Story of the Year’s latest disc fresh yet familiar

There's a certain comfort in familiarity.

Perhaps it's knowing which traffic light always takes forever, recognizing the faces of co-workers or knowing what to expect when you pull into your neighborhood.

Then there are times, like when listening to Story of the Year, when familiarity takes on a whole new meaning.

For fans who have followed this high-energy bunch from the beginning, there's little difficulty in correlating Story of the Year's latest release, "The Black Swan," to earlier discs.

In 2003, Story of the Year debuted with "Page Avenue," which was propelled by the ear-catching riffs of "Until the Day I Die," followed by the acoustic melodies of "Anthem of Our Dying Day."

While not quite as successful as their debut, the band's 2005 sophomore album, "In the Wake of Determination," boasted such angst-laden hits as "We Don't Care Anymore" and "Take Me Back."

With the release of "The Black Swan," fans should have no trouble noticing that these rockers have found their niche.

Unlike most MTV-savvy musicians, Story of the Year has maintained the same musical style for their past three discs.

It's obvious that it suits them well.

Album opener "Choose Your Fate," is a heavy, scream-laced outburst, which, from the beginning, exemplifies the band's energized presence. It can most easily be compared to previous hits such as "Divide and Conquer" and "March of the Dead."

"Wake Up," the album's first single, begins with a catchy, rising and falling guitar riff that soon syncs into a medium-paced verse that questions our appreciation of time.

"Are we missing what it is to be alive?" singer Dan Marsala asks before the song transcends into a harder hitting chorus.

Other likely hits include "The Antidote" and mellower cuts such as "Terrified" and "We're Not Gonna Make It," which break up the more amplified tracks with lighter melodies and softer spoken lyrics.

Sure, the album has its flaws, such as a sound that's almost too consistent between tracks as well as few lyrics that are automatically memorable; but fortunately, the songs are extremely tight, so similar-sounding passages are permissible and the lyrics eventually sink in.

Either way, "The Black Swan," is not only in line with Story of the Year's earlier sound, but it's full of fresh lyrics and ideas. The band's albums continue to appeal to new listeners, while satisfying fans of their earlier work.

And that's a Story worth hearing over and over again.