Story of the Year

For some odd reason, Story of the Year gained a cult-like following when they released blasé single "Until the Day I Die" in 2004. A harsh truth for fans: the song and accompanying album weren't great and shouldn't have gotten the buzz machine warmed up. Unfortunately for the band and their fans, who have built them up to mythical proportions, not much has changed; it's still the same middling, punk-tinged rock with the occasional melody that hits the right spot for a fleeting moment. The Constant thoughtlessly genre-hops with little purpose throughout its 11 tracks. Riff-heavy rock'n'roll ("The Children Sing") gives way to a Hoobastank clone ("I'm Alive"), which turns into chugging hardcore ("Won Threw Ate") and eventually lands on a piano-driven ballad ("Holding On To You"). There's nothing wrong with diversity, but it doesn't sound natural on the album and makes it more confusing than anything else. Do the band even know what they want to do? Even the Weezer-esque Moog chorus and Dan Marsala's smooth vocals on "Remember A Time" can't save this album.