History
Early Years
Atreyu formed in sunny, bright Orange County, California back in 1998. Originally under the name Retribution, but found out that another band from Hemet, California already used that name. They changed their name to Atreyu, after the character from the fantasy movie The Neverending Story.
Atreyu's independent EP release, Visions was released somewhere between 1998 and 1999, and was sold at their live performances. Their second release, Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty was a short EP released by underground label Tribunal Records and featured tracks that would be re-worked in later releases. Atreyu signed with Victory Records in 2001, and their most critically acclaimed works would be to come from these releases.
Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
In 2001, Atreyu signed with Victory Records, who were famous for signing young, upstart metalcore bands and making them successful. In 2002, Atreyu released their first full-length release, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. The album was a smash-hit among critics and metalcore fans worldwide. The band's aggressive, raw riffs mixed with Alex Varkatzas's mind-blowing throat-led screams made the album a success. The band also introduced another singer, Brandon Saller, the drummer, who would become more prolific in their later releases, but in this album, his parts were most confined to choruses, and only in certain songs at that.
Commercial Success (The Curse, A Death-Grip on Yesterday)
Atreyu's second album, The Curse, was a radical departure from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, as the album had slightly more singing, and focused a lot more on song structure and deep, dark lyrics.. The album also had somewhat of a metal vibe, that only increased due to the song titles, lyrical subjects, and Victory Records' multitude of successful metalcore acts that came from that label. Despite Victory's history of metal bands, Atreyu still remained distant from anything emo and had much more of a dark and gothic feel.
In 2006, Atreyu released their third full-length LP, entitled A Death-Grip on Yesterday that helped further Atreyu's move towards the mainstream. The album was another musical change for Atreyu, yet remained too heavy for radio play, despite the hits Ex's And Oh's and The Theft. The album focused a bit more on a good balance of Brandon Saller's melodic singing vocals and Varkatzas's aggressive screaming, although Varkatzas' can be heard exploring a more melodic side of vocals. The album was met with positive reviews though, as IGN called the album "A brief but potent hissy fit." [3]
Lead Sails Paper Anchor
In early 2007, Atreyu signed a record deal with Hollywood Records, and began to prepare their next album, Lead Sails Paper Anchor. The rumor was that Atreyu would continue in the more mainstream path A Death-Grip on Yesterday had taken them on account of the success of the short EP. In early 2007, Atreyu released a jigsaw puzzle on their website of sorts, as the goal was to put all the audio clips of their new single, Becoming the Bull into correct order, forming the whole song. The album leaked a few days before it's release, and in matter of no time, reviews came out that criticized the album, as the album itself features very little of Atreyu's once prolific, trademark screaming, in favor for more singing as a whole. In 2009, they added Richmond, Indiana guitar player Craig Isaacs to the line-up because they felt it would re-connect them with their hardcore roots.
Touring
In 2006, they went on tour with Every Time I Die, Chiodos, and From First to Last. They kicked From First To Last off of The World Championship Tour because the band's lead singer could not perform with them due to vocal nodules. From First To Last wanted to stay on the tour and Chiodos front man Craig Owens offered to fill in on vocals but Atreyu insisted that they could not stay on the tour. They also were on the Ozzfest 2006 second stage alongside Black Label Society, Norma Jean, Bad Acid Trip, Between The Buried And Me, Walls of Jericho, Full Blown Chaos, The Red Chord. As well as Taste Of Chaos 2006 with Deftones, As I Lay Dying, Dredg, Funeral For A Friend, Thrice, Silverstein, Story Of The Year, Thursday, Greeley Estates, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Millionaire, Adair, Broke, The Smashup, Pellican, Street Drum Corps, The Confession. They were featured on the Family Values Tour 2007 with Korn, Evanescence, Flyleaf, Trivium, Hellyeah and Neurosonic. After Family values, They were invited by Linkin Park to accompany them on the Projekt Revolution Tour, 2008 along with: Armor For Sleep, 10 Years, Hawthorn Heights, Street Drum Corps, Ashes Divide, The Bravery, Chris Cornell, and Linkin Park. They will embark on a Full US and EU tour carrying them into winter.
