Story Of The Year kick off 2026 by proving it was never “just a phase” with their highly anticipated seventh studio album, A.R.S.O.N. The post-hardcore veterans could not have picked a better time to re-enter the scene, with the revival of ‘mall emo’ and the nostalgia of the MySpace era running hot through heavy music right now.
A.R.S.O.N. (or “All Rage Still Only Numb”) encapsulates classic post-hardcore angst. The LP ticks every genre box worth ticking: heartbreak, frustration with the world, and persevering despite it all. With awful news bombarding the public in what feels like a never ending cycle of tragedies, A.R.S.O.N. is a roughly thirty-minute encapsulation of wanting to burn the world down, whilst simultaneously harbouring hope that somehow, it will get better.
‘Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb)’ immediately punches you in the face with a riff that would not be out of place within a modern metalcore group. As the lead single, this shift in genre from their usual anthemic pop-punk sound is a delightfully nasty surprise. Dan Marsala’s fry-screams open the album up to defying expectations across the board. It is a tune absolutely meant to be played and heard live, literally instructing the listener to “two-step in the yard,” with a chorus so catchy it was made to be sung right back at the band.
The rest of A.R.S.O.N. follows the usual pop-punk conventions of high energy melodies and anti-love-letter prose. Scattering metalcore influences around, the polished production and soft-loud dynamics on tracks like ‘Disconnected’ and ‘Halos’ keep things from feeling too dated, despite the obvious emphasis on nostalgia.
On the topic of nostalgia centred around 2000s alt-rock, the addition of Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach to ‘Fall Away’ is a fun, punchy use of a feature. The blend of gritty, nu-metal vocals transitioning into catchy pop hooks is a definite standout on the LP, as if the band are double-checking that the listener is present and properly paying attention.
A personal highlight on the album is the penultimate track, ‘Better Than High.’ The song itself is an acoustic, melodic outlier amongst the high energy pop-rock of the rest of A.R.S.O.N. It is an optimistic proclamation to the listener that even through dark days, the right person can make every hardship worth it. “Even if there’s no God, there’s still a point to love” is a line that sticks, a sentiment that could not be more fitting right now.
A.R.S.O.N. culminates on the anthemic ‘I Don’t Wanna Feel Like This Anymore,’ with hopeful, power-ballad tempo drums and swelling guitars contradicting the angst-fuelled lyricism. The track works as an impactful farewell in how raw and vulnerable it is, though it is a pessimistic note to end on.
All in all, Story Of The Year have outdone themselves whilst staying true to their roots on A.R.S.O.N. As a pop-punk album, it truly has everything the genre can offer, with the addition of genre-blending allowing it to hold up against the current scene.