The Fall Of Troy: Next Album Will Be 'Challenging' And 'Epic'

The last time that Thomas Erak spoke with Ultimate-Guitar, The Fall Of Troy vocalist/guitarist admitted that he didn’t think of himself as much of a guitar player. It was a peculiar statement from someone who has received accolades for his technical skills and even landed one of his songs in the video game Guitar Hero. Erak has warmed up a little more to his inner Hendrix since that time, but it’s obvious that he’s still loyal to his first instrument: the drums. In fact, he just completed a CD with Michael Mearns And The Monday Mornings, a side project on which he is indeed the drummer.

Erak isn’t about to jump ship from The Fall Of Troy, however, and has been hard at work writing new material for the follow-up album to Manipulator. The band recruited new bassist Frank Black to take over Tim Ward’s duties, and Erak says so far shows have been better than ever with the addition of Black. A new band member hasn’t been the only buzz, thanks to continued speculation about the upcoming album (Will it be a concept album? EP? Split EP?). Erak kindly set the record straight when he chatted with UG writer Amy Kelly, and let’s just say that one new change will have people either jumping for joy or hitting the wall. Quick hint: Screaming (or lack thereof) is involved.

UG: The big news with The Fall of Troy this year has been the addition of bassist Frank Black. What were the reasons behind Black replacing Tim Ward and has the transition been a smooth one?

Thomas: It went smoother than anyone could ever ask, I think. With Tim, I don’t think touring was really the life for him. Some people are made to do it, and some people aren’t. That’s kind of how it is. So we’ve known Frank for like 7 years. He was very familiar with the band and a real close friend of me and Andrew’s. We kind of went to him knowing that we were probably going to be making a lineup change right in the middle of the Coheed & Cambria tour. We needed to make a move, and so we did. Actually, since that day I feel like every show we’ve played has probably been the best show – with the exception of one show in Australia, where equipment was a riddling problem.

That’s a huge statement about Frank as a player.

It’s true, it is a big statement. It’s a big thing. Having him in the band is a big, big thing musically. It’s opened a lot of doors for us in a lot of directions.

Have you written any material with Frank yet?

Yeah, I think we’ve already written like 5 songs for our next record. It’s still pretty much how it was. It’s still me and Andrew’s band, but we’re definitely giving Frank a lot of freedom to do what he wants to do with the stuff. It’s like a coloring book. I draw the picture, and then I let them color it in.

There’s been plenty of discussion about the current progress of your songwriting on the band’s website and through the fan forum. Some of your fans are quite vocal in their opinions, and I have to admit that I’m entertained by it all.

Man, who isn’t? It’s so ridiculous! I just get frustrated sometimes, you know? I have to say something sometimes because the kids that have been on there for a long time are so mean sometimes. There are mean people.

I noticed you left some messages to rein them in.

Sometimes you’ve got to check them. Sometimes you’ve got to check people on their sources and remind them that it’s not their forum nor their band that is the thing in question here. If they want that, they can go start their own band and start their own forum.

You’ve provided updates via the forum on the equipment that you’ve been currently using. Did you just recently acquire some new Gibsons and a Rickenbacker?

I’ve dabbled in all of it before, but I’ve been adding weapons to my arsenal. I’ve got some new toys. I’ve got a couple new guitars. I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to tour my Rickenbacker or not because it’s really kind of a sentimental piece to me. I’m definitely going to be using it a lot on the next record.

Why is the Rickenbacker such a sentimental piece to you?

It was a gift from my father. When my dad bought it for me he was kind of like, “Okay, this is the last thing I’m going to buy for you.” It was like, “After this you can buy your own equipment.” After that I got a Gibson and all that stuff. So it’s just kind of sentimental because my dad gave it to me.

"Having Frank Black in the band is a big, big thing musically."

Do you enjoy the sound and tone of it as well?

I really enjoy the guitar, too. It’s very unique. It’s very light, but it also has a very fat sound to it. It’s just a very interesting change from what I usually am rocking: Les Pauls and SGs. Actually my favorite addition right now is my ’67 Flying V that I just got. I’m really, really into that.

Is it true that you’ve got an SG in the shop?

Yeah, I had it fixed. I took it to Australia and it got pretty thrown across the stage again. I’m going to get that neck reset again, but I don’t think I’ll have it reset before this tour.

It sounds like your equipment gets quite a workout onstage.