Atreyu's fifth studio album, Congregation of the Damned, was released on October 27, 2009. The album, which was produced by Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Airbourne) and mixed by Rich Costey (System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine), was said to be "darker" and "heavier" than the band's previous albums. Prior to release, the album was expected to contain heavier tracks such as "You Were the King, Now You're Unconscious" and "Bleeding Is a Luxury," as well as slower songs such as "Wait for You." According to lead singer Alex Varkatzas, the record is a "mix of everything we've ever done. For every song that's more melodic or rock-driven there's a total shitkicker, and I think that's what makes us a well-rounded band."
The band started a co-headlining tour with Hollywood Undead, Escape The Fate and The Sleeping in October, and as promotion of album have debuted songs like "Bleeding Is A Luxury" at K-Rockathon 14 in New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY., and "Gallows". Atreyu has also promoted their new album in many other ways. For example, 5 webisodes, between September 1 to October 20 every two weeks, have been released advertising the album. They describe the album to "Make more sense than the other ones because they finally realize what they are".
Congregation of The Damned debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200, selling 27,412 copies on its first week.
Atreyu went on a hiatus in January 2011, as confirmed by vocalist Alex Varkatzas through a series of Twitter posts. The band stated that they were taking a break from touring and recording to "recharge and focus on other parts of our lives." In their official statement, Atreyu clarified that they were not breaking up but would be taking a long break after 11 years of rocking. During this period, the band members pursued other projects.
Throughout 2012, the members of Atreyu remained involved in their respective side projects.
On May 11, 2013, Atreyu posted a statement on Facebook, asking their fans to repost the message if they wanted the band to write a new song with a sound reminiscent of their second studio album, "The Curse." The band showed an intention to return to a musical style similar to their earlier work.
Atreyu announced their official reunion in July 2014, marking their return to making new music. The band resumed live performances with a headlining show at Chain Reaction on September 11, 2014, followed by an appearance at the Aftershock Festival on September 14, 2014. They released a new song titled "So Others May Live" on their YouTube account and official website on September 5, 2014. Atreyu performed at various festivals and events, including Slipknot's Knotfest in October 2014. In April 2015, they released a limited edition 7" vinyl for Record Store Day featuring "So Others May Live" and a new song called "When the Day Is Done."
In June 2015, Atreyu announced their new album, "Long Live," which was released on September 18, 2015. The album reached number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart. They released a music video for the single "Long Live" in July 2015. The band continued to tour and perform in support of the album.
In 2018, Atreyu revealed plans for a new album and released the single "Anger Left Behind" in August. Their seventh studio album, "In Our Wake," was released on October 12, 2018. They embarked on a tour to promote the album, with support from bands like Memphis May Fire, Ice Nine Kills, and Sleep Signals.
To commemorate their 20th anniversary, Atreyu announced an anniversary tour in August 2019. The tour featured a setlist chosen by fans in an online poll and included support from Whitechapel, He Is Legend, Tempting Fate, and Santa Cruz.
In September 2020, the band confirmed the departure of vocalist Alex Varkatzas. They released the single "Save Us" in October 2020, along with the announcement of several lineup changes. Brandon Saller shifted his focus to clean singing, while Marc McKnight took over unclean vocals. Kyle Rosa joined as the new drummer.
Atreyu's eighth studio album, "Baptize," was released on June 4, 2021, through Spinefarm Records. The album features guest appearances by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on the single "Warrior." Prior to the album's release, the band also released the single "Underrated."
Band members
Brandon Saller - vocals (1998-present)
Dan Jacobs - guitar (1998-present)
Travis Miguel - guitar (2001-present)
Marc McKnight - bass and unclean vocals (2002-present)
Kyle Rosa - drums (2020-present)
Former members
Alex Varkatzas - vocals (1998-2020)
Chris Thompson — bass (2001–2003)
Kyle Stanley — bass (1998–2001)
Bryan O'Donnell — bass (1998)
At Least
Atreyu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cherish the beauty in the world around us
Not in buildings or crosses made by man
Judge me, fuck you, stop playing god,
Your forked tongue prophecies,
Carelessly caressing the wounds of the weak
People like you should be crucified,
Then maybe just maybe you would have an idea
My only solace is that one day,
Judgment will come for the wicked, then we will see who burns
Raise your heads, unclasp your hands,
Your weakness makes me tremble
True strength comes from within
And we were given this life to live,
Not exist under standards, set by some bullshit rule book
What prayers of yours, were ever answered, by degrading others
Spare me your biblical back peddling nonsense
For the people that you've hurt, and the being your dishonor,
Your fall from grace, will finally justify my means
Judge me and now you are me and what's worse
You are now a traitor to your god
Tell me Judas, how does it feel to be looked down upon
Sinners like you, should be stung up from the highest tree
You judged me and now you are me, stop playing god
The Atreyu song "At Least" is a scathing critique of religious hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes. The opening lines suggest that the divine can be found in nature, rather than in man-made structures or symbols. The lyrics then proceed to take aim at those who claim to speak for God but use their authority to hurt the weak and vulnerable. The singer dismisses their claims of moral superiority, arguing that true strength comes from within and that we are all here to live life on our own terms, rather than conforming to the narrow dictates of religious dogma.
