While I just reviewed (more like fanboied) Leviathan recently, another CD with a nautical theme, I tend to love the mystery of the sea, and the music that artists create pertaining to it. Enter, Phantom on the Horizon.
If you’re a fan of the Fall of Troy, you’ve probably heard their Ghostship demos, and those demos might be a big reason that you enjoy them so much. Well, that’s right, they FINALLY finished the album. They’ve been working on these songs for five years, polishing and nurturing them. You might think they look like just another band, but this three piece is different. They’ve put together a concept album that would make Rush proud.
Instead of reviewing songs like I want to, I’m going to cover different points of the album.
Vocals- I’ve been reading that some people don’t like the new vocals for these tracks. I don’t know about you, but I like it when people only scream when necessary. Oh? You’re a indiefuck scene asshole that only likes “post-punk” and “scene metal” so you like Underoath and their “screams”? Are they xxxhxcxxx? Do you like it in your butt?
The Fall of Troy is known for screaming a good bit in their songs, but the way they handle it on POTH is different. Thom and Frank sing and throw the occasional screech of death. Franks vocals work well with Thoms. (Frank used to be a lead singer/guitarist for Of Stalwart Fads I think, so he’s had his experience). Thom does better than he has done on any album, but the best vocals on the album are not his. Check out 2:25 on Chapter II. Yea- that’s the singer from Schoolyard Heroes, longtime friends of TFOT. She brings the intensity up to 11 with her operatic voice.
Lyrics/Story- All you need to know is that the lyrics are solid, and the story is crazy. It is about a group sailing when a Ghostship attacks, and at some point a demon enters Thoms head. Shit goes haywire. What is odd is that the lyrics even hold up when they go into a spoken word poetry section read by Thom’s girlfriend. “In the darkness of your mind, I’ll stand by your side and remove all your fear. I’ll eat you alive my dear.” Most spoken parts in songs sound cheesy (check out The Necromancer by Rush, you’ll lol despite it being a good song).
Guitar- Fuck me sideways. I’m really not even going to talk about this. Seriously. Insane. Insane. Insane. This CD has some quiet guitar parts that would make Dragonforce shake in their boots. Listen to this with headphones to get the full effect.
Bass- Frank has improved the quality of bass playing on this album. As simple and generic as that sentence is, it is fully true. And since he’s black, he obviously is good. (YAY RACISM!) But to be honest, Frank actually worked with and changed up some stuff occasionally, BUT they turned him down way too low in the mix. A little bit more volume would help, but still solid.
Drums- Second biggest improvement from vocals. In the four year time from the demos, Andrew has improved his playing immensely. Just check out the drum solo at the end of Part III. His work with Frank is better than it was with Ward’s, sometimes playing a more jazz style than punk with their bass and bass drum working together, which is how it should be in music.
Interludes- Trippy, intense, and fitting. At some point it kinda sounds a little bit like a solo Omar album…
Pros- All of the above
Cons- Franks bass turned down too low, and might be too crazy for you if you’re a wuss or you like shitty music.
No need to actually make this review any longer. Get this fucking album now. They only made 3000 copes to sell though. And if you missed out on the preorder (which sold out), and you cant make it to the west coast for their tour with Number Twelve Looks Like You (jazz fusion metal), then you gotta download this baby. But TFOT supports that, so who cares?
On a side note, go see these guys live. Did you think Rock and Roll was dead? (If you say that it isn’t dead, and that GH and RB revive it, just remember that Miley Cyrus likes Guitar Hero. Those games are ruining rock as we know it with the Jonas Brothers.) Fuck no! Thomas Erak is THE definition of rockstar. You might hear him playing something and think, “how the hell does he do that?” But then you realize he is singing at the same time. Then you see him live, watch him get a concussion on the first song, and then he plays an hour set anyway inside a 125 degree building, all the while jumping into the crowd and flailing around every single song… and he still manages to get many many hot chicks despite smelling and sweating more than anyone in the area. Not to mention, the band is very real, and will even do drugs with you if you bring them…
@the reviewer
I WAS AT THE SHOW WHERE HE GOT THE CONCUSSION IN COVINGTON…IT WAS AMAAZZZINNG…
your review nails it, im listening to it right now it is so godly insane
You have some shit to learn my friend. I couldn’t give two shits about The Fall of Troy, so I am just going to comment on one aspect of your review that I find absolutely insulting.
Nobody, absolutely nobody that enjoys post-punk enjoys scene metal. Those two genres couldn’t be further from each other. It’s like saying someone who enjoys death metal enjoys Kenny G.
You compared scene metal, a modern music trend, a very, very awful and shitty musical trend, w/ post-punk, a musical movement which had a GI-FUCKING-GANTIC influence on modern music, especially modern independent music, as independent music would not exist if it weren’t for bands like Mission of Burma, Gang of Four, Wire, Bauhaus, The Birthday Party, This Heat, The Fall, Pere Ubu, Magazine, Joy Division.