Yeah. That’s why I don’t want to tour my Rickenbacker. Whether it’s in rage or euphoria, guitars tend to fly across the stage at Fall of Troy shows a lot. People get so into it. I remember when I was first getting guitars, they were so special and important to me. Pretty soon you realize everything that you love about equipment is someday going to be gone. When you’ve got stuff in a trailer and it’s being moved in and out of a trailer and on and off of a stage every night for like 2 months, it’s going to get messed up.

I guess that’s why a lot of people get road cases, but I haven’t really gotten that far yet. I had a road case for my head, but I don’t have any for cabinets and I just have Hardshells for my guitars. That’s kind of an expensive thing to come by. My amp is already beat up, and honestly I like the vintage, beat-up look on amps quite a bit. So I’m kind of into how my Oranges look. I just added some Budda gear to my rig, too, that I’m going to be using. It still looks really nice, but that will probably get a beating!

Are you still endorsed by Orange?

Yes, I am. I’m very satisfied with them. I would like to get some more of them, but Orange are pretty notorious for being hard to get a hold of money-wise. It’s hard to get your hands on them for an affordable price, even if you’re sponsored. They’re expensive, man. For a band like us, they’re really expensive.

Have you noticed that the band’s popularity has grown since your single “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.” was featured in the video game Guitar Hero?

I think so. We haven’t really been out on tour since the game came out. It had just come out when we were with Coheed, so I’m interested to see how it is this time around. It’s just amazing nowadays how much a video game can grow a band’s fan base. I know that our record sales skyrocketed after the 2nd week that the game came out.

How did you feel about being approached by the makers of the game?

It was flattering, but the fact that they didn’t pay us anything is a little bit dry. We weren’t one of the main tracks, and the main tracks are funded into their budget. With the 3 secret tracks, which we’re one of, it’s not like they come to you. It’s an exposure thing. We were really, really flattered, and we could really give a shit less about being paid. It’s just an interesting fact for people to know because a lot of people at home think, “Oh, you’re on that video game. You must have tons of money now!” No, man.

The last time we chatted, you said that you considered yourself more of a drummer than a guitarist. At this point in your career, do you feel you can now label yourself as a guitarist?

I always have the drummer’s sensibility. I actually just finished a record with a band in Seattle that I’m playing drums for.

So you’ve obviously missed playing the drums.

I do. Well, I play drums anyway on a weekly basis, but it’s awesome to be playing with a band. It’s awesome to have recorded a record and I’m pretty stoked to play drums. It has kind of taken the focus off of my guitar playing, so I have room to grow. If I play guitar all the fucking time, then it gets old. It’s just like anything gets old if you do it too much. So playing drums and recording a record playing the drums is kind of a nice little break. Working on new Fall Of Troy material again, it’s kind of opened me up a little bit.

How would you describe the music you play in your side project?

It’s pretty mellow songwriter stuff. It definitely has a good rhythm section. It’s tasteful, but it’s not boring. It’s kind of like new age-folk rock, I guess. It would be like mixing Elliott Smith with Cursive and I don’t even know what else – something totally different and original. It’s very Seattle. It’s based around the singer-songwriter, and his name is Mike Mearns. The band is called Michael Mearns and the Monday Mornings. It’s really, really different. I’m stoked to just play a show and see what happens because the record just got done.

"Pretty soon you realize everything that you love about equipment is someday going to be gone."

Can you reveal what The Fall Of Troy’s new material will sound like?

I don’t know. That’s something that I’m kind of keeping a secret right now. Let’s say that it’s going to be going back to the avant-garde feel of the band that the first 2 records had. Manipulator was an experiment on how many different directions we could go on one record. This one is going to be a cohesive, challenging, and for lack of a better word, epic record from our band. It’s going to bring us to a whole new level. I think there is going to be lots of chaos in the music, but definitely I think the vocals are going to be stepped up – probably time 5 or 10.

How are you stepping up the vocals specifically?

We’re getting older. I think we’re kind of getting over screaming a little bit. I know I’ve become a lot more confident of a singer in the last year of my life. My girlfriend is a jazz singer from Stockholm, so being around her a lot in the last 6 months has really lifted me to a new level with singing. I’m trying to learn as much as I can from her about it. She went to the LA Music Academy for a year and was like a really high-ranked singer.

I’m with her whenever I can possibly be with her. Our lives are that of 2 touring musicians, so when we’re at home we end up talking about music most of the time. She’s really opened my eyes to a lot of things and how to use my voice and how to breathe.

