Album Review: State Champs – ‘Living Proof’

State Champs is back and better than ever with their third full-length album available June 15 via Pure Noise Records. Vocalist Derek DiScanio, Guitarists Tyler Szalkowski and Tony “Rival” Diaz, Bassist Ryan Scott Graham, and Drummer Evan Ambrosio have truly outdone themselves with Living Proof.

I fell in love with this album from the first chords of the opening track, “Criminal”. Both lyrically and musically this album is elevated (ha- get it?) from anything State Champs has ever done before.

Every time I have listened to this album I’ve gotten chills. The three-year wait since Around the World and Back was well worth it. This is a State Champs we’ve never seen before. Every track shows a new side to the band.

We’ve already gotten a taste of the new record with tracks “Crystal Ball,” “Dead and Gone,” and “Our Time to Go,” but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some of my favorite tracks from Living Proof are “The Fix-Up,” “Time Machine,” and “Sidelines.”

Every song on Living Proof made me love State Champs even more than I did before. They really proved that they can change and adapt within the music community. As soon as we think they have a definitive sound, State Champs shows they have a few more tricks up their sleeves.

State Champs proves with this album that they’re ready to join the ranks of All Time Low or Sleeping With Sirens. If Living Proof is this good already, I can’t wait to see how this new music translates live on stage. Catch State Champs on Warped Tour all summer and get Living Proof on June 15^th.

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