WHERE DOTH BE ATREYU?
Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 11:15am by Vince Neilstein
Just yesterday I saw a kid an Atreyu shirt and thought to myself… “Where the fuck has THAT band been lately?”
Metal Hammer doth answer my query today; apparently the band is in the studio with producer Bob Marlette, who, it should be noted, is not only a producer but a talented rock songwriter (Hollywood Records A&R exec to Atreyu: “Last record flopped. We’re getting you songwriting help. Deal with it.”)
As part of the original wave of So-Cal metalcore, Atreyu actually made a couple of decent albums in the early part of this decade (bring on the haterade, commenters!) while simultaneously drawing the blueprint for all the generic metalcore bands that followed. 2004’s The Curse was a solid slab of deliciously catchy yet heavy and not-at-all cheesy good cop / bad cop full of ’80s-inspired-cum-chugga-chug riffage. A Death-Grip on Yesterday followed in 2006 with similar results and the same, mostly unchanged musical formula, before Atreyu jumped to major label Hollywood Records for 2007’s Lead Sail Paper Anchor. The record completely shit the bed for both the band’s core fans and their new record label, and should get its own entry in the Encyclopedia (anyone still read those?) under “Why Metal Bands Shouldn’t Sign With Majors.” Lead Sails was a completely generic, over-produced, auto-tuned mess, and much to the disappointment of Hollywood very few people bought it.
Regarding the new record, which the band expects to be done tracking in June, singer Alex Varkatzas says, “We started as a heavy hardcore band, and I think we’ve gotten away from that in recent years. The last record, for example, showcased us as a rock band with heavy parts. With this record, we want to return to our roots while also continuing to move forward. It’s about finding the right balance between the two.” In non-bullshit speak, what this really means is, “We sold out on the last record and you called us out on it. Oops! We’ll try to be a little more tasteful this time.”
We shall see.
-VN
I always found this band appealing, hopefully they’ll turn it around.
I thought Lead Sails Paper Anchor was awesome BECAUSE it wasn’t just more generic -core.
There were actually a bunch of decent 80’s style ballads on there, while still catchy and still Atreyu.
More like Agayu
I LOVED The Curse and Suicide Notes is massively over looked. Death-Grip on Yesterday is good but kind of comes across weak compared to its predecessors. I like to think Lead Sails was a different band with the same name because except for like 3 songs it’s a pile of shit. Hopefully they’ll actually try to make a metalcore album this time.
Listen to The Hive by In Flames and then go listen to Right Side of the Bed.
Tell me if you hear a similarity.
Atreyu has absolutely no talent and should all be lined up and shot.
THANK YOU! SOMEONE ELSE NOTICES THE BLATANT RIPOFF! I didn’t mind the curse and then I realized…WHAT THE DUCE?! A RIPOFF OF AN IN FLAMES SONG! That record was tossed and never spoke of again.
Suicide notes is probably their best album, then followed by Deathgrip.
Not to disrespect Atreyu but what makes you think any of them actually heard an In Flames song?
Well if i were going to rip any band off it would be In Flames. Then again that would make me a band from Massachusetts.
Epic win, right there!
wow you’re exactly right. i think they should’ve just called it a loose cover or something, because the riff is really too similar to be coincidence.
Vince, I’m all for being musically open-minded – but Atreyu was a band skyriden to popularity by the raised awareness of a genre that, for whatever reason, is not despised as much as Nu-Metal.
Regardless of its not only musical but stylistic similarities. It’s like these kids simply acknowledging that they’re kids made it acceptable. Nu-Metal pushed out some pretty rotten crap, but can you get much more stereotypical than “Suicide Notes & Butterfly Kisses”?
I like changes and evolutions in musical genres, but in all honesty, hair metal was more creative and enjoyable than some of the stuff this genre has pushed out. Their fans began as the whiney teenage emo “wiccan” girls that quite unfortunately, I had to grow up with.
Nu-Metal fans devoted themselves to simply being moronic idiots. All other music sucked to them because “it sucks”. That I can deal with, that’s like talking to a hardcore Slayer fan.
Fans of this dribble.. declared that all other music sucked because theirs was the most emotionally meaningful and spiritually deep.
Yeah, about as deep as Celine Dion.
I recognize that a lot in the genre are somewhat talented musicians, but that doesn’t forgive the fact that the majority of the music in the genre is extremely similar, there’s no variety because there are very little places to GO with it.
(This entire rant holds Trivium as the rare exception to the predictability, since they actually went out of their way to develop a unique and strong sound – after two albums had already come out. I believe they’re quoted as saying “We decided to change because we really don’t like screaming music and don’t know why we’re doing it”. Sound like a record company saying, “THIS IS POPULAR, MAKE IT!” to you?)