Don’t blindly throw around words. Do some research. Just a few seconds of interwebz searching informed me that Fall of Troy are on or were at one time on an independent label. Now, putting post-punk, again which is partly responsible for independent music, independent labels, the DIY ethic, etc. on the same level as scene metal? Well, that certainly makes you look like an asshole. John Peel would be rolling in his grave.
Take the time and educate yourself before you toss around words you don’t know.
Adam- thanks for the comment, that show was amazing.
I wasn’t talking about all those old school bands that started the trend… those guys know what music means. I was talking about the current scene of bands that throw “post” before a genre such as post-hardcore, post-indie (yes, I’ve heard a band call themselves that), post-rock (which doesnt make sense). I apologize for throwing words. Those bands you mention in the actual post-punk genre I just consider them punk. I try not to put these detailed labels on the groups that I like because its bullshit the way everyone categorizes everything.
You know The Killers call themselves “post-punk” at times? Isn’t that insulting to you? That is the kind of post-punk I was talking about.
Also, you are getting GI-FUCKING-GANTICALLY angry about a genre. A genre that I listed while thinking about CURRENT bands and indiefucks that are into all that stuff. I have absolute respect and love for Joy Division, Gang of Four, and Sonic Youth (who probably also fall into that category- let me know if I am GI-FUCKING-GANTICALLY off). And by reading your comment, I just now looked into Mission of Burma and enjoy them immensely- so thanks for that.
Oh, and you’re the one saying how people don’t like extreme different genres, but I just listened to See You Next Tuesday, John Zorn, Kaada, Johnny Guitar Watson, Volta, and Rhapsody of Fire while getting a shower and getting dressed this morning. I don’t give a fuck about genres. Just give me some music with heart in it.
Oh, and picky assholes like you who actually care what you label bands under are ruining music anyway. And I’m sure you’re enough of an asshole to continually check back on this site for when I respond… and you might even respond back. I’m ashamed that my name is Greg.
PS – I know that I’m an asshole too. I was exaggerating anyway. Lighten up a bit, and maybe we can all lighten up. Remember, anger in New York caused the slime to increase and Vigo almost destroyed the world. So let’s love not hate.
look at this knob getting his nuts in a bunch over the semantics of a genre.
i should rant at you for acting like titles for varying types of music matter.
DON’T BE A VIGO, ANTI-GREG!
BE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND HELP US SMASH THE TOP OF THE MUSEUM SO WE CAN DROP DOWN AND SAVE DANA AND OSCAR FROM- i’m forgetting what i initially set out for with this metaphor.
Basically, don’t be a fuckshit.
Okay, the whole death metal and Kenny G comparison was just a point of reference to see how off you were. Don’t know where you gathered that I was attacking people who listen to a variety of things as I am one who enjoys a wide variety of things…
Also, post-punk is not necessarily just a genre, it was musical movement, say, like the British Invasion, or grunge (/shudder).
Don’t see where such hostility came from you and your counterpart, all I said is that a remark like that, comparing a absolute shit trend w/ something influential like the post-punk movement, may make you look like an asshole.
I am simply doing exactly what you were doing in your review… “so you like Underoath and their “screams”? Are they xxxhxcxxx? Do you like it in your butt?”
You don’t want people to lump one of your favorite bands, in this case Fall of Troy, into the same genre as Underoath, just because they scream and are pretty heavy.
Well… aren’t I doing the same thing? Wanting others to not misinform and lump some of my beloved bands into the same arena as The Devil Wears Prada.
So, I’ll just go be a fuckshit now.
<3
I was saying that I don’t care what anyone puts my favorite bands into though. A lot of people call The Fall of Troy screamo, and good for them. It doesn’t matter to me or bother me because everyone is going to put shit into genres. I even put Underoath into a genre called shitty scene music. It doesnt matter to their fans for some reason.
I do understand where you’re coming from though, and my being hostile is really only sarcasm, which is undetected by keystrokes.
I know what you mean, and I’ll be changing the post-punk to post-hardcore, which is essentially what I meant, but was just typing quickly and figured it wouldn’t matter when I looked over the review. So, now we need a new fight over something…
Post-punk vs. Zhuelist?
I give a vote for Zhuelist music.
speaking of, I need to review some Magma, so get ready for that this week hopefully.
have fun!
I personally think Phantom pales in comparison to the original Ghostship EP, but you wrote a nice review anyway. My take on the new EP: http://allthingsgo.wordpress.com/
I personally think Phantom pales in comparison to the original Ghostship EP, but you wrote a nice review anyway. My take on the new EP: http://akissner.blogspot.com/2008/12/fall-of-troy-phantom-on-horizon.html
(sorry if i accidentally double posted)