Frank sings, too. Tim never sang. Tim was just a jet engine, and he was great for that. Frank has got a great scream, too. I mean, I’m not saying that we’re turning our back on screaming and that aspect of our band at all. I think the idea of song structure will be a little more prominent now. I think we’ll actually have things that will be able to get stuck in your head or maybe be around for 5 years instead of 5 minutes.

I’ve read a lot of different rumors about whether or not the next album will be a split EP. Is there any truth to that?

There’s been talk about so much shit in the last year and a half. We just decided, “Fuck it. We’re just going to write songs. Whatever ends up happening with these songs will end up happening.” We’re just kind of looking at it as we’re writing songs for an album, whatever that may end up being.

It’s great to have some clarity because I was getting confused by all of the different rumors.

We were getting confused, too! I think it was cutting into the music and what we were trying to do conceptually. We were kind of confusing ourselves. “Are we writing this EP or are we writing a full-length? What are we doing?” I think when Frank came into the band and we were in Australia together, that was kind of the point where we were like, “Okay, whatever. Let’s just not worry about. Let’s just write songs that we want to play.” We’ll worry about what we’re going to do with them when we get to that bridge.

Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008

Enter a contest to win a signed Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar, a catalogue from the band and a tee at this location!

Comments

[creedster]

Hmm.. Hopefully it'll be as good as Doppelganger.

[stradivari310]

Good interview! I'm starting to really get into this band again, especially after seeing some early versions of their new songs on YouTube.

[officially dead]

that guy is a pretty awesome guitar player. okay, really awesome.

[Rokkstar64]

Im so pissed i cant go to there concert tomorrow. I'm definately going to check out Michael Mearns And The Monday Mornings. Thomas Erak is my idol.

[Tumble-weed]

Seems like a really nice guy. Hope they go back to how Doppelganger was cuz Manipulator was a dissapointment.

[falsreasoning]

im seeing them the 27th at penn state!

[hanktehlordochi]

lulz! I almost saw those guys on Sunday! But I went to their show to see Foxy Shazam! Then I left, because I'm an *******. I probably should have stayed actually...

[QuantumMechanix]

i hope the next album still sounds like them...i dont really care about the screaming but they had some goood basslines....hopefully their new bassist is just as good

[Jerek]

Ha. I liked how he told off those kids on the forum.
I super pumped for the next album, and with less screaming...it should be interesting.

[edcore]

I saw them play in Sydney at the Soundwave Festival, and actually shook Thomas' and Frank's hands when they were walkin around, like they were normal guys. They're an awesome band and cool people, can't wait for the new album!

[NorfIrIon]

Ah, he's such a human, that's nice to see.
He does seem like a really great guy, and he is an amazing guitarist and musician.

[SpoonyPony]

i am so excited. manipulator just proves this band's potential in that they can convey so many different styles in one record, it can only mean good things when their efforts are more conceptual or focused.

[fartsyjoe420]

holy balls, probably one of the best, most unique, crazy bands ever. if you haven't seen them then there's a problem. can't wait for any new material, havent been dissapointed by anything. not even close.

[Sound Mind]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=b9W3_ETO5oY
this song will be awesome once they're done recording it.

[EiutS]

Their latest jam video sounded pretty damn sweet. It'll be interesting how the vocals work out on the new record. I had a feeling Frank's screams wouldn't be as good as Tim's, but then Thom says there'll be less of it anyway. Whatever happens I'm sure these guys will continue to write some amazing stuff.

[Black Revolver]

wow that is suprising that they weren't paid to have their song on Guitar Hero 3. New album should be awesome

[RC_Hammer]

The new album sounds like it will be great. I hope is singing will better like he says it will be. And more song structure is a plus in my book as well. They have so much potential, and I hope they begin tapping into it with this next record. I'm stoked.

[y-e-a-r-z-e-r-o]

one of the coolest bands ever.
creative and inovative, they do some weird shit and i love it!
i have doppelgager and manipulatior and doppelgager is definatly better.
i hope that the new singing isnt all like caught up on manipulator....i didnt like that whole thing....
oh well ex-creations is the wildest and most bad ass thing ever to happen to guitar solos EVER!!

[The Frayed Ends]

lol, frank BLACK

[grrishteddy]

i can't WAIT!

[lanzaa]

i loved the new album and cant wait for the next. bummer about the screaming though, i kind of liked erak's shreiks, esp on songs like i just got this symphony goin

[lateraluspiral]

ive loved everything theyve done so far. cant wait for the new record/whatever. im excited

[lespaulfromhell]

did anyone else think that manipulator just sounded too "thin"? I hope the new record has the same "thick" sound as doppleganger, but is similar to the ghostship demos. Those songs are so f*cking sweet!

[TrUe MeTaL FaN]

i really like this band

[Scorge]

I think we’ll actually have things that will be able to get stuck in your head or maybe be around for 5 years instead of 5 minutes.

That line itself could've been the entire interview and i would have been completely satisfied with it.
If they hold true to that, they should have nowhere to go but up.

[Anno[fzk]]

Thomas Iraq is bomb.
He's very talented
And I can't wait for the new album either

[tehguitarman]

Darn. I like the screaming but, I like the other stuff too I guess.

[yoursweatersux]

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

[PDMChubby]

lespaulfromhell wrote:

did anyone else think that manipulator just sounded too "thin"? I hope the new record has the same "thick" sound as doppleganger, but is similar to the ghostship demos. Those songs are so f*cking sweet!

Definitely, I think it was the production, and hopefully it goes back to the amazing sound of Doppelganger.

yoursweatersux wrote:

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

It's fine that you think that, no ones calling you out. They are definitely a different sound, but that's what I love about them. I can follow their songs perfectly, and it's much better than a lot of "mish-mash" I've heard. And, yeah, Erak's good at guitar, and sure, Satriani can play his stuff, but those guys are shred guitarists, they can play tons of shit. Comparing a progressive post-hardcore band to shred is kind of unfair. There's no denying Thomas Erak is one of the most talented musicians in his genre.

[The Spoon]

I love this band!

[Anno[fzk]]

yoursweatersux wrote:

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

Fool!
It isn't about being able to play his songs. Those you mentioned would be ashamed of your insolence. Technical difficulty=/=good music.
Iraq's stuff isn't that tough (well some songs), but it's got a good feel. Not only that, but it isn't 100% spaz-fest. If you find FOT's music difficult too listen to or overly-chaotic, you haven't heard anything. Try out Lye By Mistake, Behold...The Arctopus, The Number 12 (which by the way, is supposed to be doing the split with FOT), Today is the Day, Cephalic Carnage, Wormed, Daughters, Psyopus, Look What I Did, Augury, Disgorge, Pavor, The Locust, and any other tech-death or spaz-prog band.

[FLNagle]

Mmmm... I sure hope they still do the Ghostship remake album... That EP was excellent! A split album with #12 would be awesome too. I guess I'm kind of disappointed that those may never turn out.

Regardless, I'm sure their new stuff will be awesome. Don't worry about Frank, he's every bit as good as Tim was, maybe better.

[Chickenfrmheck]

i just started listening to them...i only know a couple songs, but they have a really unique sound and i love it.

i hope they make soem more good ones.

[poundcake293]

THEY can not stop screaming.

[Bristlehead]

nice meter changes. his voice sounds terrible when he screams though... UGH. and all of his guitar fills are the same fill...

[Alexishxc1337]

Anno[fzk] wrote:



Fool!
It isn't about being able to play his songs. Those you mentioned would be ashamed of your insolence. Technical difficulty=/=good music.
Iraq's stuff isn't that tough (well some songs), but it's got a good feel. Not only that, but it isn't 100% spaz-fest. If you find FOT's music difficult too listen to or overly-chaotic, you haven't heard anything. Try out Lye By Mistake, Behold...The Arctopus, The Number 12 (which by the way, is supposed to be doing the split with FOT), Today is the Day, Cephalic Carnage, Wormed, Daughters, Psyopus, Look What I Did, Augury, Disgorge, Pavor, The Locust, and any other tech-death or spaz-prog band.

Erak
ERAK
Not Iraq.

[f1sk]

great band, though I don't listen to much of their stuff besides doppleganger, not a fan of all the singing but love the guitar

[eltravo]

yoursweatersux wrote:

he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

can they sing at the same time?

[jonathanonfire]

eltravo wrote:

yoursweatersux wrote:

he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

can they sing at the same time?

A-****ing-men.

[Night_Lights]

eltravo wrote:

yoursweatersux wrote:

he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

can they sing at the same time?

satch and vai can, at least. havent heard the others sing and play at the same time.

[jeordie1]

thomas is an awesome guitarists. after downloading one song i was hooked on them. how long till world tour???

[arcticradiohead]

manipulator wasnt the best but it was still really good. at least they dont put out the exact same thing every time. cant wait til the next one. thom's a beast

[SL!!!]

