Story Of The Year

The Black Swan

[3/5]

On new songs like "Wake Up" and "The Antidote," Story Of The Year seem determined to recapture some of that fist-in-the-air, populist sing-along magic they’ve scored in the past. Older fans who may have lost track of the band since their 2004 breakout hit "Until The Day I Die" may be surprised at the consistently hard-edged power throughout; the opening track, "Choose Your Fate," sets the pace with a gut-shot vocal bark and a glacier-sized wall of guitar. While the band still display a canny ear for pop at times ("Message To The World") and a deft touch for melodic, expansive choruses that open from tightly wound guitar lines, the emphasis on The Black Swan rests decidedly on the heft and weight of the hulking metal riffs. (EPITAPH) Luke O’Neil