Album review: Story Of The Year – A.R.S.O.N.

Something has lit a fire under the arses of Story Of The Year. Few bands in their third decade together sound as inspired and full of conviction as the St. Louis post-hardcore veterans do here. Maybe it’s the resurgence in popularity of emo’s class of 2003. Or perhaps hot on the heels of 2023’s revitalised Tear Me To Pieces they’re keen to show that their glory days aren’t behind them. Whatever it is, A.R.S.O.N. sees Story Of The Year firing on all cylinders.

Slick production and bleeping synths cannot dim the frustration and riot-shield battering drums that ignite opener Gasoline, Dan Marsala sounding like a man on the edge as he screams, ‘Light the match, turn around / Like it never meant a Goddamn thing to me.’ The intriguing subtitle – All Rage Still Only Numb – could hint at the warring emotional states at the heart of many of these tracks. That certainly seems the case with Fall Away, where Dan tag teams with Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix, whose posturing rapped verses contrast with Dan’s dissociated, sung confession, ‘Never gonna realise I’m running out of time.’

For a band who have grown up together, since Dan and guitarist Ryan Phillips first teamed up as 67 North in the mid-’90s, Story Of The Year are still full of fresh ideas. Memorable riffs abound and while it is Josh Wills’ steamrolling punk beat that fuels highlight Halos, it’s Ryan’s hair metal guitar solo that steals the show. Even when they retread old ground on 3AM – a slice of romantic pop-punk nostalgia that conjures up hightop sneakers and skate park rendezvous – it comes from the mature perspective of a touring musician missing their family.

Seven albums in, Story Of The Year are still breaking new ground with the energy of a band that is just getting started. Now that’s a story worth telling.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: The Used, Funeral For A Friend, A Day To Remember

A.R.S.O.N. is released on February 13 via SharpTone