Few bands did greater than Atreyu to convey metalcore screaming into the mainstream. 2004 was a watershed 12 months for the style, with the likes of Eighteen Visions, Shadows Fall and Underoath all clawing up from the underground. It was, although, Killswitch Have interaction with The Finish Of Heartache and Atreyu with their second album, The Curse, who actually took it to the subsequent degree.
“We had been undoubtedly a part of this period the place hardcore metallic, metalcore or no matter you need to name it turned extra commercially profitable,” nods Atreyu frontman Brandon Saller. “In case you take a look at what’s excessive and gnarly now, Atreyu is fairly tame. However on the time folks could be like, ‘I can not consider this band is on the radio proper now. What’s the world coming to?’”
Shaped in California’s Orange County in 1998, Atreyu had already established themselves with their 2002 Victory Information debut, Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses. At that time, Brandon was the band’s drummer, although additionally considered one of their chief songwriters alongside guitarist Dan Jacobs, solely taking up frontman duties when longtime vocalist Alex Varkatzas left the band in 2020.
Stylistically, they had been forward of the curve. Though they retained the slamming breakdowns and screams that had been a metalcore staple since its inception within the 90s, Atreyu provided an rising give attention to clear vocals and hovering, sing-along hooks that might grow to be staple components for subsequent generations of metalcore hopefuls.
The Curse nonetheless had some blazingly heavy moments, together with opener correct and eventual single Bleeding Mascara, however Proper Facet Of The Mattress was undoubtedly on the extra accessible aspect. The opening riff is pure 80s rock, whereas the melodies and catchy pop-tinged refrain had a shocking supply.
“That was initially a tune that me and Dan had for a pop-punk band that we had been in,” Brandon reveals. “We had began a pop-punk band referred to as Dreaming In Blue, and again within the day there was this factor for ironic or silly tune titles, so we had this tune referred to as The Rock Tune. Atreyu obtained signed and the pop-punk band wasn’t going to be a factor anymore, however someday Dan stated, ‘What if we redid The Rock Tune and simply made it heavier?’ That complete riff and the refrain remained fairly comparable and the bridge was someplace within the unique too.”
In addition to being the poppiest factor Atreyu had give you to this point, Proper Facet Of The Mattress was the primary observe to sneak 80s metallic influences into the band’s metalcore sound, particularly within the guitar taking part in.
“Oh sure, that was Dan having his method and placing his pole within the floor,” Brandon laughs. “It was his first actual highlight guitar solo second. To today I feel it’s a favorite of his. It’s a really singable guitar solo, it’s very melodic and he does a little bit tapping factor, like a full-on Van Halen rip.”
Such a departure from hardcore norms might have backfired however Atreyu, Brandon says, had been greater than keen to attempt new issues and dip into their pop and rock influences. There was no stress from their label Victory – and definitely no expectations of something like a success single – however they did go into the writing and recording classes hoping to construct on the momentum of Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses.
Because the band’s ‘huge image’ visionary, Dan Jacobs pieced the songs right into a working order that they felt had the peaks, troughs and dynamic move the file wanted. Proper Facet Of The Mattress had its personal distinctive vibe, however they nonetheless noticed it as a part of the whole complete that turned The Curse.
“We had the entire album written and demoed earlier than we even set foot in a studio,” Brandon says. “We really obtained maintain of the demos once more a couple of months in the past. It was the primary time we’d heard them for 17, 18 years, and it’s fairly wild how totally fashioned it was in comparison with the completed album.”
Drums for the album had been recorded at Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, with the remainder recorded at “a cabin in the course of nowhere” that served as producer Garth ‘GGGarth’ Richardson’s dwelling studios.
“The drums had been very natural and analogue, with no samples or click on. The tempos had been far and wide,” Brandon laughs. “The guitars had been insanely meticulous and put collectively be aware by be aware. Garth noticed we had a imaginative and prescient and he didn’t attempt to change that in any respect, however he clearly had his personal method of developing the sound of a file. To today I feel it has its personal distinct sound, so we undoubtedly have Garth to thank for that.”
