The Fall Of Troy

Mukiltearth

Written by: PP on 20/04/2021 19:18:44

The Fall Of Troy's self-released, sixth album "Mukiltearth" went completely under the radar last summer, but it's also an unconventional release because six tracks on it are material that dates all the way back to 2002. Back then, Thomas Erak formed The 30 Years War together with bassist Tim Ward, drummer Andrew Forsman, and guitarist Mike Munro while they were classmates in high school, and released a couple of EPs, among them a seven-track EP called "Martyrs Among the Casualties". The first six cuts on "Mukiltearth" are re-recorded tracks from that EP, effectively serving as a prelude to how The Fall Of Troy would come to sound on 2003's spazz-core classic "The Fall Of Troy", with the final four songs featuring brand new material written in recent years.

Listening to a piece like "The Day The Strength Of Men Failed" makes it abundantly clear what's about to happen just a short year after. Discordant distortion, intricate fretwork, and chaotic stop-start rhythms all complement Erak's erratic and razor-sharp screams, although it is at the same time audible that The Thirty Years War was a slightly different band to TFOT. It's lighter and less in-your-face aggressive, but only ever so slightly so. The ridiculously complex riffs of "Knife Fight At The Mormon Church" showcase Erak's virtuoso guitar talent, but the vocals are more akin to what we heard on, say, "Manipulator", shedding some light on where the lighter soundscapes on that album might've come from. Nonetheless, "Martyrs..." has been suggested to be a bridge album into The Fall Of Troy, and I'm inclined to agree, although it's also clear that it is heavily influenced by At The Drive-In's "Relationship Of Command" that had just come out a year or two earlier.

The switch to new material that happens on "Counting Sheep" onwards is immediate and distinct. The songwriting takes a more progressive and ambiance-laden vibe, blending together the frantic time-signature changes with more melodious and clever (mature?) arrangements, complemented by the on-then-off contrast between Erak's ferocious screams and more subdued clean vocals. A track like "Broborygmi" reaches sonic experimentalism you might encounter on a later Mars Volta album, whilst still incorporating spastic screamo and post-hardcore into the mix. "We Are The Future" is another signature style Fall Of Troy track, with caustic screams ravaging the soundscape that's colorized by complicated percussion and screeching guitar throughout, this time influenced by their Latin side.

"Mukiltearth" is a unique look into The Fall Of Troy's past, polishing their hard-to-come-by origins somewhat and contrasting them directly with their modern songwriting in the second half. It's a 'for the fans' collection, where you can source the original pioneering spazz-core that eventually led to genre masterpiece "Doppelgänger", as well as catch a glimpse of what the future soundscape holds for The Fall Of Troy through the new material.

Download: Knife Fight At The Mormon Church; Chain Wallet, Nike Shoes; Counting Sheep
For the fans of: At The Drive-In, Since By Man, Fear Before The March Of Flames, Heavy Heavy Low Low, The Mars Volta
Listen: Facebook

Release date 07.08.2020
Self-Released

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