Story Of The Year ‘Tear Me To Pieces’
Tear Me To Pieces is the thirty three minute slab of everything you want from a new Story Of The Year album. It has emo punk, metal, hooks, high and lows and it’s an absolute blast from start to finish.
It’s an album that deals with toxic relationships, hardships and a fair amount of good times, in fact my only complaint is it’s too short as all eleven songs fly by before you can blink.
Opening and title track Tear Me To Pieces opens with an acoustic guitars before breaking into a heavy riff all while still maintaining the pop punk vibes in a theme that continues throughout the album.
After that rather pleasant blast of metal Real Life has that pop punk sound you’d expect before itself explodes in a dynamic rage of guitars and drums which continues on Afterglow which is driven by a catchy chorus and grooves not out of place at a doom metal concert. This all while discussing the trauma bond that comes with a toxic partner.
Adam Russell’s bass drives Dead And Gone a song that burns from start to finish with chants of ‘too late to say your sorry’ before another crowd favourite line of ‘why does it feel so good to let you go, this is the death of something beautiful’ as the roof comes off in a powerful detonation of aggression.
The really heavy and aggressive stance continue with War which also mixes a dance beat as singer Dan Marsala continues the themes of betrayal. Don’t be fooled though, after the soft verses it’s all big sounding guitars.
By the time you move into the second half of the album, you been treated to dynamics between the light and dark of a modern metal band and Story Of The Year do reach back into their core for a couple of pop punk numbers with the reminiscing 2005, Sorry About Me and Take The Ride with the first of these a particular cherry flavoured musical beauty.
Knives Out is another that has potential to be a crowd favourite with its huge intro, soft verse and epic breakdown all held together by more betrayal before the album closes with the delicious and emotive Use Me, as Marsala sings about being numb for a person, used by them and bruised when left repeatedly. The guitar harmony in this track tugs on the heart strings.
That’s the thirty three mins of songs about toxic relationships, instantly catchy songs, big riffs over and you’re pressing repeat to listen to them again. And again.
Album six for Story Of The Year is arguably the album that cements the band as a genuine rock giant that transcends the sub genres. It’s an amazing album of emotions, sounds and visuals. It’s an album that will speak to every one of us. It’s an album that deserves to be huge.
Album Review By Iain McCallum
