Atreyu Working On New Album

BY Keith CarmanPublished Apr 30, 2009

There are so many "say my name" jokes to start this news story off with but we should get to the nitty-gritty:

Metalcore quintet Atreyu are in the studio recording their fourth full-length effort as you ponder how a band of grown men could name themselves after some brat who rides a goofy-looking dog/dragon in a cheesy '80s movie. Yes, I said it. Even after a decade of them putting up with it, it's still relevant.

Currently hunkered down in Los Angeles' Henson Studios with producer Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Seether), the band are toiling away at the 16 songs that will make up the album. It should be fully recorded by June but only bed tracks are slated to be captured at Henson. The collective will then relocate to Marlette's Blue Room Studios in the San Fernando Valley to shore up the strings and vocals.

Projecting how the album will come across by reflecting on their evolution, vocalist Alex Varkatzas states, "We started as a heavy hardcore band and I think we've gotten away from that in recent years. The last record, for example, showcased us as a rock band with heavy parts. With this record, we want to return to our roots while also continuing to move forward. It's about finding the right balance between the two. The songs definitely have a dark, heavier feel and I think the current climate has a lot to do with that. Personally, I just feel... angry and it's coming out in the music. Failed bailouts, unemployment on the rise, troops still in Iraq - I watch all this stuff on the news and it carries over to the sessions. It gets me fired up."

"This album will scream as a statement of where we've been, what we've become and where we will go," adds drummer Brandon Saller. "We think this record will be a huge marker in the life of Atreyu and we can't wait to unveil it."

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