Viral marketing has started for Story Of The Year‘s upcoming new album. A trailer titled “The Black Swan” can be seen below. The video links to armyoftheblackswan.com where you can hear a new song from the band and a timer is counting down until January 29th.

Story Of The Year recently posted an update on their signing with Epitaph Records and their decision to do so. The band also talks about the recording of their new album. You can read the update below.

Greetings from St Louis, MO. So did you all hear the news about us being on a new label? We are really excited. What’s funny is that it’s not only us that’s doing this, bands like Thrice are going the same way we are; they went from a major to an indy (Vagrant.) Fucking Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead have both severed ties with major labels, and are releasing music themselves. Radiohead is supposed to eventually release their new record with a independent, but for now, they are fucking label free. It’s a crazy time. People don’t buy records anymore (well, most people anyway), and the major labels are totally freaking out. They are dropping bands and resigning them for half the money. They are firing everybody. They are taking bands merch and touring income. It’s nuts. If a band doesn’t have a mega bubble-gum shiny pop hit, chances are the label will not even put the record out, much less push it. To me, it just doesn’t seem like a very cool environment to be in. The music would eventually suffer, and that’s fucked. How can you be creative if you’ve got people calling you right and left telling you how your record should sound? So our situation is definitely what you would call a blessing in disguise, because at first I was freaking out a little bit. But when all is said and done, the music is the only thing that matters, and I know we made a great choice with Epitaph. We make music that we love and that we want to hear. We don’t give a fuck if its rock, polka, metal, or country. If we love it, than we are happy, and we are with a label that understands that…. ….. ….. So that being said, this record is definitely shaping up to be our best yet!!!! We have spent so much time writing, and even though we have basically disappeared for the last year, it was the best thing that we could of done. I’ve personally written over 60 songs, and about 30 of them the band has turned into full on Story of the Year songs. (The rest I’m selling to Cher) From these we have to pick about 15 to record. That will suck – I love them all. But fucking great songs. My band rules. Dan’s lyrics (with help from the beloved skull) have gone above and beyond any he has done. A couple of these songs go deeper than I would have ever expected. Phil’s voice sounds like pure sex, Josh is fucking crushing, and my riffs are like buffalos running over old people. I feel like as a songwriter and guitarist, these songs are my best ever… ….. …. We’ve already finished recording with Feldman. It actually couldn’t of been any better. We spent about 2 weeks or so with him in Los Angeles and did 4 songs, and now we head to Virginia on thursday where we will spend a couple of weeks doing the rest of the record with Mr Elvis Baskette. (He has worked on 2 of my favorite records : Incubus / Make Yourself and Stone Temple Pilots / CORE). We are going to live in a stellar beach house right on the ocean and make music all night and day. It’s going to be amazing. I feel like the luckiest person alive sometimes. I wouldn’t trade my band and music for all the money in the world. Fuck i want everyone to hear this record NOW!!! …. ……. …… We finished with Feldman a bit early so I got to fly home to St Louis for a couple of days. It’s so rad here in the fall. The trees are all turning orange and red and it’s cool enough to wear jackets and jeans. I fucking love the fall. Last night I saw Into the Wild. AMAZING. I read the book, and it just made the movie better, which is usually the opposite. This movie hit me real hard.
I almost teared up a bit. But I don’t cry, I lift weights and drink beer and bbq dead things. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and share my thoughts with my lovely fans. Record and DVD coming. Tours coming. Videos coming. Studio picture diary coming. We are full steam ahead. ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK…. Ryan

Epitaph Records have signed the famed alt/rock group Story of the Year. The band will hit the studio with longtime producer John Feldmann, the release is scheduled for the spring of ’08.