Artist: The Fall of Troy
Album: Mukiltearth
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Country: USA
Release date: 7th of August, 2020
Released via: Big scary Monsters
Cover Artwork: © Big scary Monsters
Back in the early 2000s The Fall of Troy were a nice change when it came to Post-Hardcore or Emo-Core or whatsoever. When someone asked me back then, what The Fall of Troy sounded like I‘d always say „Like The Mars Volta if they decided to record an Emo album.“ The Fall of Troy mixed typical Emo / Post-Hardcore trademarks (clean singing vs. shouting/screaming) and combined them with proggy elements like techy rhythms or parts that sounded like improv-guitar jams. In short: it was a very fun ride.
The Fall of Troy got me with their second album Doppelgänger. This record combined everything that was great about the aforementioned qualities. The two album released after that Manipulator and In the Unlikely Event shifted the weight between those two qualities towards the pop-appeal without ditching their unique style.
Now they are back, 4 years after their “OK”-album OK (sorry for the pun). Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad album, but at times the songs were missing this “poppy” character, which made The Fall of Troy awesome in the first place. Mukiltearth is a kind mixtape which consists in the first half of six very old, new recorded songs (they date before they even firmed under the moniker The Fall of Troy) and four new songs in the second half. Those different eras can be heard, obviously.
Swirling guitars, everchanging rhythmic nuances and the sheer energy of youth, that went into these songs. To be honest, I haven’t heard the original 30 Years War versions of them, but I’m okay with how they sound now. “Chain Wallet, Nike Shoes“, “The Day the Strength of Men died” and “Knife Fight at the Mormon Church” are bona fide The Fall of Troy songs. Everything that made you fall in love with those guys is present here.
The second half sounds like it took off right after In the Unlikely Event. More compact song-structures and a little less tempo, but still those moments when you think “Where did that come from?”. A good example for that are “Round House” and “We are the Future“. Those songs may be less playful, but they still come swinging.
Mukiltearth is a nice welcome-back that shouldn’t be missed and a sign, that The Fall of Troy is still band to be reckoned with.
★★★★★★★☆☆
8 / 10
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