Customer Reviews

Page Avenue

5 star:		(159)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Story of the Year comes on strong with its debut album, "Page Avenue". This punk, emo/screamo group shows power, ability, and imagination in this fine album.

While emotionally intense music is common enough these days, Story of the Year carries it off powerfully. The screaming is not gratuitous, but happens at moments of emotional intensity, and the vocalist never loses sight of the song while doing so.

The strongest songs on the CD are the similarly titled, but very different, "Until the Day I Die", and "Anthem of Our Dying Day." Both songs (the video for the first is one of the extras on the enhanced CD) have dark themes, but are well sung and are emotionally powerful. The songs are well written, well thought out, and leave enough to the imagination to make the listener think. You may not understand what is being driven at the first time you listen to a given song, but it will come to you.

Other strong songs on the CD include "Dive Right In" and "Swallow The Knife", though the latter is musically quite similar to "Until the Day I Die"--though worth listening to on its own merits.

The extras on this enhanced CD are three behind the scenes videos, which help give you insight into this band, and also the music video for "Until the Day I Die", which is well worth seeing if you haven't seen it.

Strongly recommended.

Ok

I am sick and tired of seeing all the negative reviews for this CD. However, what pisses me off the most is that most of the reviewers that are bashing this CD have no legitimate basis of their arguments (with the exception of some). Most of the reviewers bash the fact that Story of the Year have recieved attention from MTV, and that most of their songs sound like radio singles. For this reason, these people want to give this band 0 stars if they could.

My answer as a 22 year old male who has been through the "hate everything" phase is "so what?" So what if a band is on MTV? So what if they are popular? Do you like them or not? Do you like the way the music sounds or not? Do you like the lyrics or not? Do you think the songs have meaning to you or not? THINK FOR YOURSELVES. There is bitter irony in this situation, and the irony is, is that people who are so "elite" that they immediately disown a band that has been on MTV, or is popular are the same people who claim they fight for originality and independence and individualism. Too bad all they are doing is CONFORMING to NON-CONFORMITY. That's right, by disowning a band PURELY for the fact it's on MTV or is popular, you are ironically surrendering your own individuality by buying into the nonconformist anti-MTV mantra. You think you're being original and elite when in reality you're conforming yourself.

A TRUE non-conformist thinks for himself, wears what he wants, listens to what he wants, and if it's MTV then it doesn't matter. Hell, if it's Abercrombie and Fitch or American Eagle it doesn't matter. The question isn't "what can I go against to look like I'm original" The question is "What do I personally feel about something, and is it what I like."

In conclusion: people say "stop buying into MTV and think for yourself. Hate story of the year b/c they're on MTV and MTV is bad and conformist" but here's what I say "stop buying into the Anti-MTV pseudo-elitist attitude and be true to yourself" It's as simple as that.

As for the CD:

Story of the Year have a good sound. I especially like Dan Marsalas vocals because he does a good job singing, and the songs are blended really well. Background vocals of this band are also key. I really like them. The harmonies are on point and aren't just thrown around. As for the lyrics, they're not incredibly interesting but they are heartfelt. Story of the Year write their own songs (contrary to what some reviewers have said) Just look at their site and their interviews. They may not be the absolute greatest band out there and they may not be the first of their kind, but that's what a genre is right? They've also gone through the stage where they tried to please others on their previous album by playing what they think others liked to hear. This album is different, though, because they are playing what they love to play. They are themselves on this album, and that's what I admire. Bottom line, don't listen to any of these bad reviews, and don't listen to the good ones. Just write them off (even this one) Take a listen to the mp3s at the bottom of the page and see for yourself. Do you like what you hear? good. Do you not like it? good. That's true individualism. It doesn't matter if millions of people swallow their music, what matters is what you think of it with no one else's opinion. End of story. I give them 4 stars.

There aren't much words to describe this amazing cd, but I'll do my best. I'll list what was great about each song, and the best lyric from each also:

1.And the Hero Will Drown-I first heard this on a Warped Tour Compiliation cd, and I was definately hooked. This song has amazing energy.
"Intoxicating beauty tears everything down" 5/5

2.Until the Day I Die-This is currently my "song of the moment". I'm not sure where I heard this, but when I did, I looked it up on the computer right after it ended. This song is absolutely perfect in every single way.
"Should I bite my tongue till blood soaks my shirt?" 5/5 (Best song on album)

3.Anthem of our Dying Day-This track is just filled with pure emotion. The lyrics are so touching, which makes it an unbelievable song.
"I'd scream this song right in your face if you were here" 5/5

4.In the Shadows-Awesome track. I love the energy in the beginning of each verse on this song. It's breathtaking.
"In the shadows of our life, we can fall into the night unscarred" 4.5/5

5.Dive Right In-The intro and the first verse of this song are remarkable, but the chorus is 100 times better, if possible. The lyrics to this song are amazing.
"I could wave my arms and swim away, but never reach the shore" 4.5/5

6.Swallow the Knife-Absoultely touching song, it has an amazing melody and the drums on this track make the song. I'ts a bit more mellow than the other tracks, but it's still one of the best.
"You're connected to the heart, but tonight we'll set you free" 5/5

7.Burning Years-The chorus is great on this song, but what I like best on this song is the opening verse...its filled with crazy energy.
"It's not what you will say but you have done to let this come between us" 5/5

8.Page Avenue-This is my least favorite song on the album, but that doesn't make it bad at all. It just doesnt have as much emotion as the others. I like the opening to this song alot though.

