Atreyu

i have been a long time fan of this band,
and just like in the past they put together a amazing cd with some awesome songs, i was very pleased.

I bought this CD for Falling Down, but was happilly surprised at how much I LOVED this CD. I can't get enough of it. LOVE the first song.....
anyway, I can't see how you can go wrong with them. They are fantastic!

This is a bore. Other albums held better intrest but not much just a few catchy tunes. I suggest The Curse or Best of.

I can see that this album just wasn't anticipated!! 2 reviews???!? If you want a good bargain buy the best of them...cool cover also on the best of! But once you hear all that it all begins to sound the same......

The Cd Was a great, but the only problem if found with it is that you have to have internet connection to acess the Extra Features. Overall it's pretty much a Amazing CD.

I must say at first I didn't think much of this band, but, they kind of grew on me like something that hurts at first, but, the more you do it, the more you like it... They are now becoming one of my favorite bands and I have purchased all their albums... I am a long time metalhead and it is refreshing to find something that still makes me want to 'bang my head' on occasion.

but not my fav. Atreyu cd. I love the previous work that they did better than this cd.

This CD is amazing. The Brandon (drumer, vocals) has more of a role in this album and brings nothing but his best. Alex (main vocals) also brings his A game overall an amazing CD.

This album was amazing! Screaming and clean vocals, but sometimes the drummer sings more than Alex, like in "The Theft". My favorite songs are "Your Private War", "Ex's And Oh's", "My Fork In The Road (Your Knife In My Back)", "Our Sick Story", and "Shameful".

The good:

They can get really catchy and heavy, and so does Brandon's singing
Very fun to listen to

The bad:

There aren't enough of songs to listen to, since there are only 9 songs.
Some of their songs are sometimes sound the same.
Sometimes they don't sound heavy

But I don't think Atreyu is heavy metal, not the kind of heavy metal like Cannibal Corpse, As I Lay Dying, Inhale Exhale, Lamb Of God, or at least like Unearth. Atreyu sounds more like screamo, post-hardcore, and sometimes hard rock. By the way, check out the band Inhale Exhale!!

More bland, same as everyone else, the tears are smearing my mascara, horse manure flooding the market "underground" market. I saw this guy with a lip ring, dyed black hair, some San Francisco t-shirt that was 3 sizes too small, wearing an Atreyu mesh ball cap. As if St. Peter shouted to me from heaven I heard a voice frantically screaming for me to immediately pursue & find a Best Buy to purchase said artist newest release. I cleared my hectic schedule, put a stoppage on the child support payment, and unchained the hostage in my basement for approximately 30-40min to fully osmosis this work of art. To music was. awe-inspiring, intense, radical change, I wanted to break the only light in my bathroom and cry alone while the mini stereo continued to spew the triumphs of one of the 21st centuries greatest musical phenom.

When I awoke from a state of hypnosis several minutes after the 1st song begin I knew of the power this disc from the gods possessed. Each song more cutting than the previous, each note was truly a gift for my ears to intake and deliver in a most expiate manor to my brain for further digestion. At one point in time I slightly recall the urge to pull a 180 and relieve myself. However, for fear of missing quite possibly the next totally sweet Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Rhoads, Halenish guitar type solo I instead allowed the gates to open forth on the spot. Soon after I collapsed only to awake 2 hours later in my own piss and vomit... I realized it had all been a dream. In fact, this album was worse than there last which was 2x worse than Suicide notes and something or another. More cliché, I can't get over this issue, you have X years to release new material. Why is it only 30 min. of music? These songs can't possibly take THAT long to construct. Whatever, if you want to follow the sheep waste your money on this and go buy a t-shirt that is too small for your fat body go for it. If you're looking for more enlightenment than this seek other source.

I liked their first album, but the production could and should have been a lot better. I would really like to see it remastered. GGGarth deffinately brought the best out of Atreyu on this 2004 release. this review is basically on the lyrics, sure i like the music, but in my opinion, this cd would be nothing without the lyrics.

Blood Children - is an alright intro that just leads into the blistering...

Bleeding Mascara - wow. when i heard them open with this song before the album came out, i was in awe. i really love Alex's lyrics. atreyu blends amazing screaming with singing melody. and not to mention the guitar players skills. they play pretty simplistic stuff that comes out amazing.

Right Side of the Bed - i'm not really one for singles, but this was the first single off of the record. the lyrics are pretty good, a standout line for me is, "she'll $#%^ you just for the taste." this kind of became a clap along at shows.

This Flesh A Tomb - is deffinately my favorite song off of the record. i honestly want it played at my wedding. if i had the money, i would hire them to play it. just listen to the lyrics.

You Eclipsed By Me - holy ____. i'm certainly a lyrical person. and these lyrics are amazing. a big eff you to someone in his life. if you love metalcore and don't like this song, i don't really know what to say. the chorus is completely brutal. "did you take me for a fool or are you just to blind to see that every effort made has failed and there is no destroying me."

the Crimson - comes as the second single off the album. i think it's funny how he says robert smith (the cure) lied, boys do cry. i like it because he's not afraid to admit it. men are supposed to be all masculine with no feelings. i hate people who actually act like that. more references to vampire lyrics.

the Remembrance Ballad - is obviously a ballad. very good to hear live. the lyrics sound like a vampire's eulogy.


Interlude - showcases the guitar players talent. there's not much else to say about it.

Corseting - is a complete onslaught with alex's screaming throughout the song. the chorus is ironic how he talked about killing someone but has the descency to use the nicest lace.

Demonology & Heartache - another song with AMAZING lyrics. "if you can pull my wings apart and pin me down under glass until the end of days if it can help you discover that we share the same pain i just hope you write your thesis before your subject is dead no life after death."

My Sanity on a Funeral Pyre - is yet another great track. i love the way he thinks. i'm not sure who writes what song, but alex' and brandon's brains combined made some surely amazing lyrics for this album.

Nevada's Grace - i really like hearing the contrast with the vocals on this song. the lyrics obviously are good in my opinion. the music is pretty simplistic. it tells vulnerability

Five Vicoden & a Shot of Clarity - this is a good closer, not nearly as good as Lip Gloss & Black, obviously. but the lyrics are pretty good, i'm not too fond of how they chose to do the end, it sounded like they were trying to do, "live.love.burn.die" again, but it didn't work out so well. the words they say are good, but it would've sounded better with brandon singing them. kind of like how he did on "Untitled Finale" off of their third album "A Death-grip on Yesterday".

You Give Love a Bad Name - completely re-done, way %$#@ing better. i love it.

overall, i think this album is mostly about the lyrics. the music is good, but when you hear the instrumental version (downloadable on iTUNES) it sounds rather empty. alex's screams, brandon's smooth singing really bring the music to life. the contrast of their vocals makes it even more beautiful. if you want good, really talented guitars you should really check out HIMSA, Darkest Hour, or As I Lay Dying.

i personally wouldn't suggest any of their material past 2006's "A Death-grip.." 2007's Lead Sails, Paper Anchor was depressing to hear that the wrote the music i put in my cd player. mind you, i am a huge Atreyu fan, i heard "Becoming the Bull" before i joined the Marine Corps, i was like, uhhh...please no. I got out of boot camp without hearing anything else, and my ears were sore with disappointment. sure people change, but this change is horrible. I would only suggest a few tracks to DOWNLOAD from the cd. "When Two Becomes One" "Can't Happen Here" "Blow" and their cover of Faith No More's "Epic".

This is probably hands down the best album that I own. It combines everything in a perfect way. Guitar riffs that make me wonder why I even bother playing, lyrics so intimate you're jaw drops, and a perfect blend of screaming and singing. This is the only CD that I listen to in my car on the way to and from work. I don't think it has left my CD player in a month.

This album by Atreyu isn't just only full of screaming and loud guitar. The songs are have more melody. Really like the Bon Jovi cover!

This was the third Atreyu album that I've bought and it might be the best. If you like raging, intense screaming alternated with awesome melodies, then you'll probably like Atreyu. And if you're an already established Atreyu fan, you'll probably love this album. Definitely a worthwile purchase either way. And if you're a metal fan--metalcore especially--then you definitely want to check out Atreyu.
And even if you've never listened to much metal--heck, I had literally never listened to metal except for two Atreyu songs I bought off of iTunes before I bought my first Atreyu CD, and I love it.
So, anyway, The Curse is worth buying. Buy it. Now.

The best song off it is probably The Crimson--totally awesome. Melodies (and screaming) that have you yelling along, amazing lyrics, and everything else done just right.

The songs on this album, I thought, covered a wider range than on Suicide Notes, and were as a whole better than on Deathgrip.

