Story of the Year opens up, keeps style with new album

If Story of the Year’s sophomore album was a little too aggressive for the ears of pop culture, their third album, “The Black Swan,” may be for everyone.

“The Black Swan” has its tracks for more diverse listeners, but it still has the in-your-face lyrics and vocals that SOTY fans know and love the band for.

Lead singer Dan Marsala combines his harmonic screams with genuine singing well throughout the album.

This album has more of a political point of view that is bluntly addressed in the first track, “Choose Your Fate” after a sound byte of George W. Bush saying, “We will achieve our objective.”

Marsala opens up the song by screaming “liar!” Marsala’s vocals, screamo yet understandable, sends an urge to scream along with, much like previous tracks. “Our Time is Now,” “In the Shadows” and “And the Hero Will Drown.”

“Wake Up,” “Angel in the Swamp’ and ‘Message to the World’ combine familiar riffs, with classic vocals of SOTY, that SOTY fans, along with new listeners should appreciate.

“We’re Not Gonna Make It” may be the most popish song SOTY has ever come out with.

Back-up vocals by rhythm guitarist Phillip Sneed give this song the sing along in your car vibe. It could be the most marketable track of the album.

SOTY fans will notice Sneed stepping in with back-up vocals much more than he’s done in previous albums. In fact, the whole band steps in quite often in this album.

Not that Marsala needs help as a singer, but the new sound generates what SOTY has been about throughout the years, the “Five Against the World” attitude.

You can still feel the emotion Marsala puts out with every word.

What you may not hear as much is shredding guitar solo’s from lead guitarist Ryan Phillips, but perhaps you may catch on to the distinguishing guitar riffs during verses.

This album is not as hard as the second, but perhaps a little more like the first album “Page Avenue.”

Now with Epitah records, SOTY may be closer to tackling their “true sound’ in this album.

They have blended in their spice from previous albums and added some new flavor. However, some thing may have went slightly overboard.

Obvious computer generated mixes, give some parts an almost “trance-like” sound that had me wondering, “What is this?”

And if the first 10-seconds of a song don’t please, stick with it, many intros are often entirely different from the song itself.

Whether ‘The Black Swan’ lives up to ‘Page Avenue’, it shows these guys can still rock while incorperating new ideas and lyrics.

Rating: A

—Matt Bishop
Editor

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