STORY OF THE YEAR “A.R.S.O.N.” ALBUM REVIEW!

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StoryOf The Year recently released their seventh studio album, A.R.S.O.N., out everywhere now via SharpTone Records.

“With A.R.S.O.N., we wanted to continue the energy and momentum that we built on Tear Me To Pieces. We once again put every bit of heart and soul into writing songs that we truly love and connect with,” shares frontman Dan Marsala. “A.R.S.O.N. has some of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written, but also some of the biggest choruses of our career. We’ve never been afraid to take chances with our writing, and this record is no different! We went back with the amazing Colin Brittain to produce and co-write, with help from co-producers Dan Book and Kevin McCombs. Such an amazing team of talented humans! They continue to make our band sound better than ever!”

After seeing Story of the Year nearly a dozen times live and hearing their classic anthems over the span of two decades, there’s still something that feels “new” when hearing Story Of The Year in 2026. It doesn’t feel like nostalgia or something new, A.R.S.O.N. sounds like a band that still has something to prove, maybe even to themselves.

From the first track, Gasoline, an appropriate title, the record is on fire. The guitars hit hard and fast, and the drums feel urgent, like the band is pushing everything forward. Dan Marsala’s voice carries that familiar mix of rasp and melody, but there’s more weight and age behind it now, but still carries as though he’s still in his 20’s while also sounding like he’s trying to relive the early 2000s, it’s more like someone who’s lived through them.

What stands out most on A.R.S.O.N. is how raw it feels. The album title, which stands for All Rage Still Only Numb, sums up the entire mood for the record and encapsulating a feeling that a lot of people understand right now. The songs show frustration, burnout, doubt, and the emotional static of life in 2026.

The band hasn’t abandoned any of their roots. You hear the tight riffs, the tense builds, and the punchy breakdowns that make a SOTY song, but there’s also a sense of restraint. This album doesn’t throw everything at the wall just to be loud, everything feel intentional. When things get quieter, it’s to let the emotion land and the lyrics or melody breath and when the music explodes, it feels worth the wait.

A.R.S.O.N. isn’t about reinventing Story Of The Year. It’s about polishing who they already are without losing their self. In a genre where so many bands either die out or fade away, Story of the Year does all of that while still staying true to theirselves and most importantly their fans.

Check out the tracklisting for the new album, as well as STORY OF THE YEAR's latest single "GASOLINE" all available below!

STORY OF THE YEAR - GASOLINE

A.R.S.O.N. Tracklisting