by Jason Ankeny Post-hardcore trio the Fall of Troy formed in Mukilteo, WA, in 2002. Singer/guitarist Thomas Erak, singer/bassist Tim Ward, and drummer Andrew Forsman previously collaborated in 30 Years War, a screamo outfit they formed with fellow high school classmate Mike Munro on guitar. After a pair of self-released 2002 EPs, Martyrs Among the Casualties and Live at the Paradox, Munro left the group, citing day-job commitments, and the remaining trio continued as the Fall of Troy, selecting the name as before by randomly opening the pages of a history textbook. Their self-titled debut LP followed on Lujo Records in late 2003. At the time of recording, all three members were still under the age of 17, and apart from a handful of Pacific Northwest dates and a brief California tour, their live schedule was limited until the following year, when they self-released an EP, Ghostship. In mid-2005 the Fall of Troy issued Doppelgänger, their first effort for new label Equal Vision Records. During their April 30, 2006, gig at the Columbus, OH, venue The Basement, an angry Erak announced, "This is the last song the Fall of Troy will ever play together," but the trio later scotched rumors of their imminent breakup via their official website and entered the studio that December with producer Matt Bayles (Isis, Botch) to record new material. They emerged with the album Manipulator, which surfaced on record shelves in early May 2007, as spring was spent supporting the Deftones on nationwide dates.