In 2002, a band
called Atreyu exploded out of Orange County. Previously
unknown to the rest of the world, the band released
their stunning debut album, Suicide Notes and Butterfly
Kisses, grabbing the attention of a wide spectrum of
music fans by demolishing the barriers between rock,
melodic hardcore and metal. The band's original, unique
music hit like a lightning bolt in hard music circles,
energizing audiences and redefining the hardcore sound
Southern California was known for. Atreyu hit the road,
and within a year were headlining their Bitter, Broken,
Bound and Gagged tour to sold out rooms across North
America. Critical raves poured in from publications
like LA Times, Guitar World, and Metal Maniacs, who
commented, "The Southern California five-piece
brings new definition to overnight success." Suicide
Notes and Butterfly Kisses has scanned 90,000 units
and shows no signs of slowing down. With their new album,
The Curse, Atreyu have honed their personal style even
more, exceeding all expectations and expanding the boundaries
of metallic rock yet again.
Atreyu headed home in late
2003 to write and record their second album, The Curse.
The cathartic process transformed the band. "We
were in the van for two years, and it seemed like
every time we left home, there would be a crisis with
someone close to us, and there was nothing we could
do to help. Eventually the van becomes like an isolation
chamber in which we internalized every trauma or negative
experience." Alex explains, "When we came
home and starting writing the album, everything came
pouring out, with the intensity of something new.
It was really cleansing." The band's torrent
of honesty and emotion resulted in one casualty; bassist
Chris Thomson left the band, to be replaced by Marc
McKnight, an old friend of the band.
"We are so fanatical when
it comes to our music, that we demo-ed every song
and put them in the sequence that they appear on the
album before we even chose a producer," recounts
Alex. GGGarth, famous for his work with bands like
Rage Against The Machine, Kittie and Testament, was
chosen to produce the album because his sincerity
and excitement about Atreyu outstripped any of the
other candidates. "Garth really believed in us
and after he heard the demos, he really wanted to
help us realize our vision. When we got to the studio
we were amazed - his ideas for the record were exactly
the same as ours! He also has a killer studio and
the technical capability to get the sound we were
looking for."
The Curse explores themes of
isolation and paranoia, memory and immortality as
well as power and potency. Songs like The Crimson
explore vampiric immortality, while The Remembrance
Ballad is a meditation on the brevity of life. "A
lot has happened in the past two years, and I started
realizing that I will die, that I can't control it,
so I started thinking about my choices while I am
living this life, and on trying to break everything
down and build back up into a person I can be proud
of", Alex explained. My Sanity On The Funeral
Pyre explores the harsh battle between paranoia and
peace of mind, in stark contrast with You Eclipsed
By Me, a howling roar of determination and strength
of will in the face of adversity. The first single
from The Curse will be hitting television and radio
airwaves this summer. Right Side Of The Bed reigns
as one of the most personal songs on the album according
to Alex. "There is so much contrast in the song,
it's a total rock song, but the lyrics reflect pure
pain for me -- regret and misery aren't usually presented
in that context, but it just worked well for us."
With an extraordinary album
ready to hit the streets, features in Alternative
Press, Revolver, Guitar World, Metal Edge, Hit Parader,
Outburn and numerous other national magazines, a North
American tour, the support of Active Rock radio and
the summer Ozzfest Tour, Atreyu are poised to reach
a huge audience and captivate them with their genre-bending
metallic rock. Their dynamic guitar assault combines
brilliant single-note leads and pummeling power chords,
offset by the melodic and guttural vocals. "We
blend it to make a prettier dark picture", Alex
comments. Atreyu made waves in the music world with
their debut, catching fans off guard with their original
style, but the story is just beginning - with The
Curse comes world domination.
Band description courtesy
of Luckymanonline.com
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