About a year ago (early September ’13), I had embarked on my first cross-country drive with a few dear friends. We drove from New Jersey to Los Angeles & by the time we hit Nashville, we had listened to just about every song we’d ever known. By the time we hit Amarillo, Texas I had probably listened to Doppelganger & Manipulator in their individual entireties at least two times over. Somewhere near Albuquerque, New Mexico, I was asked by a fellow vagabond what I would do if The Fall of Troy ever got back together, to which I replied jovially, “I would shit my pants.” The next day (September 9, 2013), PropertyOfZack released an article (link to article) stating that The Fall of Troy would be reuniting with their original lineup. For sake of discretion, this is where that story ends.
Forward about one year in time (October 10, 2014) & there I was, in the middle of yet another cross-country trek, finishing up my stint covering the Blue Swan Tour (featuring Icarus the Owl, Stolas, & Hail the Sun). I arrived at my cousin’s Seattle apartment, unpacked my car, & began to check my various internets to see what was going to be happening in town the following week. Facebook rose to the call & informed me that The Fall of Troy would be playing two nights, back-to-back, at The Sunset Tavern on Tuesday, October 14 & Wednesday, October 15. I assumed (correctly) that the shows were already sold out & carried on. A few days passed & I was kicking myself for not checking in on Seattle events prior to my arrival & that’s when I remembered – I’m a music photographer. I spent all of Monday morning calling & emailing various friends & publications about obtaining a press pass & by the afternoon, I had my way in (thanks, Mike!).
The last time I saw The Fall of Troy was during mid-2008 in Poughkeepsie, NY. They played with Tera Melos, The Dear Hunter, & Foxy Shazam. To this day, that show remains the best rock show I had ever experienced. It’s tough to describe the excitement held about seeing one of my favourite bands for the first time in over six years, but just try to envision a small boy, of Asian descent, holding a camera & a backpack as he shakes vigorously toward a newly remodeled Sunset Tavern.
I arrived an hour before doors, met the band, & kind of wandered off in disbelief. I made it back to the venue in time to catch the first opening act, Lo’ There Do I See My Brother. Their set was an ambient & most-pleasing form of post-rock, backed by the weight of the world. Following was the sway-inducing Witch Ripper, who poured a heavy layer of stoner metal into the night’s evolving atmosphere, intensified by a synchronized lighting display (their lighting was actually so on point that I ended up shooting music photography in colour for the first time in months). Then the moment came when the room filled with a sea of humans anxious to see the Mukilteo three-piece. (Note – Last two color images below are Witch Ripper)
The Fall of Troy, in it’s original lineup of Thomas Erak on guitar, Tim Ward on bass, & Andrew Forsman on drums, assumed their positions on stage & as excited as I was, I still held a great deal of skepticism. Six years later, could this band really deliver the energy that we all loved & missed so dearly? The lights dimmed & the amps buzzed, & what happened next was truly electrifying. The guitar riffs slashed through the night as the sea of humans cornered me in front of the stage. The drums & the bass punched with an iron fist as I witnessed an entire room, packed wall-to-wall, screaming along in unison at the top of its collective lungs to the songs we’d screamed along to for years before. As the band flailed maliciously about the stage with every shattering hit of the snare & every crunchy guitar melody, it became more & more evident that The Fall of Troy was back & by all means did they mean business.
Video clip from the show by Danilo8208SS
To offer a more serene dynamic, the following night was opened by the smoother aural offerings of Mother of Pearl & the definitely-from-Seattle-but-
Thanks for still being awesome, fellas.
Michael-Rex Carbonell
@brownmetal [instagram]
