Story of the Year

STORY OF THE YEAR
The Constant
Epitaph
Rating:

We’ve got to hand it to Story of the Year: It’s the sign of a brave band to open an album with the dulcet sound of singing children. But unfortunately it’s the sign of a very bad band to produce the song that follows, a horrifically maudlin yet totally earnest dirge called (what else?) “The Children Sing.” Things are slightly better on the rest of this tough-guy St. Louis sextet’s fourth album, stuffed as it is with adequately wide screen emo-metal ballads like “I’m Alive” and “Holding Onto You.” But the damage has been done. Next time, think of the children!