Yeah. Awesome album AND band! Can't wait for their new album to come out! (Not Best of Atreyu, the one they haven't released the name for yet.)

Hands down this cd rocks. The bonus DVD is also a cool additition. I'm an old skool metal fan and it's a breath of fresh air for Metal today. These guys will be around for a long time!!!

I've always really hated Greatest Hits compilations, so they could highly attribute to the ONE star review. Another attribution is that it doesn't even include the amazingly-made-better rendition of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" or quite possibly the best song from 2006's "A Death-grip On Yesterday's" studio sessions "Her Portrait in Black". It included Atreyu's best songs, even songs that weren't singles at all. The inclusion of "Tulips Are Better" baffles me...in my personal opinion it is deffinately one of Atreyu's worst songs, ever. The rest of the songs are good as a preview of this amazing Artists body of work, although I would have liked to see "This Flesh A Tomb" included as well as "A Vampire's Lament" from the 2002 opus "Suicide Notes & Butterfly Kisses". Great metalcore before they turned sour upon their signing to Hollywood Records. Very visual lyrics, that often times deal with vampires which is, in my opinion the best part of Atreyu, aside from the contrast of vocals between Alex & Brandon's singing, their dueling guitar melodies/ solos. The music is really simplistic and features your overplayed breakdowns, but they compose it in a highly acceptable manner. The artwork for the CD is rather amusing. The DVD is alright, it would have been nice if it was longer, included them in the studio, live songs, interviews and the music video for "Her Portrait in Black". But Victory Records is probably the worst record label producing music right now, so you can probably blame them.

This album is the most fantastic Atreyu compilation ever. Anyone thinking about listening to Atreyu should definitely buy this album, I did!

Ok, so it is not an "original" album, like everyone else said, more of the old. Good for people just getting into the band, but pointless if you have the cds, just make a burned copy of the songs in the same order and there you have it. go to youtube if you want to see the videos, great band so i couldnt give less then 3 stars

I think its a very good album. I like that instead of having to buy all their old cds I could buy one with the best songs.Saves me money and I know I already have the best they have to offer.
It was my first time I ever listen to Atreyu, Save one song" ex's and oh's" which I don't like and I don't know what people find so special about it.
I think them putting out a "best of" cd will score some new fans like myself who hear about them but never really listen so when we see this, its a golden ticket to see what these guys are all about.

This band does not deserve a greatest hits album after 3. Especially when only two of them are good. A Death Grip on Yesterday had me screaming at my cd player. Their emo crap made me cringe. It was clear the record label pushed them in a certain direction just because their drummer has an amazing singing voice.
When I saw them live in 05' they were touring off The Curse, excellent energy and they played with a great metal band with the likes of Unearth. Suicide Notes is one of the best metal albums by a very young band at the time (see Poison the Well's Opposite of December). It makes me sad the direction they went in. Unfortunately, after reading a brief review, I'm sure their new album sucks too.
If you want to listen to metal, get Parkway Drive, Unearth, In Flames, Lamb of God, Himsa, Shattered Realm, August Burns Red, or the new Megadeth album. Those are kickass, Atreyu sucks.

Every now and than, a band comes along which combines the worst of several genres and manages to gain a following somehow in the process. Atreyu take the ridiculous excess black and death metal, the pomposity of progressive metal, the cheesiness of power metal, and the most cliche elements of hardcore and emo imaginable to create music thats should only sound good if you're still in high school and pissed off at girls and your parents. To me, they're essentially Simple Plan with eyeliner and tattoos. Admittedly, occasionally they can craft a catchy hook or riff, but any potential goodwill is destroyed by Alex Varkatzas. His lyrics are the worst emo standbys imaginable, and his vocals waver between annoyingly high pitched and effeminate or utterly laughable attempt at tough guy growls. Atreyu makes Linkin Park sound like The Beatles when it comes to songwriting. This may be decent when you're in middle school, but the rest of us can enjoy the intelligent hardcore bands such as Converge, Refused, or The Locust.

Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, all in all, is a terrific album. Alex Varkatzas has a good scream through out the record, and Brandon Saller does a pretty good job on the clean singing vocals. A lot of people say that this album is Atreyu at their heaviest. As for me, I don't know. I think as far as "heaviness" goes, it's on par with THE CURSE. The lyrics for the album are excellent, except for the song "At Least I Know I'm A Sinner", in which Varkatzas berates Christian's and calls the Bible "a b.s. rulebook".

Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses features a lot less of Brandon Saller's vocals than on future releases from the band. His role is pretty much defined to choruses on this record. As far as production goes, it could have been better. Sometimes the guitars sound muddy and not mixed high enough in. All in all however, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses is a good album.

I'm a huge Avenged Sevenfold Fan. While i was searching the net for A7X stuff, i came across this cd of Atreyu's. I've only heard 2 of their songs so far from Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. The songs are Lip Gloss and Black and At least i know i'm a sinner. I like Atreyu a lot. So the thing is if u like Avenged Sevenfold, u'll enjoy listening to this band. I thought Atreyu was gonna be one of those bands where they have no rhytym and all they do is scream. BOY WAS I WRONG. Lip Gloss and Black is a great song. I love the intro. I'm gonna listen to more Atreyu songs. Atreyu is one of those bands who will always surprise you, no matter what u listen to. Thats wat they have in common with Avenged Sevenfold. Its visa versa also. If u are an Atreyu fan and nvr listened to Avenged Sevenfold. I luv the way Atreyu mixes punk wit metal along with screamo.U dont know what u r missing. I nvr used to like metal till these bands came. So if u're an A7X fan, do yourself a favor and get this cd and visa versa.

This. Is. Amazing. I bought it several months ago, but just now got around to reviewing it. (I'm kind of lazy on the reviewing.) Anyway, it's completely awesome. The vocals are superb, ranging from melodic and beautiful to deep, guttural growls, adding a bit of unpredictability to the album. Some of the songs do sound a bit similar the first time through; however, after listening to it a few times you can pick out the differences, and some of the songs sound extremely different from one another. The accompaniment is remarkable, and the lyrics are...wonderful. I'd have to say that my favorite tracks are At Least I Know I'm A Sinner and Lip Gloss And Black. This CD will have you alternately screaming along and with tears flowing down your cheeks. You won't be disappointed.

This Is A Great Metalcore C.D.,Yep
1 A Song For The Optimists.
REAL heavy There Is Alot More Screaming Than Singing,
(There Is Only 1 Part W/ Singing)
2 Dilated.
One of The Best Songs,REAL Heavy But Not AS Heavy (More Singing)
3 Ain't Love Grand?
More Towards The Melodical Side (More Singing Again)
4 Living Each Day Like Your Already Dead.
I Don't Really Listen to This Song Alot It's Not Bad Just not Real good
5 Deanne The Arsonist.
Most Cussing
6 Someone's Standing On My Chest.
Heavy Explicit I Don't Know
7 @ Least I Know I'm a Sinner.
A Song That Is NOT About Hating God
8 Tulips Are Better
Also A Little More Melodical
9 A Vampire's Lament
Heavyist/Mellow I Like The Part Where Alex
Changes From An As I Lay Dying- Like Vocalist,
To Singing To A Clean Guitar Ballad
10 Lip Gloss and Black
ONLY song On the WHOLE C.D. W/ A Chorus The Most mellow
It Sounds A Bit Like "Never Too Far Gone" From The EXTREMLY
Old "Visions E.P." This Has A Longer Clean Chorus
And An As I Lay Dying Verse And A Melodical Guitar Solo
Exept This Has A Beutiful Piano Outro.
Note:The Visions E.P. is Avalabile On Limewire So NOW you Can Have
EVERYTHING Atreyu Has Released

I must say at first I didn't think much of this band, but, they kind of grew on me like something that hurts at first, but, the more you do it, the more you like it... They are now becoming one of my favorite bands and I have purchased all their albums... I am a long time metalhead and it is refreshing to find something that still makes me want to 'bang my head' on occasion.

As if metalcore wasnt a chainsaw to your head enough, its absolutely ridiculous when metalcore bands mix emo with there already inoriginal sound. This band sounds like a even more flaccid Killswitch Engage, a Hawthorne Heights/Silverstein with downtuned guitars. As if it wasnt an abomination already, they even sing about vampires. Yes, thats right, vampires.

And you couldnt get any g*yer.

Atreyu is horrible. Their screamer sounds like he gets kicked in the balls on a daily basis and their smooth vocalist sounds like a little girl. Now, Virushan is harping on awesome bands like Kreator and Queensryche (ok, they were awesome once) and he says these guys are good. I hate him.

why do so many ppl hate this band? i mean this is the 2nd most brutal and heavy band on earth. 1st is slipknot. 3rd wuld be trivium. this makes horrible soft rock groups like kreator, dimmu borgir, and slayer look like those bands almost though. the lyrics r passionate, not whiney like kreator thank god. its on mtv so its good not like unknown junk like queensryche or kreator(srry but i just hate kreator so much). this is a masterpiece that every ppl shuld own. forget kreator.

What Atreyu's first album lacked, "The Curse" has in ample quantity. This is a striking, pretty album, with a vampiric story behind the words and the screams. In all honesty, Atreyu is a band that defies categorization. Their words burn the soul of the listener. Their music scorches you to your very essence. Listened to from the beginning, this album is tragically poetic and something that changes you for the better.

Musically, the screaming is good, the intertwining of vocals even better. The guitars harmonize well and the rhythm section gives a punkish and fitting, if not disturbingly skillful, backup to the band.

This is an album all must listen to.

I enjoyed Atreyu's metalcore music a lot, and I also enjoyed this album's lighter approach as well. I actually found this album much more rewarding listening - it has more variety (I think of this as a good thing), and it has some great harmonies. The title track is extremely well-executed, and thankfully they did not waste more of the album trying to do more songs like it. Songs like "Doomsday," "Becoming The Bull," and "When Two Are One" are still heavy but have a certain melodic kick that Atreyu just didn't have on their earlier albums. It's a good album, not an amazing one, and people who only care about Atreyu for their metalcore sound are going to absolutely hate it.

As a fan of their previous albums, their hit "The Curse" having been in constant rotation lately, I'm sad to say that this album falls far behind it's predecessors. I'd tell you which songs were memorable to me, but after listening to it three times through I still cannot recall a single title that stood out to me.

The main downfall: The vocals, but not because there is no screaming. Atreyu should have the right to explore other means of expression such as singing entirely. Where the problem lies is in the production.

It sounds as if the producer took them into a recording studio, gave them one chance to perform each song, and then ran the entire thing through a computer using the "Instant-Pop-Star!" button (a-la Auto-tune, some of you may know this through rap-artist T-Pain, who uses it to his advantage...).

Unfortunately this doesn't lend well to an artist when their clean vocals on previous albums were nearly-pitch perfect anyway and still managed to sound almost untouched!

If you want Atreyu + a magical talking computer that likes to sing, then go ahead, take the plunge & hop on the juggernaut that is the radio billboard top 100. I'll keep on listening to the real deal on their previous efforts.

It's really simple. Buy this album. It is the their best piece of work by far. It really shows how far they have matured musically. Their lyrics touch upon more than just being betrayed as in the last albums. The very first song Doomsday is about the loss of his grandfather. If you read some of the bad reviews this album has received, it is because they are not patient enough to really get a sense of what the song is saying. It only take one play to LIKE a song. It takes a lot more times to really LOVE a song and for it to really mean something to you. If you enjoy the other Atreyu albums, you will enjoy this one. Just give it some time if you find their music to be intrusive at first. Definitely the best album by them with great meaning and incredibly dynamic sounds.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a band progressing their sound. Plenty of bands have done such smoothly: Deftones, Unearth, August Burns Red, The Mars Volta. Conversely, this CD is weak as hell. This band has been running downhill since "The Curse". "Death-Grip" wasn't terrible, but "Lead Sails" is CRAP. If Atreyu goes any more pop, they'll have choreographed dance routines and headset mics. Do yourself a favor: instead of putting your money toward this CD, use it to pay someone to crap directly into your ear canal. You'll come closer to getting your money's worth this way.

Newsflash! Atreyu have always been the prissy c*** they are now. I'm 13, and have to listen to it when my insolent classmates blast it out their new i-pod that mommy and daddy bought them after the wretched conformists scream and whine. If you actually think, and have an identidy, you won't buy this ear torture. Whether these poseurs sing and scream, or just sing it's equally as bad. You want REAl metal? Pick up E.T.T.S., Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Cattle Decapitation.

"Fractures" unleashes Atreyu's garage metallic blitzkrieg of murky sounds, but ultimately serves as a collector's item. Essentially all but two tracks are available on a much fuller assembly ( Atreyu's studio title "Suicide Notes & Butterfly Kisses"). So what you are really getting here, for your eleven bucks or so, are two gems; which in all honesty don't legitimize the cost.