"I had something better waiting ahead" 3.5/5

9.Sidewalks-The slowest track on the album, but also the most emotional. It's very touching both musically and lyrically.
"The memories shaken apart by the weeds that grow over the sidewalks" 5/5

10.Divide and Conquer-Great song, it took a little while to grow on me, but I found out it was just as good as the others.
"Will this graveyard be the dance floor for these corpses?" 4/5

11.Razorblades-I've never heard this song before I bought the album, but I have to say that I play it more than all of them combined! The chorus is just amazing, and some of the riffs are breathtaking. I absoultely love this song.
"I've wasted so much time on a friend" 5/5

12.Falling Down-This song has a very unique sound to it, but that is what makes it great. This is definately the most energizing song on the album. And also, the most memorable seconds of the whole album are on right on this song. You couldn't even ask for a better ending. The riffs are extremely breathtaking, and the way the song fades out in the end is just absoultely amazing..the best ending to an album I have ever heard.

This CD is emo/screamo at its finest. I am trying to explain why this band is so good, but there are so many reasons running through my head that it is hard to make it into a well organized review.

First off, the layered guitars, drums, and other instruments/computer generated sounds are just sick. Most of the time when you listen to a CD, you think about things you would change about the song. That doesn't happen here...you just sit back and listen, while being amazed at how well all the sounds flow together. Not to mention that each song has multiple catchy riffs that don't just repeat over and over again. This CD is instrumentally one of my favorites of all time.

Then there are the lyrics and vocals. Someone else mentioned this in their review, but I feel it is important enough to reiterate...the screaming actually adds to the music. Too many screamo bands yell and scream as if they are running down a checklist and see that screaming is required to be an emo band.

Then, the lyrics have a much more mature attitude then most screamo bands. I guess if you are a 13 year old, this is a bad thing, but to me it seperates them from the pack. There was only one review I read that was negative, and he ripped on the lyrics citing "From here the city lights burn, like a thousand miles of fire." To me the line just by itself is good, but it needs to be heard with the rest of the song. When I hear that song, I picture him standing on top of a mountain overlooking a city. Anytime a song can give you a mental picture like that, the lyrics are doing something right. Just like all the instruments flow together perfectly, so do the lyrics from verse to chorus. You will understand when you hear them.

Summary - this CD is amazing and is worth buying even if you aren't into the screamo sound. I write music, and think I am pretty good at it, but then I hear Page Avenue and it humbles me. Start to finish...vocals, instruments, and producing...just an awesome record. Way to raise the bar guys.

1 ...And The Hero Will Drown (5/5) metal verses and great chorus
2 Until The Day I Die 5/5 Good song on first 1,000 listens.kinda getting sick of it now but still good.
3 Anthem Of Our Dying Day 10/5 My favorite song still good after a million listens.
4 In The Shadows 10/5 Great really hard song. My other favorite.Best chorus on the cd.
5 Dive Right In 5/5 I love this song. It is unbelievable.
6 Swallow The Knife 4/5 Slow but dark.
7 Burning Years 5/5 Another fairly hard song. Chorus is a little cliche but the song is still nasty.
8 Page Avenue 3/5 I don't know...It's ok.
9 Sidewalks 3/5 Soft..Sounds like a slower Yellowcard song.
10 Divide And Conquer 4/5 Hard, weird pace but I like it a lot.
11 Razorblades 5/5 Nice song.
12 Falling Down 5/5 Third best song on the cd. Fast pace. Great guitar work on the bridge. It's cool to hear a little H2O, Goldfinger, and Youth Of Today on the cd. Great conclusion to a nasty cd.
__Great cd, good producing by John Feldman...I wish they re-recorded and added "light years away" to this cd. dl it it's a great song. Buy this cd.

1. And the Hero Will Drown: 4/5 Great Music but a little hard to understand with the energy used at the start of each verse.

