Released: Oct 27, 2009
Genre: Metalcore, Alternative Metal
Label: Hollywood, Roadrunner Records
Number Of Tracks: 13
Atreyu’s guitar team of Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel sustain the momentum on the band’s fifth studio album Congregation of the Damned.
Congregation Of The DamnedFeatured review by: UG Team, on november 04, 2009 3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Sound: Atreyu is a band that undoubtedly holds reverence for the guitar teams of metal’s classic era (i.e., Iron Maiden or Judas Priest), which is emphasized by the fact that so many of their latest songs revolve so heavily around a similar format. Guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel are an amazingly talented duo that deliver juicy riff after juicy riff on Atreyu’s latest record Congregation of the Damned, and they do end up keeping the momentum alive throughout the 13-track CD. One could argue that the band too often relies on big guitar parts, however, and the core songwriting suffers in the process. While there are some big choruses and catchy melodies on Congregation of the Damned, it does usually end up being the Dan-and-Travis Show.
And those two put on quite a show, indeed. From the neo-classical guitar intro of “Stop! Before It’s Too Late and We’ve Destroyed It All” to the Maiden-like harmonization of the title track, there’s little rest for those two. Besides being technically proficient, there does seem to be an effort to dabble in different styles and genres as far as the guitars go. An industrial vibe drives the cinematic “You Were The King, Now You’re Unconscious,” a more emotional, power ballad feeling is heard throughout “Storm To Pass,” and alternative, Cure-like effects are applied to the first few moments of the intro on “Coffin Nails.”
If you eliminate the obvious draw that is the guitar section, there are a few songs that could stand on their own. “Congregation of the Damned” features a powerful, big chorus that is the centerpiece for the entire song, while “Black Days Begin” contains several elements (from the grooving bass line to layered vocals to a Megadeth-like descending riff) that holds your attention. Atreyu has no shortage for creativity with their musical sections, and that is the selling point for Congregation of the Damned.
The main issue with the album is that drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller is a much better singer than frontman Alex Varkatzas. When Varkatzas decides not to scream and tries out a ballad, the vocals just fall flat. The closing number “Wait For You” has the potential to be moving and effective with a stripped-down, piano-driven setup, but Varkatzas doesn’t have the singing chops to pull it off. There will always be proponents for the screaming aspect of Atreyu, but Saller’s clean-yet-strong singing technique is powerful enough to not necessitate intermittent cries from Varkatzas. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrical content doesn’t quite match the grandiose nature of the instrumentation on the new album. There are some truly intricate musical sections, and it seems like only the bare basics are provided to fill in the lyrical portion. In the title track you hear such lines as, “I get carried away; Lost in a moment; Torn into pieces; Of violent display; I tear it away.” The song delivers a theme that has been recycled time and time again, which seems to be the case for a good deal of Congregation of the Damned. They’re not terrible lyrics, but they do feel hollow. // 6
Impression: If you’re a guitarist, there’s a good chance that you’ll be left at least a little impressed by Congregation of the Damned. Harmonized riffs and solos are scattered throughout the entire record, with Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs not hesitating to add in guitar lines underneath the vocals, making for a nice touch. Atreyu is obviously a big proponent of the guitar solo as well, and you’ll find some beautifully executed ones (“Black Days Begin,” “Storm To Pass”). While the band does give vocalist/drummer Saller plenty of time in the spotlight, they might want to consider turning all singing duties over to him in the future. And if there is such a thing as too much guitar, Atreyu is walking a fine line and might need to rein it in slightly for the good of their songs. // 8
Congregation Of The Damned
Reviewed by:
Battman1993, on september 15, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Well, let's face it: Atreyu's last album Lead Sails Paper Anchor pissed off a LOT of fans. LSPA's straight-foward hard rock sound made a lot of people jump off the Atreyu bandwagon. However, I liked it quite a bit, especially since I could finally understand the damn lyrics. BUT, I did wish for a little more METAL in LSPA. The version of that CD I got had three bonus songs: a new song called The Squeeze, which is the best song on the album (it's what Atreyu should sound like), and two covers: Faith No More's classic Epic (which Atreyu butchers, I'm sorry but it's a steaming pile of dogshit on an otherwise pretty damn good rock album), and the Descendant's Clean Sheets. I place most of the blame on LSPA not being as good as it could be on John Feldmann, the producer. If you haven't heard of him, he's essentially the preminent pop-punk/post-hardcore producer around. As Atreyu vocalist Alex Varkatzas has put it, "we let John put his hands a little too deep into LSPA." But enough about that album. I'm here to review the follow-up, Congregation of the Damned. I did not even know Atreyu was recording this until I read an interview in Guitar World with Dan & Travis (the guitarists) where they were talking about the sound. When they said it was a combination of all their previous records, I nearly jumped with joy. And whoa buddy, Congregation of the Damned DOES NOT DISSAPPOINT! From the first song, Stop! Before We've Destroyed It All, it is clear what Dan & Travis meant. COTD is a combination of LSPA and their other records. Dan & Travis smoke as usual on guitar, whether it's playing straight-up