Reviews

The Black Swan

Story Of The Year

Released: Apr 22, 2008
Label: Epitaph
Reviewed by: William Jones
4 comments

Music fans have got to give John Feldmann some credit. While even the return of Charlie Paulson couldn't revive a flailing Goldfinger, Feldmann has definitely picked some extremely successful (if not all good) bands early in their careers as a producer.

Story of the Year exploded onto the scene in 2004 with Page Avenue under his production. And it's with Feldmann that the band has revived, at least to a degree, what made them Story of the Year in the first place.

Page Avenue was rife with hard-rocking melodies that were extremely radio-friendly, for better or worse. Sure, it was a bit on the trendy side, and more than a little formulaic, but the boys were writing catchy tunes with plenty of energy and it all had that infectious quality. Whether you loved it or hated it, it was hard to avoid.

With the band's sophomore effort, In the Wake of Determination, Story of the Year took a heavier turn. Many of the songs sounded decent live, but the album itself took on a feeling of monotony and noise without reason. It did, however, move away from the screamo trends of the time.

On the latest full-length, the band has combined the best (and worst) of both worlds for an album that falls somewhere between the first two. Most tracks are chock full of catchy hooks, while the guitar riffs remain heavy and move into metal solos at a whim in songs such as "The Antidote." Again, it seems a little too produced with radio success in mind, but at the same time unavoidably catchy and much better for the pits than Page Avenue.

Story of the Year has found a good blend, though a safe one. The lyrics are borderline throwaway pleas for a better world and the music is not revolutionary, i.e. it feels as though this album's sound had a bigger audience back in 2004 than it will today. Still, the band's sound is balanced and the music is entertaining, if a little formulaic. But seriously, what's up with "Pale Blue Dot (Interlude)," guys?