Reviewed on Oct 8, 2005 by *Si*

There are two types of people in this world: those who like Atreyu, and those who do not.

There is a very small in-between, congregated by the usual fence-sitters, but their opinion is irrelevant so I shall not waste another sentence discussing them. Let’s get a few facts straight:

1. Atreyu are a metal band.
2. Atreyu’s singer has a very ‘interesting’ vocal style.
3. Atreyu are also a metal band.

It’s a combination of the above that seems to cause friction whenever their name is mentioned amongst certain circles. The punk rock kids don’t seem to like them unless they like metal, the metalcore kids don’t like them because they’ve ‘sold out’ (their previous release shifted 120 000 units), the emo kids are scared off by the riffs and make-up and the metal kids don’t like them because they’re ‘posers’.

However despite this people still buy their records in droves and they sell out show after show. Personally, my opinion of them has gone full circle. ‘Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses’ would have been a great record if the vocals hadn’t totally ruined it. The riffery and technical mastery on display was hard to ignore, but the lack of memorable tunes and aural vomiting of their frontman Alex Varkatzas was a major turn-off. It didn’t even give me a semi.

‘The Curse’ on the other hand, is verging on a masterpiece. On this occasion, Atreyu have become even more delightfully precise in their technical delivery, and Alex has matured his vocal style into something much more palatable and drummer Brandon Saller’s melodic backing singing is pushed right to the front. They play off each other very effectively, and every chorus on this release is enormously catchy. Perhaps it’s less confrontational than their previous incarnations, but it’s I don’t believe adding melody is dumbing anything down. Too many bands that subscribe to this genre are seemingly afraid of melody, when it’s really an asset.

And those metal album staples are all there too: the choral ethereal introduction (Blood Children) and the acoustic interlude (the cunningly titled ‘An Interlude’). The songs are about chicks too. Go Atreyu Crue, Go.

Highlights abound all over the place. The first single ‘Right Side of the Bed’ is instantly memorable and a perfect introduction into the dark and rather good looking world of Atreyu. Try and catch the video if you can, and you’ll see these guys decked out in what’s really a glorified Prada advert with hot leggy models wearing too much eyeliner, all concentrating very hard on looking vampish.

Very stylish, very ‘2004’, very catchy and to be honest, very good.

Related Links:

• www.atreyurock.com
• www.victoryrecords.com

1. Blood Children
2. Bleeding Mascara
3. Right Side of the Bed
4. This Flesh A Tomb
5. You Eclipsed By Me
6. The Crimson
7. The Remembrance Ballad
8. An Interlude
9. Corseting
10. Demonology and Heartache
11. My Sanity on the Funeral Pyre
12. Nevada's Grace
13. Five Vicodin Chased With a Shot of Clarity

Album Reviews

	A Death Grip On Yesterday Mar 28, 2006
	The Curse Jun 29, 2004

Gig Reviews

Sep 12, 2006 Effenaar

Interviews

	Nov 19, 2007 London Astoria
	May 23, 2005