In the Wake of Determination

by

Story of the Year

Edit

Well I got this album for christmas and am very glad I did so I will give you a review song by song.

1. We Don't Care Anymore- The first single off the album. A very good song with a catchy chorus, but also has some great screaming by Dan. 9/10

2. Take Me Back- My favorite song on the album. Sounds a little more like Page Ave. than We Don't Care Anymore. Nice little solo in the middle woth a tad bit of piano at the end. GREAT song. 11/10.

3. Our Time Is Now- One of the heavier songs on the cd but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of screaming in this one with a pretty fast chorus. The beginning has a nice hard rock/ metal feel to it. 9.5/10

4. Taste The Poison- A song sposed to be about addiction to a drug. Awesome bass line from Adam at about the 1:12 mark. Not much screaming in this one. Great solo at about the 2:50 mark and it leads up to it great. Another great song. 9/10.

5. Stereo- Good intro with a lot of screaming in the 1st minute. Dan just has a naturally good scream. This song sounds a lot like Page Ave. at some points with great back up vocals from Phil. This song is about how people just enter the music for the money. Great drums in this one. 8.5/10

6. Five Against The World- Not one of my favorite songs on the album. Still good though. This song has a really good chorus with back vocals from Phil that are outstanding. This might have my favorite solo on it from Ryan. Just another solid SOTY song. 8/10 ( 10/10 for the solo ).

7. Sleep- Slow intro on this one with a very Page Ave. feel on it. Gets heavier the further it goes into the song. A good song to listen to when you are going to sleep because it's very peaceful sounding. 7.5/10

8. Meathead- The fastest song by far on this song. One of my favorites on the album. Adam does a little screaming in this one also. This is your classic 2:25 punk rock song. A very good one though. 9/10.

9. March of the Dead- One of my favorite chorus's on the album that sounds a lot like Page Ave. but also has new stuff. This song is about thinking for yourself and not being a follower. Another good SOTY song. Another frickin sweet solo from Ryan in this song. 8.5/10.

10. Pay Your Enemy- Wow I love the lyrics in this song, especially when Dan sings " Now it's time to chase the dream with hand grenades and gasoline". The bridge on this song actually came off of a song thye didn't use for Page Ave. Good song, 8.5/10.

11. Wake up the Voiceless- Prolly my least favorite song on the album. Nothin really special about this one. It's got a more classic rock bassline in it and is a good song overall but I just don't like it near as much as other songs on here. 7/10.

12. " Is This My Fate? " he asked them- This has to be my 2nd favorite song on this album. Wow it just blows you away with the lyrics talking about discrimination and how people judge too much on what your race, religion, sex, or sexual preference. You just have to hear this song for yourself because it is so good. The guitars are perfect, the bass is perfect, the singing is perfect, and great use of the double bass pedal by Josh in this song. OUTSTANDING song. 11/10.

13. Hidden Track- Ok it isn't really hidden because it is a separate track and iisn't shown on the Name' of the track. This is a very good acoustic song that was going to be used at the beginning of Taste the Poison, but they decided to split them into 2 different tracks. Good song. 8/10.

Overall I give this album a 9.5/10. This album is outstanding and you should go buy one for you and your friends.

Story of the Year's return with "In the Wake of Determination", their sophomore album, showcases how the band has matured musically since the release of the emo-popular "Page Avenue". However, they are changing stylistically as well, something many older fans such as myself may not enjoy. For example, in "Page Avenue" the screaming was limited, making it seem more meaningful when it was used. In the new album, screaming is overused, appearing in nearly every track, often regularly. I hate to see SOTY becoming a band that screams every other line; their former originality was a thing that set them apart.

For another thing, the parental warning has gone from blaring "Explicit Content" (due to one incident in the enhanced material) to "Explicit Lyrics". I was not one that expected SOTY to abstain from profanity altogether, though it would have been a pleasant surprise. Cussing is used in unmeaningful context, giving an impression of trying to "be cool" rather than an emotional outlet. For example, "Stereo, stereo, tired B***S***" and "You're f****** weak"

A little bit of the old SOTY can be detected in this album, as in the songs 'Sleep', 'Wake Up the Voiceless', and the untitled hidden track, but if you're looking for something not far from "Page Avenue", this isn't it.