Atreyu

The whole thing just reeks of bandwagons, but damn it all, Atreyu are clearly leading the charge of the nu-hardcore-stale-metal crossover scene. Copping riffs we got tired of years ago but injecting a whole new flair into them is the order of the day here, as these five shorthairs (hey, I got short hair too, nuthin’ wrong with that) prove that above all else, they can craft a memorable, well-written song like few of their peers can. Kicking the arse of the entire metalcore scene here (no big achievement: the household cat’s fleas can do the same, in their sleep), Atreyu don’t get their eyeliner all sweaty practicing ultra-tech riffs, instead opting for forays into melodic indie rock come chorus time for many of the album’s 12 tunes. And it sounds great, the melodies making the heaviness sound that much more important, the screaming (recalling Himsa’s lead bellower in a big way) reminding the listener of how important it is to have the purty singing. I’m still a bit weary for some reason, but the parts are all adding up wonderfully; been listening to this one quite heavily over the past week or so, with several songs already weaning their way into my noggin’ come time to venture into the outside world. And it’s all wrapped up in cover art that’s either neat and classy or tasteless and vapid. The jury’s still out on that one.