Artist
Story Of The Year
With its explosive, infectious roar, "Wake Up" alerts Story of the Year's fanatical, global following that the epic, uplifting The Black Swan is upon us. An artistic triumph in every sense, the beloved, million-selling band's third studio album is unequivocally its finest, building on the strength of past accomplishments while celebrating a newfound allegiance with Epitaph.
"Making this record felt like starting over," says Dan Marsala, frontman for the St. Louis-reared quintet. "We're like a brand new band. You can hear it in these songs, we're excited again. I think we've really stepped it up on this record."
If Story of the Year's career achievements - from 2003's smash debut Page Avenue to headlining massive festivals such as the Van's Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos, to world tours with the likes of My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and The Used - have been abundant, they've also been the result of the esteemed modern rock outfit's tireless work ethic and willingness to push boundaries musically. Approaching the follow-up to 2005's In the Wake of Determination with a burst of creative freedom, Story of the Year - which also counts guitarists Ryan Phillips and Philip Sneed, bassist Adam Russell and drummer Josh Wills - elevates The Black Swan with these same key convictions.
Leaps and bounds beyond the standards of what an alt-rock anthem can be in 2008, the remarkably powerful, hopeful and deeply personal "Tell Me" is undeniable. "It opens with a gnarly, classic riff that hits you right between the eyes," Ryan enthuses.
"It's about our band," Dan acknowledges. "Before we signed to Epitaph, things were up in the air for us. We knew we didn't want to be on a major label anymore. We were like, 'What does this mean? Is our band done?' We really had to work through it and it was a weird time for us. But it's also been a really positive experience. Like, 'we're going to get through this together and nothing can stop us!'"
Thematically based around the concept of impactful, unpredictable events, The Black Swan hits home with Story of the Year in that it relates to a massively successful rock band breaking free of confines and restrictions to thrive on its own terms. "Epitaph seemed like the perfect place for us at this time in our career," Ryan explains. "It's a much more creative environment." To which Dan adds, "We could tell that Brett [Gurewitz, Epitaph's founder] loved the songs."
Despite a back catalog that counts a half dozen radio staples (like 2003's "Until The Day I Die" to 2006's "Take Me Back") and a wall full of gold and platinum awards for record sales in North America, Japan and Australia, Story of the Year's loyal fans are its principal concern. And the legions that discovered the group via Page Avenue will be pleased to learn the group re-teamed with producer John Feldmann for a handful of tracks on The Black Swan.
Among them is the aforementioned, explosive "Wake Up," a collaboration between Phillips, Marsala and Russell, which took lyrical inspiration from Carl Sagan's book Pale Blue Dot. Written from a global perspective, Dan says of the track, "When you think about just how small the earth really is and just how small the human race really is, our existence is almost insignificant in the greater scheme of things. You think of how the wars and all of the fighting and killing are just so unnecessary. It's pointless, and we should all be living our lives to the fullest."
Elsewhere, the band's first bona fide ballad, "Terrified," upholds the same line of thinking, with an emotional and uplifting delivery. "It's an amazing story about a man who goes off to war leaving a pregnant wife," says Ryan. "It narrates from both sides; their fears, emotions, and the fact that she doesn't even know if he's still alive. It's a hard hitting song that needed to be personal and epic instead of heavy."
"A lot of this record explores social and ethical issues that we feel strongly about," explains Marsala. As is the case with the melodic charge of "We're Not Going To Make It" which explores the struggle for an interracial couple to find acceptance and support from their parents and beyond in an overwhelmingly prejudiced America.
Equally poignant is the thought-provoking "Message To The World," which sends a global memorandum via the refrain, "When you kill me do it slowly." "People have this weird blind nationalism," says Dan. "Like, 'we're from America! And America is good. And we've gotta support America. And nobody else matters, because we're better than everybody.' And it's pretty obvious that having that kind of outlook will only result in things ending badly."
Additionally, Story of the Year teams with it-producer Elvis Baskette (Chevelle, Escape The Fate) on The Black Swan. "Elvis is a little more organic," Dan laughs. "He wants the guitars loud!" Be it "Welcome To Our New War," a stand out track that takes the group's shredding mastery to new heights, or the powerful riffs that propel "Apathy Is A Deathwish" - a track Phillips says, "Makes me want to smash stuff and drink a car-bomb shot" - the results are simply stellar.