Lol, the thing about having money is true. My friend saw them a couple months ago and said there was like 150 people there. Hahahah, wish i could have made it.

[SL!!!]

Anno[fzk] wrote:

yoursweatersux wrote:

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

Fool!
It isn't about being able to play his songs. Those you mentioned would be ashamed of your insolence. Technical difficulty=/=good music.
Iraq's stuff isn't that tough (well some songs), but it's got a good feel. Not only that, but it isn't 100% spaz-fest. If you find FOT's music difficult too listen to or overly-chaotic, you haven't heard anything. Try out Lye By Mistake, Behold...The Arctopus, The Number 12 (which by the way, is supposed to be doing the split with FOT), Today is the Day, Cephalic Carnage, Wormed, Daughters, Psyopus, Look What I Did, Augury, Disgorge, Pavor, The Locust, and any other tech-death or spaz-prog band.

+1000

[Behzad93]

I don't get it. Personaly, I think Manipulator was ****ing dope man. Deffinetly their best. Why do they wanna go away from that?

[kmilongo]

creedster wrote:

Hmm.. Hopefully it'll be as good as Doppelganger.

+1

[fetus989]

Behzad93 wrote:

I don't get it. Personaly, I think Manipulator was ****ing dope man. Deffinetly their best. Why do they wanna go away from that?

He clearly said they were experimenting with different forms of music.

[i_am_metalhead]

yoursweatersux wrote:

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.

Anyone can sit there and play a solo for 5 minutes. All of the virtuosos that you mentioned may be talented but their music is dull, boring, and unoriginal.

It takes talent and a vast knowledge of music to write the type of stuff that FOT writes.

[TheSoupDragon]

i_am_metalhead wrote:

yoursweatersux wrote:

Sorry to rain on your parade guys, but it seems like I've been sipping some Fall of Troy hater-ade. I just find their stuff so unappealing and uninteresting. I'm not into the way (and amount) he screams, and the songs seriously have no method to their madness. They don't have a single song that sounds like a song... they're just like a mish-mash of random jamming. And seriously, he's a good guitar player but nothing that special. Not saying I'm better, but real shredders like vai, satriani, petrucci, john 5, or just about any other guitarist in a metal band would have no problem playing his stuff. I'm just not into these dudes.


Anyone can sit there and play a solo for 5 minutes. All of the virtuosos that you mentioned may be talented but their music is dull, boring, and unoriginal.

It takes talent and a vast knowledge of music to write the type of stuff that FOT writes.

Lolwut. Are yous aying those guys have no talent? Seriously, I love Troy, they're one of my all time favourite bands, and as far as I'm concerned Erak's one of the best guitarists around but those guys are still leagues above.
And it takes a lesser amount of musical knowledge to compose FoT songs than it does for Dream Theater/Satriani/Vai stuff.

But anyway, I can't wait for the new record.
Manipulator was amazing.
Although I have been listening to Doppelganger non-stop lately.
Hopefully Black'll bringing some mad skillz to the table. I also want more Quarter Past-like songs. And some jazz. Definitely jazz. But it also needs to include the heaviest song known to man. Which it likely will.
Looking forward to hearing more of Thom's singing. His range is incredible.
Mm.
Soon plz.

[0h The Horror]

I love this guy. He's already a pretty ridiculous guitarist, and I can't wait to see him up the ante. Even if he does like Orange...

[The Spoon]

He's right about their forums being filled with mean people. Sure, there are some nice ones, but the other ones are just mean.

Not only that, they suck at being mean. One person said i should be an english teacher sarcastically...wth? they're not even funny or brutal when they are mean.

[metal Lover]

Frank Black? Like Black Francis from the Pixies?

[metal Lover]

nevermind...just same name

[sebbsmith]

I read that they already had their fourth album written before they'd even realeased Manipulator. I also read that the Ghost Ship demos would be made into an album.

What happened to this?


Oh and hopefully they'll get the production right this time. I love low-fi production but Manipulator sounded more like demo quality.

[jerkoffjack]

Anything by this band will be good. Just can't stand the vocals. I'm sorry they just don't do a thing for me. But their stuff is really good.

[aliceinnirvana]

metal Lover wrote:

Frank Black? Like Black Francis from the Pixies?

I was just thinking that!
That would make Fall of Troy the best band ever.
Anyways, looking forward to new stuff.
I really liked Manipulator, but I think they can do even better.

