Buckle up for Story of the Year’s first album since 2017, as well as the first since original bassist Adam Russell made his entrance back into the group. The post-hardcore band is taking it back to Warped Tour days with this explosive, dynamic comeback record.

Starting out strong with a soft acoustic intro that breaks out into what’s to come throughout the remainder of the songs, “Tear Me to Pieces” would’ve been everyone’s MySpace song for months, with its hefty riffs and a commanding chorus. Conversely, “Use Me” closes out the album, sounding as if John Vesely of Secondhand Serenade wrote the song himself.

Moving into the second track, “Real Life”, we experience a different level of emotional songwriting, with an overarching message that even the things we find the most beautiful can also be the most painful. “Glow” and “Knives Out” lean into some soupy metalcore feels, while we then lead into “Dead and Gone”, which heavily lends to the sentimental vibes we’re all expecting to come off the LP.

Creeping into the record’s latter half, “2005” sends us into a pop-punk flashback, as if it was written in that year exactly. “Sorry About Me” is the perfect sad-boy counterpart to supervene it, making time-travel feel real for an enrapturing six minute adventure. These tracks are followed by “Take The Ride”, a quintessential sunny day piece, steering us straight into the warmer months at the time of release.

“Tear Me To Pieces” provides original fans with an unscathed classic SOTY sound that has aged gracefully and has been polished. The album in full hits bits of multiple different sub-genres, emotions, and pure nostalgic vibes, showcasing growth while still representing the roots of the artist, allowing it to be enjoyed by old & new fans.

8/10