Proper Facet Of The Mattress stood out as the plain single, and earlier than lengthy it was time to movie a music video. Directed by Scott Kalvert, it was an energy-packed if fairly normal efficiency clip, that includes a before-they-were-famous look by wrestling megastars The Bella Twins, in addition to a cameo from grownup actress Krystal Steal.
“The director was like, ‘Hey, you guys need a porn star in your video?’ And we had been 20-year-old youngsters. We had been like, ‘Oh yeah’,” Brandon says, adopting a Beavis and Butt-Head snigger. “The Bella Twins weren’t even The Bella Twins but. Once more, the director simply solid them as a result of he needed some twins in there, however I’ll say that lots of people who’ve labored with us in varied methods have gone on to insanely huge issues. Atreyu are like a fortunate allure!”
The video (which additionally featured Brandon’s wife-to-be) would assist Atreyu scale their very own heights, as they turned one of many breakout stars of the metalcore pack. The large hooks coupled with the screaming and heavier components of the tune helped make it a crossover hit, whereas the bitter break-up lyrics fitted completely into the emo-tinged zeitgeist of the mid-2000s.
“I clearly gained’t identify names, however I feel a variety of the lyrics on The Curse had been geared round one particular woman, considered one of our outdated singer’s [Alex Varkatzas’s] love pursuits,” Brandon says.
“Once you had been heartbroken in your 20s that’s what you wrote about, however I feel it was a little bit bit tongue-in-cheek as effectively. I imply, we use the phrase ‘child’ within the refrain like NSYNC would use the phrase ‘child’. For a hardcore band to place out this tune that’s screaming and heavy, however then to have this full-on pop refrain, I feel that’s one of many causes it caught.”
It actually caught with lots of people, serving to to propel The Curse to the highest of the US Impartial Albums charts and No.32 within the general Billboard 200 – an enormous feat on the time for any band with such heavy hardcore leanings, pop sensibilities or no.
Their mixing of melody and muscle would have a big impact on metalcore, in addition to twenty first century heavy music typically. Trivium’s Matt Heafy has confessed to being an enormous Atreyu fan, and Bullet For My Valentine earned comparisons to the OC band once they emerged in 2004 with their self-titled EP – an affiliation that caught once they toured alongside Atreyu that 12 months.
“I can confidently say that we had an element in that,” Brandon says. “Bands like us and Killswitch from that earlier period, then not a lot later the Triviums, the Bullets. There’s so many bands that had an enormous hand in shaping what at this time’s metallic is, and we’re humbled to even have our thumbprint in that DNA. I meet youthful folks in bands and I’m by no means certain in the event that they’re going to care. However then I meet folks just like the drummer of Knocked Unfastened [Kevin ‘Pacsun’ Kaine]. He’s like, ‘I like Atreyu, I’ve been an Atreyu fan since I used to be in highschool!’”
Having revisited and reworked Proper Facet Of The Mattress on final 12 months’s The Pronoia Classes (turning it into an excellent poppier acoustic rendition, full with a saxophone solo from Dan Jacobs), Atreyu are actually taking the anthem out on the street as an important a part of their 20+1 Years anniversary tour later this 12 months, which can see them taking part in The Curse in full.
“We did a hometown present and the When We Had been Younger competition and the power was unreal,” Brandon grins. “That’s what satisfied us to do a complete tour. There are the older followers after all, however there are additionally youngsters who weren’t even born when The Curse got here out. Trying again at it later within the profession, you realise the burden that sure issues carry, and the response {that a} tune like Proper Facet Of The Mattress at all times will get – that’s simply unbelievably superior to me.”
Atreyu play Louder Than Life competition later this 12 months. The Curse 20+1 Years Anniversary Tour begins in Bristol on September 27. For the complete record of dates, go to the band’s official web site.
