Review: Story of The Year – The Constant

Artist: Story of The Year
Album: The Constant
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Epitaph

On their fourth full length, Story of the Year finally reemerge with something to say. After busting onto the scene with Page Avenue, the band found smaller levels of success with their two follow-ups, but I think that bad luck may finally be over. The Constant, the band’s new album, is a return to the anthemic roots that made them popular, yet maintains the maturity years on the road has given them for results that are sure to raise an eyebrow or two.

Starting as big as possible, “Let the Children Sing” is a built-to-rock anthem that holds back a bit on the heavy side, but makes up in heart and energy. No matter how many times SOTY go for the gang vocals between all their releases, it simply never seems to age [and that’s a good thing as it happen A LOT on this album].

Where In The Wake of Determination showed the band taking a step back from the emo post-hardcore scene and Black Swan tried to return to that sound, The Constant finds the band landing in a perfectly solid middle ground that works. “To The Burial” chugs along with metal fury, but just a few tracks later “Remember a Time” gives us a near prom ready ballad with the buzz the nearly screams Weezer. Seriously.

It’s also in the mix of hard, soft, fast, and slow that we see vocalist Dan Marsala really expressing his skill and range as a performer. I don’t know if his voice has ever sounded as raw and filled with aggression as it does on “Won Threw Ate,” nor as moving as on the romance alt rock track “Holding on To You.”

As with all Story of the Year releases, you best believe they save the heaviest track for last. “Eye For An Eye” is almost entirely too heavy for the record given the more progessive/alternative sound most the tracks offer, but there’s no denying the circle pit inducing swirls of this quick punk jam.

If you ask me, Story of the Year have nearly more dues in the 8 years between their first and latest release than some bands do in decades. From breaking out with huge success, to hitting the rocky terrain of the Sophormore release, to rebuilding your sound and fan base from the ground up on their previous and upcoming album, Story of the year’s career has been anything, but stable. That said, The Constant really feels like the band has fully grown together. From beginning to end the album flows with unbridled rock passion and expression.

Try to not throw your neck out headbanging.

Score: 7.5/10
Review written by: James Shotwell

James Shotwell
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