Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1995 under the name 67 North. and went on to sell 846,000 copies in the US by 2007. Pictures of the band members' bruised faces were posted on their homepage. The members of Godsmack were not involved in the fight.

Live in the Lou/Bassassins (a CD/DVD combo of live performances and touring video) was released on May 10, 2005. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in late 2005, indicating shipment of over 50,000 units as it is video longform format.

In the Wake of Determination (2004–2006)

After the Page Avenue tour ended in late 2004, Story of the Year returned to the studio with producer Steve Evetts in 2005, to record their second studio album. In the Wake of Determination, released on October 11, 2005, is much heavier sounding than the previous album. As of October 2007, the album had sold 180,000 units and failed to achieve the same success that the band's two previous releases had. Although not as successful as its predecessor, the album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard 200.

The Black Swan (2007–2009)

Story of the Year released The Black Swan in 2008. For the album, they brought back producer John Feldmann and Elvis Baskette. The album received praise from music critics and achieved decent commercial success, more so than the previous album. The success was led by the first single off album, "Wake Up".

For the recording of The Black Swan, Story of the Year decided to end their five-year relationship with Maverick and signed with Epitaph Records.

Story of the Year played on 2008's Taste of Chaos International tour with Atreyu.

The Constant (2009–2010)

In May 2009, Story of the Year began work on another album. On December 31, the band released "I'm Alive" to radio airplay.

The Constant, was released on February 16, 2010 through Epitaph Records. The Deluxe Edition, available on iTunes, has two bonus tracks, "Your Unsung Friend" and "Tonight We Fall".

Story of the Year recorded a cover of Waterproof Blonde's song "Just Close Your Eyes" for professional wrestler Christian Cage. Their cover version was included in WWE Music album A New Day, Vol. 10 that was released on January 28, 2010.

Side-projects and hiatus (2011–2013)

Bassist Adam Russell was announced to be the bassist of post-hardcore band Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, along with Craig Owens (lead vocalist, Chiodos), Matt Good (guitarist, From First to Last), Nick Martin (guitarist, Underminded) and Aaron Stern (drummer, Matchbook Romance). Russell left Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows in 2012.

Singer Dan Marsala formed a comedy punk rock side-project in 2009 named The Fuck Off and Dies. The band has gone on to release two full-length albums, Songs In The Key Of Fuck (2011) and Dear Liver (2015).

Guitarists Ryan Phillips and Philip Sneed continued to pursue their side project, Greek Fire. They have released a debut EP and two independent albums, Deus Ex Machina and Lost/Found.

Bassist Adam Russell and guitarist Ryan Phillips set out to make a movie about rise and fall of the music industry and where it stands today called "Who Killed (Or Saved!) The Music Industry". Funded by Kickstarter, they were filming in 2013.

On February 4, 2011, at The Pageant in their hometown of St. Louis, the band performed their first album, Page Avenue, in its entirety, as well as other fan favorites. They posted that this was a "thank you" show to all their dedicated fans for 10 years together. City Spud, of the St. Louis rap group St. Lunatics, made a guest appearance during the show.

Reunion, Page Avenue 10th anniversary tour (2013–2014)

On March 8, 2013, the band announced they reunited for a world tour to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut album Page Avenue. It was also stated that the band has re–recorded Page Avenue, entitled Page Avenue: Ten Years and Counting with release date on October 8, 2013. Originally they planned it to be a full acoustic version of the album, but after the collaboration with City Spud during their concert in 2011 they decided to re–record the album with a different feel to each song rather than just acoustic versions.

Wolves and lineup changes (2014–2019)

On September 30, 2014, the band announced on their Facebook page that bass player Adam Russell left the band. The band also said they were writing a fifth album. On November 7, 2016, the band announced via their PledgeMusic page that they would be releasing a new album sometime in 2017 entitled Wolves. On October 25, 2017, via their Facebook page, the band confirmed the PledgeMusic exclusive release date of Wolves on December 1, with the album's wide release taking place on December 8. According to Wall of Sound, the album has hints of the band's earlier work scattered throughout and a vintage feel, akin to that of Stranger Things.

In March 2018, Philip Sneed announced his departure from the band citing he was let go via management, and not long after, the band announced the return of Adam Russell.

Tear Me to Pieces (2020–2025)

Beginning in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Story of the Year performed their first three albums in three individual livestreams under the title Ghost Signal.

In March 2021, Page Avenue was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The band released their new single "Real Life" on August 24, alongside the announcement that they had signed with SharpTone Records and a new set of tour dates alongside Hawthorne Heights and Escape the Fate. In October, it was announced that Story of the Year's sixth album would be called Tear Me to Pieces, with a new music video for the title track. The album was released on March 10, 2023.

A.R.S.O.N. (2025–present)

In October 2025, the band released the first single "Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb)" for their new upcoming album "A.R.S.O.N.", which was released on February 13th, 2026.

The band are confirmed to be appearing at Welcome to Rockville taking place in Daytona Beach, Florida in May 2026. They will support Silverstein on tour later in the year along with Origami Angel.

Musical style and influences

Story of the Year has been categorized under several genres, especially emo, post-hardcore, and pop-punk. AllMusic describe the band as hard rock, as well as "emo punk" and "emo-inflected post-grunge" and melodic hardcore. Story of the Year's material as Big Blue Monkey is considered nu metal.

The band's influences include Skid Row, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, NOFX, Pennywise, Sick of It All, and H<sub>2</sub>O.

  • Dan Marsala – lead vocals (2000–2011, 2013–present), drums, percussion (1995–2000)
  • Ryan Phillips – lead guitar (1995–2011, 2013–present), rhythm guitar (1995–2000, 2014–present)
  • Adam Russell – bass guitar, backing vocals (2000–2011, 2013–2014, 2018–present)
  • Josh Wills – drums, percussion (2000–2011, 2013–present)

;Former

  • John Taylor — lead vocals (1995–2000)
  • Perry West — bass guitar (1995–2000)
  • Philip Sneed – rhythm guitar (2003–2011, 2013–2014), backing vocals (2003–2011, 2013–2018), keyboards, piano (2007–2011, 2013–2018), bass guitar (2014–2018)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

  • Page Avenue (2003)
  • In the Wake of Determination (2005)
  • The Black Swan (2008)
  • The Constant (2010)
  • Wolves (2017)
  • Tear Me to Pieces (2023)
  • A.R.S.O.N. (2026)

References

  • Story of the Year collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive