindrome, "A Man A Plan A Canal Panama," which makes sure to leave a mark on the listener in the course of it's near 9 minute run time. There are no hidden tracks, it's simply that epic and leaves you craving more of the sound that only The Fall of Troy can produce.

Manipulator is a gift from God in terms of experimental rock albums. The band seamlessly slides from driving rock anthems to intense moments of hardcore riffing then to a fusion jazz jam and back to rock all over in the course of a 3 minute song. There is no one out there making the kind of music that these guys do and that's because no one could ever do it this good. If want a truly great experimental album from a bunch young guys with a lot of potential, look no further than right here.


*Written By: James Shotwell*
GRADE: 7.5/10
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