'War Games'

This Mukilteo, Washington trio absolutely blows people away, not only because of the intricate guitar melodies laced with bone-crushing riffs, but because this musical insanity is the work of three guys in their early 20's. The band's fourth (fourth!!) album, In The Unlikely Event, hit stores this past October and it is by far their most ambitious and crafty effort to date.

It is hard to believe that while most kids that age are still finishing school or just beginning their career, this trio has solidified themselves as one of the most progressive bands around today. We have seen this band grow and mature, thanks in part to the brilliant work of veteran producer Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera), whose guidance really gave these guys the confidence to abandon any preconceived ideas about labels or genres, and just do what they do best - rock your face off.

'In The Unlikely Event' also finds The Fall of Troy experimenting with jazz riffs for the first time, which are a surprisingly great pairing with lead singer/guitarist Thomas Erak's raw and unfiltered voice. Erak's star power has even gotten the attention of national guitar magazines, placing him in a very elite group, usually reserved for musicians twice his age.

Exclusive Magazine had the recent pleasure of speaking with lead singer/guitarist Thomas Erak about their new album, Rody Walker, passport troubles, and, of course, penguins!

Taking it from the top and what were your musical influences growing up and how many still factor into your music today? "Hendrix, The Beatles, Miles Davis, Zeppelin, into things like old Weezer, Nirvana, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Jesus Lizard, Dinosaur Jr. Then later stuff like Botch, The Blood Brothers, At The Drive-In, and more abrasive music. I still hold my roots very close."

For the Average Joe who may not have heard your previous three album releases, and was thinking of buying your new album 'Unlikely Event,' how would you describe your band’s sound? "Music for people who like real rock n' roll."

I was impressed with raw, hard, and vibrant sound of the track ‘Panic Attack’… Can I look forward to more tracks like this one and how does this album compare to previous efforts? "Yes of course, I think it's in idea just like the other albums ya know? Like, trying to always do something different, you can expect more hard raw sh*t, but also more melodic and slower, we're always going to change it up to keep it new."

Tell us more about your new album, 'Unlikely Event' - does it tell a story and why that particular album title in general? "It's more of an account of the early 20's, dealing with coming into yourself, and trying to figure out yourself and the situations that surround you."

I’ve read that Rody Walker (Protest the Hero) was making an appearance on the new album… How did this collaboration come about and what was the experience working with Rody? "Rody and I are good friends, I just saw him outside a venue having a ciggarette one day on the way to the studio, flipped a U-Turn, told him to "Get the f**k in the van!" and the rest they say, is history :-)!"

Which track on this new album are you most proud of and why? "That's not a possible question for me to honestly answer i'm sorry, they are all my kids hahaha."

Indeed, how easy (or hard) is it to create a new, vibrant, wanted-by-the-public sound that both builds on and surpasses the musical wonderment's/accomplishments that preceded it within the industry? "I don't worry much about things like that, I worry about playing music that me and my colleagues like. Anyone else is just added pleasure."

While on tour any mishaps or interesting stories from the road you care to share? "Andrew couldn't get into Europe this tour so we spent a week sightseeing until he could get a new passport, it was very strange."

What types of other activities do you like to do when not writing or performing with the band? "Go to movies, I'm quite the spicy food freak, and hangout with my friends and family."

If asked to record one for charity, what '80s (and possibly cheesy!) pop/rock song would you love to cover today ... and why?! "'Human Nature' - Michael Jackson."

Lastly, and throwing you a journalistic curve ball, Exclusive Magazine love Penguins ... do you?! "I like them when Primus dress up as them!"

Interview: Ken Tebo

To keep up with The Fall Of Troy, check out their MySpace page once a week!

www.myspace.com/thefalloftroy