metalcore riffs or hard rock riffs. There are quite a few songs on this album that Alex sings, but he also balances that against some of the heaviest screaming he has done. There is not a song on this album I could refer to as bum. This album is full of guitar solos, and Brandon and Mike kill it on the drums & bass as usual. There's quite a few standouts on COTD. Gallows rocks with an almost thrashy vibe at times, and the chorus will be sure to be a sing-along at every Atreyu concert ever. On Storm To Pass, the first single, Atreyu balances some sick guitar riffery and solos with relatively clean sung vocals by Alex intermingled with screams. And when Brandon sings the chorus, it is clear why his voice is so essential in Atreyu. It's amazing, to simply put it, and my favorite song on the album. The song following Storm To Pass is You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious. The song has an epic intro that would work well in a concert setting. After that intro, the band blasts into a heavy rock tune with a ridiculous breakdown. Finally, in the last few songs, we get old Atreyu with the song Ravenous, the LSPA-era Atreyu in the songs Lonely and Wait For You. I would highly recommend looking for the version with two extra bonus tracks. I think the basic version of COTD has only 13 songs, but the version I got from Best Buy has two bonus tunes: We Are The Living Dead and Bravery. They're the heaviest tunes on COTD. The chorus to Bravery gets me everytime. Listen to it and you know why. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Like I said before, Alex is back to screaming on COTD. However, his screaming is much different. On COTD, he ENUNCIATES. You can actually understand what he is saying when he's screaming (major plus for me). As for Brandon's singing, it's boss as always. The dude is a bitchin' singer. Alex's clean vocal aren't the best, but they're not terrible. In particular, his clean line "There is no pride involved in love" on So Wrong gets me everytime I hear it. As for the lyrics, they're mostly about the usual shit with Atreyu (love, anger, betrayal etc.) However, they're some social topics too. Insatiable seems to refer to materialism in American society, and Stop! Before We've Destroyed It All, seems to intermingle materialism again with destruction of the environment. Bleeding Is A Luxury is sort of about getting over your pain/demon. Black Days Again lyrically is the standard acopalypse-themed subject that seems to be running rampant in metal right now. We Are The Living Dead (one of the aforementioned bonus tracks) is to me a song about zombies. This section gets an 8 based on Brandon Saller's clean singing and Alex's improved screaming. // 8
Impression: This album really only compares to Atreyu themselves. Alex V. Has said that their label begged them to record a heavier album, and thank God they listened. I love this album, and think it's the best Atreyu album yet. The standout songs for me are Bleeding Is A Luxury, Storm To Pass, Insatiable, Lonely, and Bravery. Call me an Atreyu fanboy if you want, I don't f--kING care! I love Congregation of the Damned and cannot wait for Atreyu to come back from their hiatus and record the follow-up. If it were lost/stolen, I'd buy another copy and thank the person who stole it for being smart enough to discover this album! It's a gem you'll rarely find in metal today ladies & gentleman: a band that can be heavy and melodic at the same time! // 9
Congregation Of The Damned
Reviewed by:
Kronus, on october 11, 2010 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Like on old albums, they tried again more "Screaming" in these songs. It sounds like a mixxed version of "Lead Sails Paper Anchor" and "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" when you here Alex Varkatzas (Vocals) screaming and Brandon Saller (Drums) singing the clean parts, often the chorus. They gave this album a new part of metalcore, they actually never used. With "Big" Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel playing both the lead guitar, the guitars lose never their dominance in the songs. By the way, they put a background guitar into these songs, which is playing the rythm guitar, when both guitarist play the solos. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: When you hear Alex Varkatzas singing most of the time ther verse, Brandon Saller singing the chorus and Marc McKnight growling in the background, you listen to three good skilled singers. Brandon Saller's rythm of Drums is played as good as he wouldn't sing. It's impressive how he learned singing and playing at the same time. But, Alex Varkatzas, the "official" singer of Atreyu not only screams or growls. In songs like "Wait For You" or "Lonely" you can hear him singing with a clean voice. There has always been taken a look for the lyrics, especially at the song "Wair For You". This ballad includes every duty it has to. Not only the music is great, the lyrics describe love and love's pain. // 9
Impression: Overall, I would say, it is a great album, the guitars are a perfect mix of Hardrock, Metal, and Metalcore. It unites every album of themselfes. My most impressive songs are "Storm To Pass", "Insatiable" and "We Are The living Dead" (Bonus Track). I don't know why this band isn't as popular as "Rihanna". It actually has to! By the way, it is worth buying the CD with the Bonus Track, in Atreyu's Bonus Tracks they always try to play a different style of Metal or the cover a famous song of another band. So just buy it, listen to it, and you'll make your oget opinion! // 10
Congregation Of The Damned
Reviewed by:
