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The Fall of Troy is a three-piece post-hardcore/prog-rock outfit from Mukilteo, Washington. The band consists of Thomas Erak (lead vocals, guitar), Timothy Ward (bass, backup vocals), and Andrew Forsman, (drums).

The band is characterized by the alternating vocals of Thomas Erak and bassist Tim Ward, multiple effects, and Erak's vocal extremes (soothing singing voice to a harsh, shrill scream). All three members came from the band The Thirty Years War, which they were in when they were all about 17 years old.

The Fall of Troy draws from the progressive roots of bands like Rush (a stated influence) and King Crimson, whilst also combining it with the modern experimental sound of bands like At the Drive-In and The Blood Brothers.

Thirty Years War Era
Thomas Erak began in his late freshman year of high school in the band Matt Downs Quartet with himself on guitar and vocals, Mike Munro on bass and Jay Beaman on drums. They recorded an EP but broke up by early senior year. Munro and Erak then started a four-piece hardcore band under the name The Thirty Years War. Erak stayed on guitar and vocals, Munro moved to second guitar, and bass and drums were filled by Tim Ward and Andrew Forsman. During the life of The Thirty Years War, two EPs were independently released, entitled "Martyrs Among the Casualties" and "Live at the Paradox".

Just as The Thirty Years War was about to go into the studio to make another recording Munro quit, stating that work commitments rendered him unable to continue playing with the band. After Munro left, the band changed their name to The Fall of Troy using the same method they had picked their previous name: opening a history textbook and pointing at a random location until they found a selection they liked.

Self-Titled Era
The band entered The Hall Of Justice in Seattle with Joel M. Brown in May 2003 to record their first full length. They were all about 17 years of age, and the album was recorded in one take over one week. The album contained all original songs, excluding "Reassurance Rests In The Sea", which was a Thirty Years War song. The album was released on November 4, 2003 on Lujo Records, however it was later reissued on August 22, 2006 by the band's current label, Equal Vision Records with a slipcover with alternate art. The band also recorded their independently released Ghostship EP shortly after the release of the self-titled, in 2004. Early versions of the demos included keyboards and had no vocals. The demos on the Ghostship EP; Part I, IV, and V, showcase the upcoming Phantom On The Horizon concept album, while "Macaulay McCulkin" is on 2005's Doppelgänger.

Doppelgänger Era
The band entered the studio in March 2005 to record the follow up to their self-titled album, and the Ghostship EP, titled Doppelgänger. A doppelgänger is a ghostly double of a living person, more commonly meaning a look-alike or an evil twin, which is illustrated by the cover. There is also a "misprint" cover. The album was released on August 16, 2005 on compact disc and vinyl, which had alternate artwork. The band also started touring extensively, which became stressful for the band. On April 30, 2006 at The Basement in Columbus, Ohio, an angry Erak stated "This is the last song The Fall of Troy will ever play together". Due to this, rumors arose that the band were splitting up. However, an official statement has been released from the management on the official Fall of Troy messageboard stating that the band has not split up. Moreover, the band posted a bulletin on MySpace confirming that they were not splitting up but merely taking a much needed break after the Black Unicorn tour. The Fall of Troy had been touring non-stop since the release of Doppelgänger. In the December issue of Alternative Press, Erak spoke about the break-up rumors, "I think they're funny. [Laughs] To me it feels like we're just getting started."

F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. was released as the only single of the album, and has led to some recent mainstream success. The song was featured on Saint's Row for Xbox 360, and is covered frequently by users of the the popular site Youtube.

Upcoming albums
Manipulator:

The band entered the studio in mid-December 2006 with producer Matt Bayles to begin work on their third full length, Manipulator, due out May 2007. The album was finished in early January 2007, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered, also by Bayles. It will feature Nouela Johnston of the Seattle band Mon Frere contributing vocal and keyboard parts to many song, and all new material, including "Seattlantis", which was rumored to be on 2005's Doppelgänger. A demo of the song, which is about the city of Seattle sinking into the sea, can be heard on the band's Myspace page. Also on the record are the tracks "A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama" and "Ex-creations", which the band has been performing on tour for over a year. Erak also confirmed that "Ghostship Part VI", originally slated to be on the Phantom On The Horizon concept record will be on Manipulator, as "Semi-Fiction".

Phantom of the Horizon:

Thomas Erak has stated that the demos will be re-recorded and released as Phantom On The Horizon sometime in late 2007 or early 2008. The album will feature eight tracks and a storyline with each of the band members playing a role, with the only confirmed role being Erak's as captain. The storyline consists of Erak's Spanish galleon meeting a ghost ship from another dimension... and hell ensuing. Erak has described the album as "one song separated by tracks", much like that of The Mars Volta's "Cassandra Gemini," or Dream Theater's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Band members

 * Thomas Erak - Guitar, Vocals,
 * Timothy Ward - Bass, Vocals
 * Andrew Forsman - Drums

Trivia

 * The songs "The Hol[ ]y Tape" and "You Got A Death Wish, Johnny Truant?" are references to the popular cult novel "House of Leaves" By Mark Z. Danielewski.
 * The song "Tom Waits" was named as such because the popular folk singer Tom Waits has a song entitled "The Fall Of Troy".
 * The song F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X., by The Fall of Troy, is featured on the soundtrack for the Xbox 360 version of Saint's Row.
 * The song "Laces Out, Dan!" is named after a quote from "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective"
 * In live performances, Erak has been known to finish the song "The Hol[ ]y Tape" with instrumentation from Disney's Aladdin's song, "A Whole New World."
 * The song "The Last March of The Ents" is about the Destruction of Isengard from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
 * The band was nominated for Metal Hammer Magazine's Best Newcomer (2006) award. However, they lost to Aiden.

Videography

 * Tom Waits (Demo Version) (Equal Vision Records,March 11, 2005)''


 * Whacko Jacko Steals The Elephant Man's Bones (Equal Vision Records,October 21, 2005)''


 * F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. (Equal Vision Records,May 26, 2006)