Story of the Year

Have two of their albums right now : Page Avenue, and In the Wake of Determination.

I liked Page Avenue immediately. Track 1 And the Hero Will Drown for me will always be their defining song, since that was the one I heard first. Relentlessly pushing on with lots of energy and tempo. Sometimes you get the feeling that they don't quite know what direction they're taking, but on the whole it works out.

Some of their slightly slower (relatively) songs get it right : memorable lyrics from tracks Dive Right In and Swallow the Knife - So lets make this night, be our best mistake both seem to delve into the theme of suicide.

Ditto for Page Avenue and Sidewalks. Some very catchy phrases here - Page Avenue : the air is never dry, as the city falls asleep, days bleed into the night. and Sidewalks : the bridges are crumpled the water soaks in, to, rocks both talks about reminiscing about the past.

Second album : In the Wake of Determination - I didn't like any of their songs on first listening. More of the same, essentially.

Take me back has a good chorus : "so take me back" and nevermind that they repeated it a zillion times in that song, so what =p Same for Taste the Poison and Stereo. Pay Your Enemy is about being pissed off at someone, and boy he is really pissed off, very angry song.

The bonus track is a huge change of pace : Silent Murder. Just Dan Marsala singing quietly with some minimal guitar backing. Like the image : very evocative.

It’s a silent murder
It’s a grave that sings your song
It’s a quiet failure
It’s the one that makes you strong

We are heading down a long, empty road
We pass lost souls blinded by the cold

Watch the fire burn out
Watch the curtains slowly close
Waiting on the final words your heart already knows

We are heading down a long empty road
We pass lost souls blinded by the cold
By the cold

It’s a silent murder
It’s a grave that sings your song