Story Of The Year: The Black Swan

2008-04-25 10:20:16

The Black Swan is the third album release from St. Louis alternative rock outfit, Story of the Year. Loud and energetic, this follow up to the disappointing second album may return the band to the success of their debut effort, Page Avenue. A word of warning, however, to all cynics and sophisticates: this music is not for you.
    
I consider myself to be at the other end of the spectrum: naïve and a bit silly, but I found myself rolling my eyes and blushing self-consciously at certain points as I listened to this CD. Yet that is what I also quite like about it - with subject matter that touches on various themes ranging from the pressure of an inter-racial relationship, to the apathy of an entertainment-obsessed world.
    
‘Liar!’, screams singer Dan Marsala, in his best death metal voice, to the accompaniment of some really cool shredding and a punchy bass drum on the opening track Choose Your Fate. The first single release from The Black Swan, Wake Up, is all about man’s insignificance in the grand scheme of the universe and the futility of war. It’s got a great blend of pacey guitar and drums with a shouted chorus which you can’t help but get enthusiastic about; this is not ground-breaking social commentary, but it is wildly infectious.
    
Meanwhile the title track The Black Swan has a classic heavy riff and then goes a bit quieter and slower with some quite cheesy palm-muting, but it works. This fast/slow, loud/quiet sound is used to good effect throughout the album, particularly on the last track Welcome to our New War, which starts off with a slow, grungy wall of sound then launches into a fast thrash/punk song which you could run a marathon to, and yet manages to leave you wanting more.
    
The Black Swan is not an album that will change the world, but with a good mix of rock styles, fast and energetic drumming and youthful vocals it will definitely keep fans of loud rock music happy for a long time to come.
    
Review: Ben McVay
    

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