Camerlan15, on november 24, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: At first impression, I thought this album was going to be Atreyu's return to the "heavier" or "harder hitting" metal, if you will, although I quickly found that this was not the case. Yes, some of, actually most of, the songs on this album are heavier than the Lead Sails Paper Anchor album (LSPA), but not by much. The first time I heard the song "Congregation of the Damned" I instantly thought my itunes had screwed up and went to some Avenged Sevenfold, then when I checked, it seems my itunes was operating perfectly fine, that thoroughly iritated me. The overall sound of the album was about a 7.5 out of 10, with 5 being comparable to LSPA, and 10 being comparable to Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses (my personal favorite Atreyu album). Although a personal disappointment that the album wasn't heavier, I also find myself starting to come around to the "new" Atreyu, even from the start I have respected their choice to alter their musical tastes and influences. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are slightly above average in my opinion, nothing too dull, yet, nothing that makes me want to instantly start singing along (which I often do). Don't get me wrong, I like the lyrics of the album, and I do sing along to it, I don't always sing along with the songs, as I always do with some of my personal Atreyu favorites (Lip Gloss and Black is a great example, that is my absolute favorite Atreyu song). As far as the singing is concerned, I personally believe that the bands singing capabilities are growing more and more with each album, that's one of my favorite things about this band, they aren't JUST screaming, but they also aren't JUST plain singing, I think it is a very nice balance. The singing and screaming on this album get a (in my opinion) well deserved 8. // 8
Impression: While not comparing to my personal favorite album (Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses), it is a vast improvement over LSPA, and I would place it right below The Curse, making it my 3rd favorite Atreyu album, the most impressive song on this album would have to be Stop before it's too late and we've destroyed it all, I like that this album is heavier, and that they are growing musically with every album they produce, I don't like that some of the songs sound almost "generic" only one or two songs do, but that is still a bit annoying. Overall, I rate this album a 7.5, congratulations on the new album guys! // 7
Congregation Of The Damned
Reviewed by:
Plarx, on november 13, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Well, Atreyu are one of those bands that have hanged a fair bit with their vocals and music. When I first listened to record, I thought of how Megadeth wanted to write a real, thrash album, similar to Rust In Peace. I truly think Atreyu have done just that, and gone back to their roots; perhaps another "Death-Grip On Yesterday" or "The Curse"?
The vibe I get from this record is "We're F**ked! but we can still rock!" It's something I could see myself foolishly performing in the mirror, it's emotional, exciting, and sometimes painful (in a good way), and that's what music is meant to do; bring out feelings in people.
Solos are tight, drum parts make your head bang, I even saw my Dad tapping his foot to "Ravenous"! // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Alex Varkatzas dominates his parts on vocals, and Brandon Saller always seems to clean things up beautifully, a wonderful balance.
Kicking the record off with "Stop: Before It's To Late And We've Destroyed It All", confirms that Atreyu are still in good form. Dan Jacobs's lead melodies are simply gorgeous here, setting a really dark and evil mood for the rest of the record.
The title track, "Congregation of the Damned" is quite simple really, telling a story about just doing what everybody else does, which leads to the human race's damnation, proving that the guys over in Atreyu know what their talking about.
Before discussing "Storm to Pass", I'd like to explain that for me, singles in this genre of music are made to be mainstream, and it makes sense. Artists want to appeal to the general public, it good for record sales. Now, "Storm to Pass" is just that, it would appeal to everybody, but unlike "Ex's and Oh's" from their album "A Death-Grip On Yesterday", it fits into the album easily and doesn't seem out of place.
The only thing I could possibly pick on is that sometimes that lyrics sometimes follow the lead guitar parts a bit too closely, not that it's a bad thing, but it feels 'cheesy' at times, especially on "You Were The King, And Know Your Unconscious" // 8
Impression: To me, "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses"'s vocals were too focused on the screaming. I didn't really like it, but slowly, Atreyu found a balance between the singing and screaming, and brought in a sense of teamwork with Brandon and Alex making the record a lot tighter.
This album is definitely has aspects from all their previous works, and is a pleasure not to hear a record with songs that don't sound the same. I'll definitely be taking time to listen to this a lot over the next few months and appreciate it :)
If all my CD's were stolen and I could only get 25 back, this would be one of the 25. // 9
Congregation Of The Damned
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 11, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Congregation of the Damned, like the band has declared, is very much a mix of all of Atreyu's previous sounds put into one album. It's a throwback to the old Atreyu of Suicide Notes and The Curse, but at the same time retains a lot of the elements that made Lead Sails Paper Anchor sound so different. Atreyu manages to blend their different sounds pretty well, and instead of a bunch of screaming songs and singing songs, each song has a little bit of everything.
Like LSPA, the record is very grand - the songs have an epic feel to them. The guitar sounds are very powerful and over the top - Dan and Travis blast you with a constant stream of heavy riffing and dueling lead lines. However, the guitar tone and a lot of the riffs are darker in nature and reminiscent of The Curse. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics touch upon a few different subjects - nothing revolutionary. I would like to point out that they are sometimes a little silly, "Bleeding is a Luxury" being the obvious example here.
