The Constant

Story Of The Year | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 16, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Epitaph
• ASIN: B0031WY1C2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,102 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

St. Louis' hardest rocking band, Story of the Year, return February 2010 with their new record, The Constant. Known for their kinetic live shows and ridiculously catchy songs, Story of the Year have always been famously ballsy in their mixing of glossy production, big rock hooks and honeyed melodies with searing metal riffs and intense screaming. The band has garnered a passionate and loyal following, thanks in large part to lead singer Dan Marsala's signature vocal style and heartfelt lyrics. Hitting the studio once again with producer Elvis Baskette (Chevelle, Cold, Escape The Fate).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is truly beautiful, February 16, 2010

By 

Nick Colosi "Nick" (Chesterland, OH, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Constant (Audio CD)

Why do bands usually make music that isn't up to par with their old material when they mature? Usually it's because what made the music great in the beginning was the young, passion-drive angst and energy that usually fades away as bands age.

Thankfully for us, Story of the Year hasn't lost their edge, but they definitely have matured. Their fourth effort under the SOTY name brings to the table the most well developed and poetic of anything they've ever done. Having said that the material I believe will be immediatly compatable with the CD collections of fans of all three of the other works.

Most of the songs are mid-tempoed melodic rock with the same punchy hooks we've come to expect from the boys of Story of the Year, with very heartfelt lyrics about trying to grow up in such a confusing world that we live in. This is a CD that is meant to be taken as a whole for how pretty sounding it all is; it could almost constitute a concept album.

Unlike most bands that have been around as long as these guys have however, they still keep their feet firmly planted in the hardcore scene. Whereas bands like the Used and Rise Against have dropped most of the screaming from their music, we have three very obvious examples of Dan Marsala's brutal raw vocal onslaught in "To the Burial" "Won Threw Ate" and "Eye for an Eye" These songs tend to be very political with lyrics that could have come from "In the Wake of Determination" but still manage to keep a little bit of "Black Swan" polish on them. "Eye for an Eye" is clearly a throwback to the days of "Falling Down," closing out the album with a four chord punk based rocker instead of an epic 5 minutes metally song.

And still these boys manage to keep things fresh after all these years by trying new things with the sound they've become so comfortable in. The opener "The Children Sing" opens with a chorus of, well, children singing, giving it an arena rock feel and making it a pretty powerful song. "The Dream is Over" is a straight up rock and roll jam with a bass driven verse (something we have seen very little of since "Page Avenue").

I can't say this will sit well with some fans, it's not like the other three albums, a tad softer at times and very personal, but in my opinion Story of the Year has always been a pretty personal and heartfelt band. This will be spinning in my CD player for quite some time to say the least, and even once the new CD charm wears off I can tell that it will get just about as much play time as other SOTY offerings. An instant classic and the first truly great CD of the new decade.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Black Swan Part Two, October 27, 2010

By 

Deonte - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Constant (Audio CD)

If you found their album "The Black Swan" good, you will definitely love this album as I did. The Constant sounds similar to The Black Swan but in a good way. Story of the Year have definitely found their sound.

3.0 out of 5 stars The Black Swan is better, May 13, 2010

By 

ng - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Constant (MP3 Download)

Unfortunately there comes a point when a band can't go any further, and this may be it with SOTY's new album. The Black Swan and previous albums were incredible. A tour de force of music from beginning to end. Unfortunately there are just a few gems on The Constant. It's unfortunate because SOTY is a really great band, but at some point everyone runs out of ideas.