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 ATREYU
– The Curse (Victory
Records) Once again the mighty Victory Records has churned out another
blistering album, The Curse; the
highly anticipated sophomore release from Atreyu. The band found their
niche in the hardcore scene with their 2002 release Suicide
Notes and Butterfly Wings. Filled with 12 chaotic and emotional songs
of metallic guitar riffs and catchy melodies, The
Curse explores themes of isolation, paranoia, redemption, immortality
and solace. The album starts off with a goth-like intro of screams,
singing, and yes, synthesizers that comfortably rolls into “Bleeding
Mascara,” one of the harder, more aggressive tracks on the album.
“Right Side of the Bed” and “This Flesh a Tomb” expose a much
softer side of Atreyu that is geared toward appealing a more mainstream
audience courtesy of drummer Brandon Saller effects-bolstered melodic
singing. Yet, not to disappoint the hardcore fanatic, “You Eclipsed by
Me” (the hardest song on the album) is packed with breakdowns, meaty,
unpolished screaming and chants that even a veteran-hardcore fan would
scream along with. The latter tracks mark the maturity Atreyu has
undergone since their formation as Saller and vocalist Alex Varkatzas
explore new boundaries of their dual-vocals, mending past mistakes while
knitting their web of melody and screaming together perfectly. Adding to
the puzzle, guitarist Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs work coincidentally,
never once over-shadowing the other while tearing down past boundaries
(lack of guitar quality) and creating a legendary (yes, you read that
correctly) guitar duo loaded with ferocious breakdowns, tedious
finger-tapping, searing solos and consonant melodies. “Five Vicodin
Chased with a Shot of Clarity,” by-far the best song on The Curse, incorporates the ever-present screams interlaced with
melody along with a bone-shattering chant closing the album, “This is,
This is life….This is, This is struggle….This is, This is love....This
is, This is War!” The mettle on the album never slows down and never
gives in to any trepidation that Atreyu previously had creating an almost
flawless hardcore album. Although the 80’s British Metal influence is
still present, Atreyu have perfected their genre bending hardcore to a new
threshold. Fans old and new should pick this album up immediately; it will
never leave your cd player. — Mike Blanks
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