Overall Atreyu continues their proven formula of dual vocal attack with Alex singing most of the verses and Brandon doing almost all the choruses. While we still hear a fair bit of Alex actually singing on this record, there is definitely more of the old school Atreyu sound. The opening track "Stop! Before it's too late and we've destroyed it all" is completely Brandon-free, which may come as a relief to some hardcore fans.
While Brandon is a great singer, it would have been nice to have a little less of him on the record. Alex's vocals are much improved on this album versus LSPA, and I wish Atreyu had given him a little more freedom. // 7
Impression: 01. Stop! Before it's too late and we've destroyed it all!: this is a great song and should definitely please fans of The Curse. Starts with a grand guitar solo and goes into some solid Alex "cookie monster" screaming.
02. Bleeding is a Luxury: this song's verse is very good and features alternating vocals from Alex (screaming) and Brandon (singing). I cannot get over the chorus however, because the last phrase "Bleeding is a luxury" is a little too ridiculous for my taste (and frankly a little silly). Good song though.
03. Congregation of the Damned: the title track is one of the best on the album. Features Iron Maiden -esque dueling guitars for a VERY epic feel. The chorus is extremely catchy.
04. Coffin Nails: this song is a little "meh." The chorus sounds a little cliche with Brandon singing the words and Alex screaming an occasional incomprehensible word or two.
05. Black Days Begin: don't know what to make of this one. It's good, but a little unconventional, so it definitely gets a little getting used to. The song is much slower and groovier than Atreyu's normal stuff.
06. Gallows: the music on this one is VERY old-school Atreyu. The song opens with Brandon's double bass drum beat and a twin lead guitar. Epic intro. The vocals are a mix of old-school screaming with LSPA singing. Sounds like a mash up of "Demonology and Heartache" and "Falling Down."
07. Storm to Pass: the song opens with clean guitars, then some feedback, bass, and finally palm muted guitars and singing. Verse, pre-chorus, chorus etc.. rinse and repeat. But as generic as it is, it's actually a great song! The chorus is extremely catchy (Brandon does what he does best), and the intrumentals are just varied enough to keep it interesting. Great guitar solo on this one.
08. You Were the King, Now You're Unconscious: this song starts with a really cool electronic programmed intro. It's not actually done by the band, but really adds to the feel of the song. This is one of the heavier songs on the album. Lots of open string low C chugging. Alex's mix of low pitched singing and screaming contrasts Brandon's singing very starkly in an "Ex's and Oh's" fashion. This song is a winner.
09. Insatiable: this song has all the energy of "Blow" but is just a much better song. The lead lines are really fun, and the chorus is too catchy. Dan really holds back on the guitar solo, but its simplicity is part of what makes it so good.
10. So Wrong: Dan and Travis carry this song. The vocals are tired and cliche. Not my favorite.
11. Ravenous: fast tempo, chugging open strings, screaming verses, singing choruses, and awesome guitar work. Sounds like it would be a very good song, but somehow it's merely okay. I think the problem with this one is Brandon's chorus is too long relative to the other parts of the song...
12. Lonely: sounds a little bit like the direction that Avenged Sevenfold took with the back half of their latest album. Very poppy, cliche, and boring. The lyrics are silly, and the song on a whole is very predictable. Dan and Travis carry this one - without their awesome guitar work it would be a terrible song.
13. Wait for You: like LSPA, the band decided to close this album with a ballad. It's generic enough that at first I suspected Nickelback was behind this somehow. However, it's kind of catchy and it grows on you. Not a bad song, just a bad song coming from Atreyu. They've set a bar for themselves and I will accept no lower from a good band.
All in all: the album is a good one, and combines many of the things we like about Atreyu into one record. However, Congregation of the Damned is nothing revolutionary. // 7
bleeding is a luxury n so wrong r awesome..... also think that Alex Varkatzas is a much better singer than Brandon Saller n "wait for u" is big time ****ed up song
it's so sad that their sound has changed so drastically.
I mean, sure you need to accept change but all this change indicates is that they want more record sales imo.
Don't take me for some hardcore underground type guy, it's just the sound they're pushing sells more and it's such a waste because their songwriting/composition was absolutely amazing on The Curse and Suicide Notes (yeah forget the production quality on that album :P)
the songwriting on suicide notes wasn't that great. a lot of the riffs were recycled. now do i enjoy it? of course, but the progressions of the chords were the same for a lot of the songs.
as far as the new album goes, i think its great. it literally is the mix between old style and new.
and the only reason the style changed agai, isn't for record sales. think about it. everyone complained nonstop - and still does - about the last album. so they mixed in more of their older style to appease their fans. its that simple.
is the band perfect? no. but i think they deserve a break once in a while
this is a shit effort considering they hailed it a come back to there old style which i didn't see one bit of at any stage. i will never play another track off this album again
Jesus christ i can't believe this review, this album is brillant compared to the old crap before Death grip on Yesterday its brillant album with the exception of a few songs seriously giving it a rating this low is disgraceful that rating should be given to some of there old shit
Thing is, if atreyu never changes their sound people will say it gets boring, and generic, they've mixed it up with almost every album, you can't expect absolute greatness from every album, it still has tastes of old, and some styles of new
You know...I might just buy this album. I've been listening to the songs on it, and as far as I care, this is the best Atreyu have ever done. I love it.
