Story of the Year

From the chaotic opener, "And the Hero Will Drown," until the complete frenzy of "Falling Down," St. Louis' Story of the Year show a persistent flair for the dramatic on their debut disc from Maverick Records, produced by John Feldmann of Goldfinger. Taking influence from a variety of modern rock, the quintet delivers a solid, Dashboard Confessional-like spirited first effort from beginning to end. They slow down on crunchy ballads like "Anthem of Our Dying Day," "Swallow the Knife," and "Sidewalks," showing that Story of the Year can be graceful and melodic as well as relentless. Energetic outbursts like "In the Shadows," "Razorblades," and the title track, "Page Avenue," show a band hell-bent on composing youthful anthems for the 21st century and hitting the target more often than not. Dan Marsala's unyielding vocals certainly highlight the disc, along with the band's steady and layered instrumentation. Story of the Year's energy feeds off of agitation and frustration, and while they don't really offer anything new, their solid execution of the 12 songs on Page Avenue certainly impresses. [The album was also available in a clean version.] ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide