AtreyuBaptize

It’s been a few since Atreyu departed their iconic metalcore roots to try to hone in on stadium rock sound, unfortunately it didn’t quite work for them.

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Undoubtedly loyalists still flocked to listen to the new albums on release day, but the group’s earlier and heavier material remained clear favourites amongst their Spotify play counts even, 15 years after release.

Now with the addition of new vocalist Brandon Seller, Baptize, debuts a new Atreyu. It’s not the emo tinged Atreyu that fans fell in love with on Lip Gloss & Black or the Unwritten Law-esque rock sound from In Our Wake. Instead, Baptize is Atreyu tackling stylistic changes that will surprise even the most die hard fans. From the title track, it’s evident that Baptize reroutes the group back towards a heavier sound, it’s angular intervals pack a massively surprising punch after such the clean and melodic intro Strange Powers Of Prophecy. Perfecting the stadium sound, the song also sees the inclusion of electronic components and chanted vocals, giving it an almost The City Is At War era Cobra Starship pop sensibility.

Baptize is Atreyu tackling stylistic changes that will surprise even the most die hard fans.

Maintaining the intensity Save Us adds elements of nü metal through its breaks and intervals whilst the drop tuned bassline in the breakdown of Underrated feels reminiscent of Pantera’s A New Level. The fast paced Weed will also keep the crowd going with it having an almost perfect punk sound to make it onto a Need For Speed soundtrack. Broken, Deadweight and Stay all turn towards a more minimalistic and stock-standard approach that may provide a good change up in a live set but are slightly more forgettable than some of their predecessors. Tying in with lyrical themes found on Underrated, album closer Warrior tackles Brandon Seller’s realisation of self worth. Opening with “I am a warrior/I walk with the Gods” feels like a stark contrast from the self-deprecating thoughts found in lyrics on Baptize, giving Warrior more than just the responsibility of closing the album. In a way it feels like Seller putting a full stop in a chapter of inner-demons and moving on to what’s next for himself- and for Atreyu.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Baptize, Underrated, Warrior
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Bring Me The Horizon, Cobra Starship, Slipknot