It's an awesome album. my two favourite songs are "gallows" and "bleeding is a luxury". all of the other songs are quiet good but I like this two ones a lot. Guitar work is good an every song. I love atreyu!
and yes, i think too alex should sing clean. he's a very good screamer but brandon "sings" much better than him.
bleeding is a luxury n so wrong r awesome..... also think that Alex Varkatzas is a much better singer than Brandon Saller n "wait for u" is big time ****ed up song
Alex is a better singer that Brandon? I hope you're getting them two mixed up..
Yes, Atreyu has evolved much as Avenged Sevenfold have. A lot of people get mad when a band evolves the way those two have. I will agree with any atreyu fan that The Curse is an amazing record, but we all have to admit that metalcore is a very repetitious genre that has its limitations. This band for me became completely retarded when they released A Death Grip on yesterday and their best of. (I mean, c'mon-you have 3 full lengths and you have a best of already my ass.) But terrible songs like exs and ohs on death grip like seriously. But when Lead sails Paper anchors came out I was shocked, and now Congregation Of The Damned. The band really cares much more about writing just good songs instead of having to fit in a certain style. I appreciate their old stuff, but the new stuff is a fantastic move forward. and i definitely agree with the reviewer Saller shoulda sang the last song, the only song i skip. haha. I'd give the album an 8.5 though as it is mostly solid and yes, the guitar work is sweet.
This album was a step forward from Lead Sails. Still not quite up to par with their first three offerings lyrically and percussion-wise, but it's not too far underneath of Deathgrip. So, imo, this was at least a positive step for them, if nothing else but that and, as always, excellent guitar-work.
Yes, Atreyu has evolved much as Avenged Sevenfold have. A lot of people get mad when a band evolves the way those two have. I will agree with any atreyu fan that The Curse is an amazing record, but we all have to admit that metalcore is a very repetitious genre that has its limitations. This band for me became completely retarded when they released A Death Grip on yesterday and their best of. (I mean, c'mon-you have 3 full lengths and you have a best of already my ass.) But terrible songs like exs and ohs on death grip like seriously. But when Lead sails Paper anchors came out I was shocked, and now Congregation Of The Damned. The band really cares much more about writing just good songs instead of having to fit in a certain style. I appreciate their old stuff, but the new stuff is a fantastic move forward. and i definitely agree with the reviewer Saller shoulda sang the last song, the only song i skip. haha. I'd give the album an 8.5 though as it is mostly solid and yes, the guitar work is sweet.
I have to disagree, i thought Deathgrip was brilliant. Song's such as we stand up and shameful were bloody brilliant. Lead sails, meh well it had mixed opinions. There was some songs i like but to be honest i didn't like the direction they were heading.
Yes, Atreyu has evolved much as Avenged Sevenfold have. A lot of people get mad when a band evolves the way those two have. I will agree with any atreyu fan that The Curse is an amazing record, but we all have to admit that metalcore is a very repetitious genre that has its limitations. This band for me became completely retarded when they released A Death Grip on yesterday and their best of. (I mean, c'mon-you have 3 full lengths and you have a best of already my ass.) But terrible songs like exs and ohs on death grip like seriously. But when Lead sails Paper anchors came out I was shocked, and now Congregation Of The Damned. The band really cares much more about writing just good songs instead of having to fit in a certain style. I appreciate their old stuff, but the new stuff is a fantastic move forward. and i definitely agree with the reviewer Saller shoulda sang the last song, the only song i skip. haha. I'd give the album an 8.5 though as it is mostly solid and yes, the guitar work is sweet.
I have to disagree, i thought Deathgrip was brilliant. Song's such as we stand up and shameful were bloody brilliant. Lead sails, meh well it had mixed opinions. There was some songs i like but to be honest i didn't like the direction they were heading.
I totally get what you mean and I know almost everyone i know agrees with you on that. I do think that that this new album though, fully achieves what they set out to do on Lead Sails. As for death grip, something about that album just really bugs the shit outta me. lol.
I never heard an atreyu album i didnt at least like a few songs off of until this one, i have listened to the whole thing and can honestly say i didnt like one bit of it except for maybe the guitar intro to "stop before its to late and we've destroyed it all" but other than that i didnt like it at all. Them changing their sound didnt matter to me, every band evolves in their own way, but on this album i was truly dissapointed.
Personally I love their first three and can't bear lead sails. This to be is not a return to their old stuff, but neither is it like any of the shit on their last album. The guitar work is really good on this and some of the riffs are huge.
Lyrics are awful tho, but thats not too much of a problem as to me it's the guitars that do it.
it's so sad that their sound has changed so drastically.
