Ever since they arrived on the scene in 2003 with their debut album, Page Avenue, Story of the Year have built a reputation as a band that have mastered post-hardcore ferocity and pop-punk buoyancy. Now, with their seventh studio album, A.R.S.O.N., out now via SharpTone Records, the group are reflecting on just how much chaos, catharsis, and crowd-surfing anthems have defined the last two decades. A.R.S.O.N., an acronym for “All Rage, Still Only Numb,” represents the tension between their unfiltered fury and the emotions that drive their songwriting.
Read more: 5 most underrated post-hardcore albums of the 2000s
There’s a sense of lineage woven into A.R.S.O.N. Story of the Year pull from the heaviest corners of their discography — best heard in the gigantic riff that defines “Gasoline,” a guest verse from longtime friend Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach during “Fall Away,” and the metallic guitar solo of “Halos.” It’s easy to hear the DNA of their early 2000s days, but it’s sharpened by the decades of experience they’ve shared as a unit.
Speaking with AP, the band ranked the heaviest songs on the album — and unpacked how they define “heavy” in 2026.
11. “Better Than High”
Coming in last on the heavy meter is a song I absolutely love. It’s heavy in its own way, as the lyrics get pretty vulnerable and philosophical in nature.
10. “My Religion”
Colin [Brittain], our producer, brought this cool, old 1980s drum machine into a session, and it was total vibe. Someone picked up an acoustic and just started jamming those chords, and the song just kind of happened. Me being the cheesy, feely dude I am, a couple of days later, I was having a deep conversation with him about music giving me a sense of purpose in life and the thing I love most besides my family. I said the words “music is my religion.” Colin said that was really impactful to him, and we should write a song about it, except make it about a person instead of music.
9. “Good For Me / Feel So Bad”
Definitely some ’90s Deftones inspiration happening here. Not really heavy, but a cool vibe.
8. “3am”
Definitely the most emo/screamo vibes on the record, but it still rips when Dan starts screaming those verses.
7. “See Through”
The chorus really opens up in a beautiful and vulnerable way, but there is a darkness to the verses, and the bridge goes pretty hard for a love song.
6. “Fall Away”
That main low-tuned riff just hits you in the face.
5. “Halos”
These kinds of classic Story of the Year riffs are heavily inspired by growing up listening to bands like Refused and Boy Sets Fire. We’re just letting it rip, tapping into those hardcore/punk-rock roots.
4. “Into The Dark”
The vocal performance is similar to the verses of Gasoline in that they have a raw intensity to them that jumps out of the speakers. Watching [our co-producer] Dan Book’s face when Dan was tracking the vocals was definitely a highlight of the record. I don’t think he expected such furious screaming from the band that brought you “Until the Day I Die.” And I love the way the main verse grooves.
3. “Disconnected”
The main riff is lower than we’ve ever tuned before, and the bridge just hammers you.
2. “I Don’t Wanna Feel Like This Anymore”
OK, the music isn’t heavy. There are no heavy riffs, no chugs, or anything that you would call traditionally “heavy.” But to me, the lyrics are incredibly heavy. Shortly after recording that song, the engineer Kevin [McCombs] told me a story about the effect this song had on his partner, who was going through some extremely difficult stuff at the time. Hearing the effect it had on this person really floored me, because when writing the chorus lyrics, I had a specific person in mind going through something similar, and it gives me a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
1. “Gasoline”
Duh, the riff! And Dan is absolutely just letting it rip. It might be the most wild and rebellious in spirit performance he’s ever had on record. The bridge might be the heaviest thing we’ve ever done.
