The California based metalcore band Atreyu releases a new full length record. “The Beautiful Dark Of Life” is a compilation of three EPs released in 2023: “The hope of a Spark,” “The Moment You Find Your Flame,” and “A Torch In the Dark.” The album has a mix of new and already released tracks. The lyrics cover topics like the trials and tribulations of modern life, love and more. We also see lyrics about self-doubt, hitting low points in life and similar things. The different emotions are portrayed in the clean/screaming vocals. Everyone listens differently to music. One thing that is very commendable about metal/metalcore (and a lot of its related genres) is that they are very openly discussing the negative things happening around them. This method is not for everyone but for those that think it is cathartic, how wonderful it is that it exists and that these artists continue to tug at heartstrings. In the context of the album these heavy themes are parts of the whole, and the whole is meant to empower or help people.

I remember finding out about Atreyu back when I was around 11. I first found the album “Lead Sails Paper Anchor” and fell in love with it. Back then, one of the unique selling points of the band was that the drummer Brandon Saller ALSO was one of the vocalists. I would watch clips on early YouTube where this absolute machine was featured singing and playing the drums at the same time, and doing a damn good job. However Brandon does not do this double-act any more. The current line up of the band is: 

Vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocalist Marc “Porter” McKnight, and drummer Kyle Rosa. 

Atreyu has since those early YouTube days become known as a metalcore band that showcases influences from a lot of different genres. In Spite of having a similar sonic picture, each track on the record is still unique enough in itself so that it becomes listenable and not monotonous as a whole record. Whether you actually take to metalcore is a whole nother story. The sounds consist of heavy guitar riffs, breakdowns, and catchy vocals in the choruses. Having been in the game for so long, Atreyu must have access to some of the top people in the metal game. This shows anyway, the tracks are very well recorded, mixed and mastered. We hear a bit of neu metal, pop-punk, metalcore and other things. I would say their sound now is more refined and radio ready, while the Atreyu I found in 2007 had a different rawness to them. This rawness could be attributed to a sign of the times, lower budget therefore lower quality recordings and many other factors. Either way, whatever contributed to the difference in sound between then and now, I think Atreyu has presented and continues to present themselves pretty well! 

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!