I mean, sure you need to accept change but all this change indicates is that they want more record sales imo.
Don't take me for some hardcore underground type guy, it's just the sound they're pushing sells more and it's such a waste because their songwriting/composition was absolutely amazing on The Curse and Suicide Notes (yeah forget the production quality on that album :P)
i cant wait to hear the whole album. i've heard snippets. I'm a fan of the older and newer style sounds so I'm happy with the change. Sounds a bit more mature now
The problem with Atreyu is that they've made great metalcore albums, so their new rock/posthardcore albums are hated by harder metal fans. Unfortunately, the people who like lighter rock/posthardcore won't look at them cause they still think they're metal.
Do you seriously want their old adolescent style back? The lyrics were stupid, the guitar was rather boring for the most part. All it had going for it was catchiness. Now they're catchy and technically proficient. They grew. Don't compare them to A7X. A7X went to a style looking for fame and they got it. They're retarded and a terrible band. I don't know who told MShadows he can sing because he can't.
(I mean, c'mon-you have 3 full lengths and you have a best of already my ass.)
I'm pretty sure the compilation was either a cash-grab by Victory Records or something to complete the contract.
Anyway, this album was a vast improvement over Lead Sails. It's good to hear Alex screaming a lot more and the guitars are fantastic here.
That's correct. Atreyu was already in the process of switching labels. The Best Of CD was a last-ditch attempt for Victory to squeeze some money out of one of their top bands.
Do you seriously want their old adolescent style back? The lyrics were stupid, the guitar was rather boring for the most part. All it had going for it was catchiness. Now they're catchy and technically proficient. They grew. Don't compare them to A7X. A7X went to a style looking for fame and they got it. They're retarded and a terrible band. I don't know who told MShadows he can sing because he can't.
The M.Shadows comment made me lol. I used to love A7X, now his voice just irritates me.
I'd like to say I can't believe the backlash this band gets for evolving their sound, but I'm getting used to seeing this. I've been a fan since I first heard "Lip Gloss and Black", but I'm glad theirs more actual singing in a sea of stupid growlers that can't hold a tune was a band that could and now that they are doing so people are made, "wah, it's mainstream, wah, it's too pretty sounding, I don't like singing I only like screaming music because it fuels my angsty rage!"
Anyway my point is, good on Atreyu if they lose fans they lose fans, they'll gain more. They'll remain interesting because they evolve!
Although all of the album was pretty crap, In particular the lyrics stood out to me as terrible, before this album I hadnt really made my mind up about Atreyu but now I know for sure I dont like them.
Sidtheboon wrote:
Jesus christ i can't believe this review, this album is brillant compared to the old crap before Death grip on Yesterday its brillant album with the exception of a few songs seriously giving it a rating this low is disgraceful that rating should be given to some of there old shit
You are living on another planet if you think a 7.5 out of 10 is 'disgracefully low'.
Yeah... not really impressed at all. Some of the choruses sound like Def Leppard, like Storm To Pass. When I was listening to Stop Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed It All, I was thinking stop singing like Marilyn Manson before I lose all respect for your band. The guitar work honestly sounds kind of sloppy in the intro to that song as well. Not really hitting that lower note in the legato stuff very clearly. I was into The Curse a while ago because they didn't really sound like anyone else and they did more with guitar than a lot of bands, but now I basically can't stand them after hearing this.
This is an awful review. Take the singing duties away from Alex? Atreyu cannot exist without both singers and i honestly wish they would keep the mic away from Brandon on the heavier songs. Most importantly... too much guitar? Are you crazy? Atreyu's guitar riffs show just how talented they are, its much better than power chords. Terrible review
I love how with Atreyu's record history it started with great writing but shitty production, only now it's great production but shitty writing.
I saw the album in stores and I was really close to buying it but I figured I'd listen to a few tracks on Youtube before REALLY making my judgement. Let's just say I'm extremely glad I didn't put down the money.
just gave a couple songs a listen, the nicest and only nice thing to say would be that the drummer has gotten better at singing. It sounds like mainstream trash to me. The guitar solos sound like they got thrown together in 20-30 minutes, the screaming is aaaawwweful and whoever mastered it sure did a shit job IMO. I was hoping for something...better.
i've been listening to atreyu since the curse (which i loved), but i didnt really like death grip. However, unlike most people i really enjoyed lead sails. I thought it was an awesome throwback style record, and even if it wasnt super heavy it was catchy as ****.
is this album more metalcore or post hardcore? metalcore's ok, if its not steriotypical, i like at the gates and the first 2 atreyu full lengths. on the other hand, i hate bfmv and ax7.
I'd like to say I can't believe the backlash this band gets for evolving their sound, but I'm getting used to seeing this. I've been a fan since I first heard "Lip Gloss and Black", but I'm glad theirs more actual singing in a sea of stupid growlers that can't hold a tune was a band that could and now that they are doing so people are made, "wah, it's mainstream, wah, it's too pretty sounding, I don't like singing I only like screaming music because it fuels my angsty rage!"
