Review Summary: The Fall of Troy's sophomore album improves upon their debut in almost every way.
Doppelganger is the second release from the Washington based progressive post-hardcore three-piece The Fall of Troy. It features four re-recorded versions of tracks from their self-titled debut and one song from their EP Ghostship, which means that of the album's eleven tracks only six songs are brand new. So, how does the band's sophomore release stack up to their debut?
Well, even though five of the songs are old they feel as fresh and exciting as the rest of the songs on the album. Most of the redone songs are much faster paced and heavier hitting than their previous versions. Doppelganger opens up with one of the older songs, "I Just Got This Symphony Goin'" compared to it's counterpart on the band's debut this version is slightly faster and has a much cleaner production and a more pronounced bass tone. Speaking of the production, the entire album feels cleaner than their debut which really works in the band's favor as each of the instruments are perfectly audible and can be fully appreciated.
The band's focus on this album seems to be improvement. The bass lines sound cleaner and more complex, the guitar's sound fluctuates from high pitched and shrill to heavy and hard hitting perfectly giving the songs a very nice dynamic, and the drums sound great and don't feel nearly as obnoxious as a lot of bands nowadays. The vocals on the album are strong as well. Thomas Erak's clean vocals and Tim Ward's harsh vocals bounce well off of each other, and the lyrics are pretty creative and some of the choruses on songs are downright catchy.
So to start wrapping this thing up, The Fall of Troy's second release is a ridiculously fun time and a massive improvement over the band's debut. The re-recorded tracks are all really good and the original songs sound excellent and are great additions to the band's library. The album is definitely worth checking out if you're interested.
Recommended tracks:
F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.
Act One, Scene One
The Hol[ ]y Tape...
I Just Got This Symphony Goin'
