By: Reid Conner <[email protected]>

“The Black Swan” is the third studio album from alternative-metal band Story of the Year. Combining the catchy, sing-a-long choruses characteristic of their debut album “Page Avenue” with the heavier sound of “In The Wake of Determination,” the band’s third effort is a surprising success.

For fans of Story of the Year who enjoyed “Page Avenue” more than “In The Wake of Determination,” you’re part of the majority. The good news is that for “The Black Swan,” Story of the Year went back to work with John Feldmann, the producer of “Page Avenue.”

This album seems to mix elements from both their previous works to create a somewhat new sound for the band, which isn’t bad. After all, who wants to listen to the something they’ve heard twice before?

The opening track, “Choose Your Fate,” is a hard hitter, bordering on the post-hard core genre. Filled with chunky power chords, fast riffs and being one of only two tracks on the album with screamed verses, this was one of my personal favorites.

In between the opening track and the equally intense “Welcome To Our New War,” fans will find a variety of cookie-cutter songs intermixed with stand-out, thought provoking tracks. The value of human life, anti-war feelings and a “live your life to the fullest” attitude are themes that are present in a lot of the songs on this album. It’s nice to listen to uplifting lyrics rather than the immature garbage a lot of musicians spew out.

Other especially notable tracks include “Angel in the Swamp,” “Tell Me (P.A.C.)” and “We’re Not Gonna Make It.” “We’re Not Gonna Make It” tells the story of an interracial couple trying to overcome racial boundaries and seeking their parents’ approval.

The band decided to slow it down on the track “Terrified.” Think semi-acoustic rock ballad without any heavy instruments or vocals. For anyone familiar with “Page Avenue,” this track is comparable to the song “Sidewalks.” The song explores the emotions felt by a soldier and his pregnant wife as he leaves her to fight in a war.

“The Black Swan” is good, but not the band’s best. It’s hard to compare “Page Avenue” to their second and third albums since it is such a different sound, but in my opinion it remains their best work to date. By no means does that mean that “In the Wake of Determination” and “The Black Swan” aren’t great albums.

If you’re thinking of checking this band out, all three of their albums deserve to be listened to. If you’re more into alternative rock and radio friendly music, check out “Page Avenue” first. If you’re into heavier “metal” type music, check out “In the Wake of Determination.” If you don’t care either way, “The Black Swan” is the album for you, with a balance of each.