The Fall of Troy do a bunch of different things, most of them with reasonable competence and a strong enough individual identity to vault them a half-step ahead of the pack. The first song on this disc, "Panic Attack," is very much in the jagged post-punk spirit of
At the Drive-In, including high-pitched vocals à la Cedric Bixler-Zavala. But that's followed by the noisy post-hardcore of "Straight-Jacket Keelhauled," which could almost be a
Converge cover with its feedback-laced riff, distorted screams, and relentless headlong pace. At other times, vocalist Thomas Erak sounds shockingly like
Coheed and Cambria's Claudio Sanchez; indeed, if "Single" had a much longer and dumber title and an epic, arena-rock guitar solo, it could be a
Coheed and Cambria track. The noises that begin "Dirty Pillow Talk," plus the convulsive guitar-and-drum spasm that passes for a riff, make it one of the most interesting, if not necessarily palatable, songs on the album. Overall, these guys are obviously young enough that they're still working through their influences, but they have enough instrumental technique and a few good ideas of their own that they'll eventually turn into something memorable after another album or two down the road. ~ Phil Freeman