[Thapumpkineater]

I don't care what the next CD is like, Manipulator was good, Doppelganger was good, the S/t is my favorite so I can't be disappointed.

[Rufiothebandito]

Great interview, I can't wait to hear some new stuff from Fall of Troy, Manipulator is one of my favorite albums ever.

[Joshuar]

TheSoupDragon wrote:
I also want more Quarter Past-like songs. And some jazz. Definitely jazz. But it also needs to include the heaviest song known to man. Which it likely will.

+1!

[nieschizzle]

Lolwut. Are yous aying those guys have no talent? Seriously, I love Troy, they're one of my all time favourite bands, and as far as I'm concerned Erak's one of the best guitarists around but those guys are still leagues above.
And it takes a lesser amount of musical knowledge to compose FoT songs than it does for Dream Theater/Satriani/Vai stuff.

But anyway, I can't wait for the new record.
Manipulator was amazing.
Although I have been listening to Doppelganger non-stop lately.
Hopefully Black'll bringing some mad skillz to the table. I also want more Quarter Past-like songs. And some jazz. Definitely jazz. But it also needs to include the heaviest song known to man. Which it likely will.
Looking forward to hearing more of Thom's singing. His range is incredible.
Mm.
Soon plz.

Stuff like Steve Vai, Dream Theater etc. is all good and shit, but after a while everything sounds the same. It's just intro, solo, verse, solo, chorus, solo, big solo etc. It's pretty much just musical masturbation and "look how fast I can play these arpeggios". And besides, I don't see Petrucci or Gilbert singing and playing their solos.
TFoT is incredibly unique. There's bands with slightly similar sounds, but they just have that "x-factor" that just makes them so good. I saw them last night and it was BY FAR the best concert I've ever been too.
Can't wait for the new record.

[schectershocker]

see the difference between FoT and satch, vai, petrucci, and everyone is creativity. It doesnt matter if you can play it, because you should be able to. I can play their songs like f.c.p.r.e.m.i.x. And last march of the ents perfectly like it was coming straight from Erak. But its the sheer fact that nobody else wouldve thought of it except FoT. And i love satch and vai but their stuff does sound all the same.

[GodbowstoMath]

Hell of a guitarist, though I'm not big on Fall of Troy, can't seem to get past the vocals.

It's always dangerous to call your next record epic though. Make sure it doesn't suck!! lol.

[Undergrowth]

Agh, crap. I was really hoping that Phantom on the Horizon (Ghostship E.P. redone/finished) was going to be their next release. Oh well, I guess I can wait.

Also, they were nothing short of amazing last night. They played for something like 2 and a half hours, and even played a new song. My friend and I met Erak after the show, he's the ****in' man. So laid back. Really refreshing in this age of stuck-up musicians.

Here's looking forward to another awesome album.

checked

[TylerHerod]

when i saw FoT live in calgary a few weeks back, Thomas Erak was going off doing some jazz inbetween songs. i wouldnt be surprised to see more of it on the next album.

though he also played some raining blood.
so maybe it'll be a jazz/slayer type of album.

[xXParanoiaXx]

Wow, I love TFOT.
I hope this new album is as good as Doppelganger, that was my favorite out of all of them.

[Fosho321]

Thomas Erak should move to California then consider Physician-Assisted Suicide. What a pompous little degenerate berating his fans like that. Manipulator was garbage, and the new bass player is a fruit. I want old Fall of Troy back.

[XMaNd0X]

Tumble-weed I gotta disagree
I loved Manipulator
It's one of those CD's you can listen to all the way through
Im not saying Doppelganger was bad cuz It was good too

[kpow]

manipulator is soo good. its innovative and all the songs sound so different and unique. its not about guitar sweeps and steve vai type shredding. TFOT is one of the better shows ive ever been to. they just rock. people who dont like Thom's singing/Sceraming should pick up there guitar and try to do it while playing as fast as he does. andd i like frank black alot he's a good musician and he has a good scream.

[ranikade3]

This band trys SO HARD to be unique!!!, and it ends up with a delay pedal set on slapback thinking hes playing really fast and doing something thats "hard". Wow... i cant believe kids eat this up...

[masterohumans]

ranikade3 wrote:

This band trys SO HARD to be unique!!!, and it ends up with a delay pedal set on slapback thinking hes playing really fast and doing something thats "hard". Wow... i cant believe kids eat this up...

His playing skills is not why hes talented, although ability helps, it just sounds good. And they are not trying to be unique, if they were manipulator would not have been made. I like it but its not the most unique album.