April 25th, 2016 
Corey From 
Artist: The Fall Of Troy
Album: OK
Genre: Screamo/Hardcore
Label: Self-Released
I know it’s cliche, but ignorance is bliss. Truthfully. Especially when it comes to music. Ignorance from hype and expectation. Without both of those mindsets, you’re allowed to listen to a new song or record in the most pure form. Now, obviously this is nearly impossible for every release, but sometimes, if you let a band fall off your radar, you can really stand neutral and come back to that artist nearly 10 years later and give them the time of day that they deserve.
This is what has happened with The Fall Of Troy and I. Until this week, I maybe listened to a few tracks off Doppelgänger here or there in the time since Manipulator came out, nearly ten years. That was when the band became irrelevant for me. And yes, I know I’m in the very small minority that has that opinion. It’s fine.
The obvious aspect of TFOT’s music that I fell in love with from the beginning was their ability to compose some of the most hectic, anxious and strategic songs I had ever heard when I was 16. Seconds into OK, I know that that hasn’t gone anywhere—and that’s exciting—but the one thing that turned me off was the production. It’s still very thick with the new record. In the ten years that have passed, I can learn to live with it. There are parts that I can really appreciate, like the ability to hear literally every note Thomas Erak plays. It gives the songs a body, and maybe that’s what they need.
Songs like “An Ode to Masochists” embody the perfect example of how the band has found a middle ground. The first single, “401k”—or at least the first song the band released to the public—is also a great example. The song rips and shreds with glazed guitars; a perfect start-up to the record. With that being said, “A Single Word” sounds like it comes right off of Doppelgänger, minus the demonic yelling in the chorus, which fits in perfectly with the subject matter of the lyrics.
But let’s calculate the differences: The songwriting has matured (ugh) drastically. Instead of seemingly having little direction, each one of these songs has an exact place to begin and end, and with purpose. “Side By Side” is just as frantic as any song the band has ever written. Five seconds of insane riffs lead into calming and rhythmic chords driven down your throat, followed by another five to ten seconds of Erak lacing the strings together, one by one, into perfect melodies.
Songs like “Lovesick” cover new ground for the band; whispered vocals, chants and screams—the song is essentially one large breakdown. It could be a crazy closing song for a live show. I say they should have used it as the last song on the album; instead, the closing spot is reserved for a cut that sounds like Coheed & Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez sang a Chiodos song and ended it in typical The Fall Of Troy fashion.
After hearing this record, I went back and traced through the band’s entire discography, including anything post-Manipulator. I can say with ease that this album is a return to their true form, and it’s a perfect way for the band to start their second era. A new direction is found, but all the things that made The Fall Of Troy who they are and broke them out are being embraced here as well.
SCORE: 8/10
- LIVE REVIEW: Middle Of The Map Fest (05/04/16-05/07/16) - May 20, 2016
- REVIEW: The Fall Of Troy rip and shred through ‘OK’ with purpose - April 25, 2016
- Diarrhea Planet “Let It Out” with new single from ‘Turn To Gold’ - April 11, 2016
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