Story of the Year - The Constant

Alternative Metal rockers Story of the Year come out with a new record for 2010 and isn't the title fitting - The Constant. Anything but, is the new album with their variety of influences of styles mixing some hardcore, funk metal and alternative rock as well as the presumptious emo-pop lyrics gives fans new hope and especially Australian fans - a solid act for Soundwave Festival 2011. Yes that's right. i have already been looking. And wouldn't we also love Jimmy Eat World to come back soon, especially given that Aussie fans know of a new and in recording album to be released over the new future. But that's another story altogether.

The Constant opens with The Children Sing and it proves to be an epic and suitable opening track to the record. A great pop-metal track with accompaniment from some children makes it a fun and great sing-a-long for the live stages. But the next track really shows what Story of the Year bring to the table - The Ghost of You and I, a shoe in for their live single of the album. Using great melodies with a bit of the old 'short, fast and loud' treatment to make their point as the songs transitions into what fans love - Emo-Rock lyrics mixed with some alternative metal melodies as they are 'longing for daylight'.

To The Burial presents us with a slower but more epic and just as loud track indefinitely leave us with moments of screamo and hardcore in our ears. A bit of punk-rock follows the opeing chorus and every other chorus to keep us in our seats, the pop and radio friendly feature of this track makes it really the lowlight of the record.

The Dream Is Over shows us Page Avenue saga Story of the Year which all listeners will love with the under-melody and the lyrics are the subtle but most important part of the track - they just know how to put our feelings into words, who really wants to wake up from a dream?

Are we looking for more vintage Story of the Year? You bectcha! Time Goes On and so do Story of the Year as their new record looks to invograte old fans who are still stuck on Page Avenue. Interesting lyrics as well as how we choose to interpret them but they sit down and realise that lives came and gone but time still goes on.

The Constant finish with a speed-metal/hardcore track that's title doesn't have the best intentions, but that's we love them isn't it? Eye For An Eye really shows why Story of the Year have produced such commercial success - their ability to be different from other alternative-metal/post-hardcore groups and present such varying material with a vast array of influences, but still able to keep their core music writing styles to please old fans and still keep their fan base growing.



7/10