Story of the Year’s third full-length album and Epitaph records’ debut, The Black Swan, will make you forget about any preconceived notions you have about the band.
It wasn’t long ago when Story of the Year was a mainstay of alternative mainstream radio with hits like "Until the Day I Die" and "Anthem of Our Dying Day." Story of the Year is back with a new label and a newfound focus and outlook on music.
"Choose Your Fate" opens The Black Swan with ferocious velocity, showing the band’s hardcore leanings. The song sounds like Story of the Year has been influenced by Sweden’s hardcore act, The Refused. The album’s first single "Wake Up" follows and, at times, falls into the generic radio rock category until the song is saved by the melodies in the chorus.
It is hard to categorize The Black Swan to a certain genre or sub-genre of music. If anything, The Black Swan is a solid, straightforward rock album. Its influences range from alternative to hardcore, touching upon every aspect of rock.
Epitaph Records was once the home of the punk explosion in the ’90s. Today the label’s direction is geared more toward trendier types of rock, and Story of the Year serves as a bridge between the label’s past, present and future. Tracks like "Angel In the Swamp" would not be out of place on an old Epitaph ‘Punk-o-Rama’ compilation album, and the metal-infused "Apathy is a Deathwish" would sit nicely on a playlist between acts such as Converge and Vanna.
The band slightly slows the pace with the track "Terrified."
"Providence is blind when you’re terrified, are you still alive? / Are you scared inside? / When we’ve reached the end of road, I will carry us home," sings lead vocalist Dan Marsala to a backdrop of light guitar work and heavy piano.
Story of the Year will likely keep old fans and make new ones who may have previously dismissed the band from its past two albums. It will have plenty of time during the summer to win over the Warped Tour crowd, as it is slated to play the entire trek. You can see Story of the Year Saturday, April 26 at the Cynthia Mitchell Woodlands Pavilion, along with My Chemical Romance, Filter and others for 94.5’s Buzzfest XXI.
