After breaking up their long five year tenure with Maverick Records, and thirteen years of being together as a band (formerly known as Big Blue Monkey, 1995-2001), Story of the Year (a.k.a. Story or SOTY) is back  with a brand new album on Epitaph Records called "The Black Swan".

This St. Louis quintet is well known for their earlier material that included upbraiding the innocence of punk-rock with an eccentricity of post-hardcore in order to achive farcical catchy songs. The Black Swan is by far their best work up to date. The production stands out as some of the best in hard-rock. The frankness in the lyrics will make you sometimes express tenderness or maybe even sob until you get the blues, and the get-up-and-go behind the music will stew inside your head to the point that you will be subliminally begging for more. What i love the most about the album is the changes it presents, or to be a bit more exact, its elasacity which shows the evolution of the band as musically inclined, as well as mentally. From a fierced radio-friendly song with harmonious melodies such as "Wake Up", to a slow indie-serenade like "Terrified". Top 10 album of the year by far.

Overall its a great album, and well worth a listen.