Anyway my point is, good on Atreyu if they lose fans they lose fans, they'll gain more. They'll remain interesting because they evolve!
You, my friend, are my hero.
I really don't understand how everyone hate Lead Sails. Every song has huge chorus' that kick your ass, and for the most part really seem cleverly written.
I love all of their albums, and the last two are definitely great editions to their discography.
is this album more metalcore or post hardcore? metalcore's ok, if its not steriotypical, i like at the gates and the first 2 atreyu full lengths. on the other hand, i hate bfmv and ax7.
Just...please don't call At The Gates metalcore ever again.
it's so sad that their sound has changed so drastically.
I mean, sure you need to accept change but all this change indicates is that they want more record sales imo.
Don't take me for some hardcore underground type guy, it's just the sound they're pushing sells more and it's such a waste because their songwriting/composition was absolutely amazing on The Curse and Suicide Notes (yeah forget the production quality on that album :P)
From the comments here it seems like everyone is either extremely on the side of the old, or extremely on the new side... I'm kind of in the middle- i think that bands SHOULD evolve their sound. This album rocks altogether. Oh and that note in the solo to Insatiable is absolutely sexy, i never had the idea of having a favorite note in a song before, but that note (you know the one im talking about) is definitely a fav.
Im still awaiting for slash's effort..
But this one made my day.. Downloaded it but definately buying it now XD
I like everythin from jazz, hip hop, metal, pop w\e.. As long as i feel art and i enjoy i like it.. So i don't care if you metal core badasses are all thinking its wussy or w\e.. I love it.. Enuff for me..
And try lookin at it, WITHOUT the memories of their previous albuns.. JUDGE IT BY ITS OWN... ffs...
Im sick of hearing people, "new album sucks, they ve gone mainstream".. "Sell outs"!..And don't compare them to other bands either... Atreyu and A7X get along so should their fans... I love both bands, music its not a sport or a competetition.. Love one, hate the other w\e crap...
And you know how many friends i have who know Atreyu? 0!.. Yeh so mainstream.. They re in the radio all day... >.> SELL OUTS! LOL
Next time u underate a band by the fact you assume their overated, well think twice before propesterous assumptions.. thannks!
I got this album the day it came out, and I think I was as impressed with this one as disappointed I was with Lead Sails. To me, that album was a disappointment, but I think they've redeemed themselves, for the most part with this one. They talked about returning to their original roots, and even though they didn't do that completely, they did a pretty damn good job fusing their new stuff with old. I think the music as a whole reflects where they've been, and also how much they've grown.
Do you seriously want their old adolescent style back? The lyrics were stupid, the guitar was rather boring for the most part. All it had going for it was catchiness. Now they're catchy and technically proficient. They grew. Don't compare them to A7X. A7X went to a style looking for fame and they got it. They're retarded and a terrible band. I don't know who told MShadows he can sing because he can't.
Are you an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass ??? A7X is amazing. Of course they change sound to get famous. They make music that people like. That's the whole point of a band. They make music that people will listen to. If that's tha case that they're "sell-outs" then so is every other band in tha world. Every band tries to make music people like. If Atreyu's CD doesn't meet your standards then big deal. It's selling and that's somethin you can never do.
Do you seriously want their old adolescent style back? The lyrics were stupid, the guitar was rather boring for the most part. All it had going for it was catchiness. Now they're catchy and technically proficient. They grew. Don't compare them to A7X. A7X went to a style looking for fame and they got it. They're retarded and a terrible band. I don't know who told MShadows he can sing because he can't.
Are you an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass ??? A7X is amazing. Of course they change sound to get famous. They make music that people like. That's the whole point of a band. They make music that people will listen to. If that's tha case that they're "sell-outs" then so is every other band in tha world. Every band tries to make music people like. If Atreyu's CD doesn't meet your standards then big deal. It's selling and that's somethin you can never do.
A7X are sellouts. That's a fact well-known to most intelligent music listeners, which you clearly are not. MShadows can't sing and I can't sing...so how do you call one better than the other. To be a better singer than someone else you have to BE a good singer, which he isn't. By the way, what from my post gave any hint that I was "an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass?" I'm right. That's what I am. And I certainly am not a redneck, but perhaps a jackass.
Are you an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass ??? A7X is amazing. Of course they change sound to get famous. They make music that people like. That's the whole point of a band. They make music that people will listen to. If that's tha case that they're "sell-outs" then so is every other band in tha world. Every band tries to make music people like. If Atreyu's CD doesn't meet your standards then big deal. It's selling and that's somethin you can never do.
A7X are sellouts. That's a fact well-known to most intelligent music listeners, which you clearly are not. MShadows can't sing and I can't sing...so how do you call one better than the other. To be a better singer than someone else you have to BE a good singer, which he isn't. By the way, what from my post gave any hint that I was "an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass?" I'm right. That's what I am. And I certainly am not a redneck, but perhaps a jackass.