Ferocious and thought-provoking, The Black Swan finds Story of the Year in the rare position of being one of the biggest bands in the world, while being left to its own devices to evolve and flourish creatively.
"I hope people really read into the lyrics and respect the fact that we don't sing about lollipops and gummi-bears," Ryan explains. "Musically, we've grown so much. We have some very unique, timeless, face melting guitar riffs and solos that have come to define our sound, without compromising the idea of a classic song."
| Application | What They Use | On A Budget |  |
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| Lead Vocals | |
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UR2/SM58 with SM58 Cardioid Microphone UHF-R Wireless Handheld Transmitter with SM58 Cardioid Microphone. |
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PGX24/PG58 Handheld Wireless System | ||
| Backing Vocals | |
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SM58 Vocal Microphone Legendary Shure SM58 vocal microphone, tuned to accentuate the warmth and clarity of lead and back-up vocals. Consistently the first choice of performers everywhere. Cardioid, Dynamic. |
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PG58 Vocal Microphone | ||
| Kick | |
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Beta 91 Kick Drum Microphone A low-profile microphone that requires no external mounting hardware. Lies flat on a pillow or other surface inside a kick drum for superb attack and low-end punch. |
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PG52 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Kick | |
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Beta 52A Instrument Microphone Optimized for low-frequency bass punch and high-power SPL handling, the Beta 52A's supercardioid design provides maximum isolation from other onstage sounds. Designed specifically for kick drum and other bass instruments. Supercardioid, Dynamic. |
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PG52 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Snare Top | |
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Beta 57A Instrument Microphone The Beta 57A is an excellent microphone designed for use with amplified or acoustic instruments. The compact grille design gets the microphone cartridge close to the sound source. Supercardioid, Dynamic. |
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SM57 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Snare Bottom | |
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KSM109 Studio Instrument Microphone (Discontinued) The KSM109 combines an extended frequency response for natural sound reproduction with a smooth high end and a tight, controlled low end. Cardioid, Condenser. |
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PG81 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Toms | |
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Beta 98D/S The Beta 98, designed for toms, snares and percussion instruments, is perfect for sound reinforcement and recording. Its flexible gooseneck lets you position the microphone in practically any configuration. |
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| Hi-Hat | |
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KSM137 Cardioid Instrument Microphone The KSM137 is a versatile, durable, and precise single cardioid polar pattern microphone. An outstanding microphone for instruments ranging from percussion to wind, strings to brass, and piano to guitar. Cardioid, Condenser. |
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PG81 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Overheads | |
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KSM27 Studio Microphone (Discontinued) Large single-diaphragm, side-address condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. Designed for studio use, but rugged enough for live applications. Cardioid, Condenser. |
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PG81 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Guitar Cabinet | |
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KSM32 Embossed Single-Diaphragm Microphone Embossed single-diaphragm, side-address microphone for highly critical studio recording and live sound productions. Offers extended frequency response for an open, natural sounding reproduction of the original sound source. Cardioid, Condenser. |
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SM57 Instrument Microphone | ||
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Guitar Cabinet |
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SM57 Instrument Microphone Multi-purpose Shure microphone with contoured frequency response for clean sound reproduction of amplified or acoustic instruments. Cardioid, Dynamic. |
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PG57 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Bass Cabinet | |
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Beta 52A Instrument Microphone Optimized for low-frequency bass punch and high-power SPL handling, the Beta 52A's supercardioid design provides maximum isolation from other onstage sounds. Designed specifically for kick drum and other bass instruments. Supercardioid, Dynamic. |
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PG52 Instrument Microphone | ||
| Guitar | |
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ULXP14 Instrument Wireless System ULX Wireless Professional Guitar/Bass System with WA302 Cable. |
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PGX14 Guitar Wireless System | ||
| Monitors | |
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PSM 700 Personal Monitor Systems Unsurpassed wireless monitoring for installations and touring sound. |
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PSM 200 Personal Monitor Systems | ||