2. Until The Day I Die: 4/5 Good but use with caution, this song is really annoying if overplayed.

3. Anthem of Our Dying Day: 5/5 A little quieter than other stuff

4. In the Shadows: 5/5 Amazing once again, easier to understand than And the Hero Will Drown. Great Energy.

5. Dive Right In: 5/5 Once again energetic. This might be one of the reasons it got an expicit rating.

6. Swallow the Knife: 5/5 Lyrics are questionable for younger kids but still a great slow song.

7. Burning Years: 4/5 One of the few songs that could be better but the lyrics are awesome.

8. Page Avenue: 4/5 I really dont care for the title track but others may dissagree with me.

9. Sidewalks: 5/5 Easily my favorite song on the cd. Slow, quiet with a little bit of power.

10. Divide and Conquer: 5/5 Great use of backing vocals and music.

11. Razorblades: 5/5 I am running out of things to say about each song.

12. Falling Down: 5/5 Hilarious skit at the end.


If you hate this music, I really don't care, but you really need to STEP OFF. Not many people have the balls to record an album and put it up for sale.

I had never heard of this band before up until a few nights ago when i went to an Andrew WK concert in norfolk, VA and this band was the opener along with yellowcard. They were incredible... they do more than just play their songs, they really get into the show and make all the fans have a good time. This, plust the fact that the songs they played were awesome, especially, "until the day that i die" i have just blindly ordered this cd without listening to it... thats how awesome they were live. You need to buy this cd and support this band, theyre awesome... but more importantly you need to go see them live... I bet theyll get popular soon cause there so good... i guess you could say theyre soon going to be the story of the year.

First off, no....they do not sound like Finch. Finch, being my most favorite band of all time. The only small comparaison I can make is Dan's and Nate's screaming. And SOTY's lryics are in no way as deep.

A better and more percise comparison would be Thrice, another amazing 'screamer' band, and of course The Used (Think of SOTY as Utah-Free...Pure and Fresh lol)

Like Thrice, SOTY year has a fenominal and original gutiarist. Spewing out incredible riffs that just make you loose your mind. What I like about SOTY is the way they mix it up on every track, seeming to keep the overall sound with out haveing all the songs sound the same. The songs that stand out for me are And the Hero Will Fall, Until The Day I Die, and Sidewalks.

As a last note...it's a fun CD. You'll connect with lryics. It's fun to crank up!

Even if you aren't a fan of whatever genre of music SOTY might be, their talent and their ear for music stands out and deserves respect. Every song is unique while still holding with the melodic but powerful tone that is SOTY's trademark:

1. And The Hero Will Drown 9/10: The chorus makes this song great as well as the interesting lyrics. If it doesn't get your adrenaline pumping then maybe you should check your pulse.

2. Until The Day I Die 10/10: Beautiful (simply put). I've heard some people say "overplayed" and "it gets old", but here's a fact: these accusations are b.s. Moving, loud and hypnotic, words don't do it justice, listen for yourself.

3. Anthem Of Our Dying Day 9/10: A little mellower than the previous two, it flows incredibly well. Nice melody, good lyrics, really nothing bad to say about it.

4. In the Shadows 9/10: The first disappointment in the sense that it could be a 10 if SOTY had done a few things differently in my opinion. The chorus is great, awesome, amazing, but the verses...too much scream. Screamo works, but not in excess. Maybe half scream half singing would be better. Good bridge, nice interlude.

5. Dive Right In 10/10: Ah, this one. The only criticism I have about it are some of the lyrics, they don't seem to...fit, or something with the flow of the song. It gets a 10 because it follows suit with track 2: beautiful but intense, in a different way. Great ending.

6. Swallow The Knife 10/10: By now you'd think SOTY is obsessed with death (even though they claim "metaphor"). Disregarding this, there's a surrealism to this song that draws you in and keeps you there. The bridge is amazing, they bust out and it takes you by surprise.

7. Burning Years 9/10: Interesting chords in some parts, very unconventional. I didn't like it at first, but it grows on you. The chorus makes this song a 9 and "Theeeesse ashes theeese ashes BUURRRRRN!" wow, intense, awesome.

8. Page Avenue 9/10: The title of the album. One thing about it, I have to say, nothing really jumps out from this one, unlike the other tracks. Track 2 was poignant, track 4 the best chorus ever, etc. Page Avenue's good, just doesn't have the X Factor to push it to Great.

9. Sidewalks 10/10: The nicest surprise anyone could ask for, this song is different from all others on the album. The melody is great, the song is great, and it stays great through the entire thing while mixing it up.

10. Divide And Conquer 6/10: Certainly not a BAD song, but certainly not a SIGNIFICANT song. It follows the formula, but it does nothing to transcend it.

11. 10/10: AAANNND we're back. Back to awesome catchy in your face what up SOTY specialty. The "Yeah's!" are great, as well as the other sustained words such as "You" We should have seen this coming: a powerful ending to an authoratatively ass kicking album.

12. 5/10: I usually pretend that the previous track is the last song on the album so switch over to In The Wake Of Determination or From Under the Cork Tree if you want a change of pace and disregard this last song, unless you're excited about something and you don't care about the musicality at all.

Every single song on this cd gets me amped! it's super energetic and definitely catchy. I personally loved it!