Do you seriously want their old adolescent style back? The lyrics were stupid, the guitar was rather boring for the most part. All it had going for it was catchiness. Now they're catchy and technically proficient. They grew. Don't compare them to A7X. A7X went to a style looking for fame and they got it. They're retarded and a terrible band. I don't know who told MShadows he can sing because he can't.
Are you an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass ??? A7X is amazing. Of course they change sound to get famous. They make music that people like. That's the whole point of a band. They make music that people will listen to. If that's tha case that they're "sell-outs" then so is every other band in tha world. Every band tries to make music people like. If Atreyu's CD doesn't meet your standards then big deal. It's selling and that's somethin you can never do.
A7X are sellouts. That's a fact well-known to most intelligent music listeners, which you clearly are not. MShadows can't sing and I can't sing...so how do you call one better than the other. To be a better singer than someone else you have to BE a good singer, which he isn't. By the way, what from my post gave any hint that I was "an ignorant redneck who's as stubborn as a jackass?" I'm right. That's what I am. And I certainly am not a redneck, but perhaps a jackass.
you even know wat a sell out is you dick head. here it is straight and simple for you - basically writing music to appeal to a broader audience to make money instead of writing music that actually appeals to yourself. A7X are the biggest sells out on the planet, end of ****in story.
I'm the one who said they were sellouts. The other dude was arguing with me. There's two posts in that quoted part. I fixed it in the one underneath. Learn to read man.
that assram who stated that the point of a band is to make music people like, shut up.
i believe people start bands to write music that THEY THEMSELVES like, and maybe hope that others will like it too. Do you think Between the Buried and Me is out win some Grammys? I didn't think so - but they write music they love - which is all a band is really asked to do.
Im still awaiting for slash's effort..
But this one made my day.. Downloaded it but definately buying it now XD
I like everythin from jazz, hip hop, metal, pop w\e.. As long as i feel art and i enjoy i like it.. So i don't care if you metal core badasses are all thinking its wussy or w\e.. I love it.. Enuff for me..
And try lookin at it, WITHOUT the memories of their previous albuns.. JUDGE IT BY ITS OWN... ffs...
Im sick of hearing people, "new album sucks, they ve gone mainstream".. "Sell outs"!..And don't compare them to other bands either... Atreyu and A7X get along so should their fans... I love both bands, music its not a sport or a competetition.. Love one, hate the other w\e crap...
And you know how many friends i have who know Atreyu? 0!.. Yeh so mainstream.. They re in the radio all day... >.> SELL OUTS! LOL
Next time u underate a band by the fact you assume their overated, well think twice before propesterous assumptions.. thannks!
sorry for a double post, but to be honest i hear becoming the bull, falling down, and slow burn all on the radio at least once a day.
This is a fantastic album. Definitely more impressive musically than Lead Sails. Definitely strikes a great balance bewteen their old hardcore ways and their new metal sound. I'd give it a solid 8.5/10. This reviewer is obviously a fan of The Curse....Give the band credit. if they stayed the same year after year, they'd be hated for that too
Let me make this clear. I used to love atreyu, and really, i do still enjoy their music HOWEVER (i am probably gonna get so much shit for this) i think that a7x did a much better job of changing their sound and still feeling legit. Honestly, a 9 minute song with horn arrangements about having sex with dead bodies (a little piece of heaven) is not exactly reaching out to mainstream radio listeners! Besides, atreyu's radio friendlier albums just sound way more generic and sound like their trying to achieve a sound that just doesn't work for them!
about ppl calling A7X sell-outs: they did no "sell out" they wrote what they felt would fit their record ad were in an experimental stage just like Atreyu was on Lead Sails Paper Anchor. Every band has that time period:Metallica and Load,Bullet For My Valentine:Scream Aim Fire. And can ppl focus on what this is about:Congregation Of the Damned?? I'll admit i was disappointed by by all means a good album.
Sigh... all the reviews are of metalcore albums nowadays...
Metalcore and deathcore are the cancer that is killing metal...
jonny108 wrote:
imo best album of the year..
I agree deathcore is killing metal, as for releases- I love this album but the new Between the buried and me, Katatonia, Swallow The Sun, are all better than this...haha.
The album is fine first and foremost, and why is everyone talking about A7X? A7X had to change their style because of M Shadows' throat troubles. Would you tell an Olympic runner that he sold out after he lost a leg in a car accident and couldn't race anymore?
We've detected that you are using Ad Blocking software.
If you hate ads, but love Ultimate Guitar, how about subscribing to Ultimate Guitar's Ad Free Service? If you subscribe to this service, you won't see annoying banner ads, pop-up ads, text-link ads or video ads and will be helping to support your favorite site at the same time.
As you know, we provide you with a lot of great, free content like news, reviews, interviews, tabs and chords, but you see, ads are the way we generate revenue to run UG and pay royalties to the songwriters and music publishers of the songs that are posted here.
Was this review helpful to you? 