Atreyu can’t be classified as “generic metalcore”, because they were there in the beginning. Good article though, Vince. Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Atreyu is my second favorite band all-time (not gonna say what #1 is), because, say what you will, their first three records are absolutely amazing. The only thing I disagree with is the thinking that they need help with their writing. Anyone that’s heard “Dilated”, “Shameful”, or “This Flesh A Tomb” knows that they have no problems writing good music. Honestly, they just need to not sell out so much.
sayit. SAYIIT goddamit
Can’t! To ashamed!! :(
Flopped? “Becoming the Bull” and “Falling Down” were their two biggest radio hits, I believe. Too bad they are both awful songs, and the band has never really done anything worthwhile…
still flopped compared to the fact that they were now on a major label, and thus should be selling major label numbers.
Lets say they sold 4,000 in the first week for victory… That’s great for them… but 4,000 copies for disney? That’s a sneeze in the wind my friend.
Yea dood I was into Atreyu way back in the day, like 2004, man RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED MAN so fuckin heavy daawg
Give me a fucking break
dood taht opening track with the tapping and double bass and shit SO FUCKIN HEAVY almost as good as sUiCiDe NoTeS *&* xBUTTERFLYx XkissesX
I just peed myself a little.
old atreyu was sick
I guess I am not th metallest of metal fans but I loved the Curse and A Death Grip on Yesterday. I like some songs off lead sails and suicide notes and yes I realize all of the albums ahve some flaws and they have a pretty similar routine with the sing scream combo. THat being said, I just don’t get the appeal of bands like cannibal corpse or other bands that just employ no melody what so ever. To me metal was always about taking technicality to the extreme and that includes having a good vocal range.
Anyway, hope the new album kicks ass.
The band is sellout, I know what just do expect for their new album – Mainstream middle of the range music. Sure they have some musical talent but they cannot be compared to some such as James Malone for example, that is just raw excellency.
I know people enjoy this music and whatever, I respect that but I think what takes true talent is to be individual and make original music. Sure they have a few hooks in their songs but if you average it off it really isn’t great. If you listen to the newest two Cannibal Corpse albums you find they are a lot more technical and melodical than anything Atreyu can spit out.
I expect to see this band fade away and disappear from the realm of ‘metalcore’ and hopefully all the other crappy uninspired bands in this genre will follow suite. I seriously doubt anything controversial with their next album – Nothing like Heartwork.
Maybe I’ll be surprised ?
The main riff in Becoming the Bull is damn catchy, as is the chorus on that Right side of the bed song, even though that song totally ripped off In Flames.
I dont fucking care if they are back. their old stuff sucks, their new stuff sucks. and most importantly THEY RUINED FAITH NO MORE’S EPIC! WHAT THE FUCK!?
Zounds! Methinks Atreyu be villainous wretches!
Fie, for they doth selleth out.
Me p’refer Killswitch Engagéd for thine gayeth auditory delights.
Wow… I don’t think anyone could have said it better.
i was going to have some smart ass comment to add, but this guy’s take’s it. That’s fuckin’ funny…I don’t care who you are.
I agree Lead Sails Paper Anchor sucked. Although it had a few okay songs.
I thought Death Grip was their best album. Hopefully we’ll see a return to form with the new one.
seriously could fucking care less. pretty sure this record will be bullshit. thats what they do.
Atreyu got me into (better) metal. Therefore a pretty major debt is owed. I’ll probably listen to the new album all the way through at least once but I doubt it’ll be worth buying.
After all, Lead Sails was a piece of shit. Even Atreyu know that.
Atreyu were one of the bands that really got me into heavier music. I still think that the whole goth tinged, more hardcore than metal thing that the whole So-Cal scene had at the time produced some of the best metalcore records ever(namely Avenged Sevenfold’s Waking the Fallen, Atreyu’s Suicide Notes and The Curse, and Eighteen Visions Vanity). There was a lot more emotion and texture behind the music.
Once Atreyu moved away from that and released Deathgrip I started to lose interest. The record has a few good songs but overall lacks any sort of passion. Lead Sails was just shit.
Unfortunately I can’t help but still be excited for another record. So here’s to hoping they don’t let me down.
Did the last album flop then? I didn’t realise it had done that badly.
They could learn a lot from the first three Rainbow albums – just the right mix of well placed medieval themes with expert musicianship. It’s just a thought.
Actually, as many people as there are that didnt care for Lead Sails Paper Anchor, it did NOT flop what-so-ever. It believe it sold over 400K, that is not a flop by any means.
Still, the album pussied out, hope the next has a bit more grime and edge to it.
Over 400k is great! Like I said earlier, The Curse, which was on an independent label, Victory, and sold 400k. Lead Sails, Paper Anchor was on Hollywood Records, a Disney owned label, and could only push over 400k. Tony Brummel may be a dick, but 400k is impressive… to Disney, it is nothing.
Who doth care?
Guys who don’t type like they’re at a fucking D&D game.
Who gives a shit where they’ve been, are going or what the fuck they’re recording.
Atreyu always sucked.