The song is also a rejection of the idea of judgment and punishment in the afterlife. The singer asserts that those who have caused harm in this life will eventually face consequences, and that we should focus on living our lives with compassion and kindness rather than seeking retribution. The final lines of the song address those who have judged the singer, warning them that they have become the very thing they hated and are now traitors to their own faith.
Overall, "At Least" is a powerful statement about the dangers of religious sanctimony and the need for individual autonomy and compassion in the face of oppressive structures.
Line by Line Meaning
Lift up a stone and you will find him,
If you look hard enough, you will find the truth about anything.
Cherish the beauty in the world around us
Appreciate the beauty of everything in this world.
Not in buildings or crosses made by man
The true beauty does not lie in human-made objects or symbols.
Judge me, fuck you, stop playing god,
Stop trying to judge me as if you were God.
Your forked tongue prophecies,
You make false predictions with your deceitful speech.
Carelessly caressing the wounds of the weak
You are insensitive to the pain and suffering of vulnerable people.
People like you should be crucified,
You deserve severe punishment for your sins and wrongdoings.
Then maybe just maybe you would have an idea
Only then you might understand the severity of your actions.
Of what you are talking about.
And stop talking nonsense.
My only solace is that one day,
The only comfort I have is that someday,
Judgment will come for the wicked, then we will see who burns
The wicked will face judgment and their punishment, and we will see the consequences of their actions.
Raise your heads, unclasp your hands,
Hold your head high and let go of your anxiety.
Your weakness makes me tremble
I get nervous when I see your weakness.
True strength comes from within
Real strength comes from inner strength.
And we were given this life to live,
We were given this life to enjoy and make the most of it.
Not exist under standards, set by some bullshit rule book
Don't live your life based on false or meaningless standards.
What prayers of yours, were ever answered, by degrading others
Did you ever get what you wanted by putting others down?
Spare me your biblical back peddling nonsense
Stop saying things from the Bible out of context or with no real meaning.
For the people that you've hurt, and the being your dishonor,
You have hurt people and brought dishonor upon yourself.
Your fall from grace, will finally justify my means
Your downfall will finally make up for what you've done to me.
Judge me and now you are me and what's worse
You judged me and now you are in my situation, which is even worse.
You are now a traitor to your god
You have become disloyal to your beliefs or values.
Tell me Judas, how does it feel to be looked down upon
How does it feel to be condemned by others like Judas was?
Sinners like you, should be stung up from the highest tree
People like you who sin and do wrong should be severely punished.
You judged me and now you are me, stop playing god
You judged me and now you are in my position, so stop pretending to be God.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brandon Saller, Christopher Gordon Thomson, Daniel Louis Jacobs, Ektor Alexander Varkatzas, Travis William Miguel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dezcoma
Best song! Downloaded this off limewire over 20 years ago because a buddy said it was good. I was hooked and went to buy the album. Fast forward to the observatory show with death by stereo and they played it both nights!
ttngeo
Damn dude
Nunya Beezwax
Never gets old
ttngeo
An album for the ages. Here’s to the old days 🥂
me_ i__a
I made my mother buy me this cD from cD plus. Special place in my heart helped me thru so much when I was young.
Ariel222
Damn how does this band go from millions and 100k+ views all the way down to 1k views???
I don’t get it
jay castro
Cuz they TOTALLY sold out, got rid of Alex and wanted to do pretty songs. Brandon needs to admit this band ain’t ish without screaming.
R. Billasackerl
And down we go memory lane... After all those years kudos to Marc, ever so often thinking back at eating sushi in Vienna 😊
Rehbein G
We love u ,My Best favorite band 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 with 1995 🔥🔥🔥🔥☠️☠️☠️
Philippe Joseph
Fuck yeahhhh