REVOLVER GIVES THE NEW ATREYU FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS

Normally this might not be newsworthy, but the issue also features a cover story on the band – with the (most likely overenthusiastic) headline “ATREYU KILL METALCORE DEAD.” Then Aaron Burgess’ review includes the following declarations:

“Anytime an aggressive independent band jumps ship for a major label, the same questions arise: Will the band alter their sound? Will they file down their edges? Will they start cranking out – gasp – radio singles? In the case of Atreyu… the answers are yes, yes, and yes.

“…there’s noticeably less screaming and far more attention to melody… [including the] rapped/shouted verses of ‘Honor’… The My Chemical Romance art-rock balladeering of the title track… [the album is] a coffin-tight collection of singles, each one with the potential to conquer multiple radio stations at once.

“Ultimately, there’s no guarantee that Lead Sails will make Atreyu anything more than metalcore turnouts… [but] when you’re going for the brass ring, a bigger fan base is the only ‘core’ that matters.”

Now, we’re all for musical evolution, and if Atreyu truly are the first of their peers to stray from the metalcore path, well, more power to ’em for not just making Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, Part IV (we’re looking at you, Shadows Fall). But rapping? My Chemical Romance? “Becoming the Bull” already made us suspicious, but doesn’t this sound like Atreyu have potentially made an album with a title that’s all too fitting?

-AR