Perfect punk blend

Story Of The Year is no stranger to the punk and emo scenes, but something is refreshing about their sixth studio album, Tear Me to Pieces. The record isn’t just their 80s inspired sound on 2017’s Wolves or their more emo and screamo-based sound on 2003’s Page Avenue; it’s a perfect blend.

The album’s lead single, “Real Life,” is a perfect example. With a simple guitar riff supplied by guitarist Ryan Phillips and a drum machine beat, it gives the perfect launching pad for lead vocalist Dan Marsala to contemplate reality. As each pre-chorus builds, the instrumental drops out, and Marsala screams a contemplation into the night, being honest about the toxicity of a relationship. 

“Afterglow” opens similarly to “Wake Up” from their 2008 record, The Black Swan, but after ten seconds, cuts to powerful guitar similar to Bring Me The Horizon’s “MANTRA.” Drummer Josh Wills helps move the song along, especially in its chorus and pre-verse breakdowns with heavy tom hits and fast movements before Marsala lets his voice rip on each chorus. 

The group interchanges between acoustic and electric easily. Acoustic elements are frequently used as a pace change before a bombastic chorus or as a subtle introduction. But there are a few almost fully acoustic songs on the album, but they give a more emotional element to the full record. 

“Use Me” is the perfect track to wrap up the album. With only Phillips’s masterful acoustic guitar work and Marsala’s powerful voice for most of the track, the lyrics detail a toxic relationship where one person is used and controlled by the other, but the person being used still wants them. The simple instrumental allows the honest lyrics to bleed through, leaving all the honest and raw emotions to spill on the table.

The standout track from Tear Me To Pieces has to be “Take The Ride.” Its repetitive opening riff takes many forms, from a classic electric guitar riff to a more subdued acoustic spinoff, even a simplified single-chord strum in the track’s bridge. It never goes away, and for good measure. The car-like instrumental is the clutch in the manual stick of the song; Marsala’s vocals are the consistently fast acceleration that helps this track move. It’s the perfect summer late-night driving song.

Overall, Story Of The Year continues to harness and perfect their sound with their latest album. The band finds the perfect balance between bombastic and subtle, with Phillips and Marsala leading the way. This album will tear you to pieces in the best way possible.