If you can find this for a cheaper cost it isn't a bad buy, but when you can get a complete fix, of this bands Metalcore melodic tendencies, for nearly the same price it's better to look elsewhere. On the side note the production quality isn't all that great either. With such a small song selection one can't help but wonder why it can't be concise and void of filler. For credibility's sake this was released a year before SN&BK. Collectors have found their gem, but fans please get the fullest out of your money.

Side notes:
-Tracks featured on SN&BK from here aren't the exact replications (but finer quality)
-The two songs not available else where on the bands later studio albums are The third and fourth tracks:

"A Letter to Someone Like You" and "Taking Back every word that I Said" respectively

- You can really tell this is the bands origins and see how far they've progressed
-Lastly if I'm coming down hard, yes I am a fan of the band, saw them live not too long ago (enjoy all there material even including the new album)

Atreyu is a band that pretty much everyone loves to hate. It seems that metal 'purists' find them too melodic and pop-rock fans find them too heavy, while hardcore fans find them too easy to digest. When you boil it all down, one cannot deny the raw talent that this band has. The songwriting on this debut EP is awesome. No matter what kind of heavy music you enjoy, Someone's Standing On My Chest is going to get you moving. Yes, this version is far superior to the one on Suicide Notes. If you are looking for something with emotion, power, and groove, Atreyu provides all in spades. This is coming from a true metalhead, by the way. Forget the opinions being shoved down your throat and give them a listen with fresh ears. Make up your own mind.

I would give the album 5 stars except for the fact that it has 3 songs from Suicide Notes (Seems to be the only downfall for everybody) I love Atreyu, so this is an album i owuld definatley reccomend if you're a fan of them but if you want something really rare and different look for "Visions" it's a 1995 EP i don't even think Alex sang on it i'm not too sure all i have is aburnt copy.

Ok if u r one of those peopel who has discovered Atreyu or likes them already I strongly recomend this CD.It is great old Atreyu.It sounds almost like Atreyu met Between The Buried And Me and played together.The only problem is that 3 of the songs are on the CD Suicide Notes And Buterfly Kisses.However If You found those not heavy enough this might be what you are looking for.Here is A basic run down of the songs.

1. Living Each Day Like You're Already Dead 8.This song is very good but it gets a little tiring not know what he is saying but it is still really great.

2. Tulips Are Better 9.ok thi is one of my favorite songs because it doesnt go stale over time and has great progression from off beat singing to a very low and maniacal growl

3. A Letter To Someone Like You 10.A great fun song that is much like Poison The Wells lighter stuff at times but like a lighter Black Dahlia Murder.

4. Taking Back Every Word That I Said 12.Basically what happens when the apocolypse comes.You scream while hearing nothing but doom fill your ears

5. Someone's Standing On My Chest 1000.If you like bands like Between The Buried And Me,Norma Jean,It Dies Today,that stuff this is your song. This has got one of the most memorable breakdowns to me.It is Merciless,Meniacal,and amazingly fairly catchy.This is why I bought the CD if u dont like anything else these last two will cheer u up.

So if you got some cash go out and get this and if u dont like it at first give it another chance.Atreyu is now fairly mainstreem but still are and never will become faggots.

This isn't real good value, so unless Atreyu are like your favourite band or something, skip this and get suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, which contains 3 of these tracks, leaving only two that you are actually getting that you probably haven't got already.... It's a good cd though, each song iis good, except for one which is kinda repetitive.

I strongly recommend that you buy Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses rather than this, I don't know about the new one, The Curse, 'cause I haven't got it yet!

I enjoyed Atreyu's metalcore music a lot, and I also enjoyed this album's lighter approach as well. I actually found this album much more rewarding listening - it has more variety (I think of this as a good thing), and it has some great harmonies. The title track is extremely well-executed, and thankfully they did not waste more of the album trying to do more songs like it. Songs like "Doomsday," "Becoming The Bull," and "When Two Are One" are still heavy but have a certain melodic kick that Atreyu just didn't have on their earlier albums. It's a good album, not an amazing one, and people who only care about Atreyu for their metalcore sound are going to absolutely hate it.

As a fan of their previous albums, their hit "The Curse" having been in constant rotation lately, I'm sad to say that this album falls far behind it's predecessors. I'd tell you which songs were memorable to me, but after listening to it three times through I still cannot recall a single title that stood out to me.

The main downfall: The vocals, but not because there is no screaming. Atreyu should have the right to explore other means of expression such as singing entirely. Where the problem lies is in the production.

It sounds as if the producer took them into a recording studio, gave them one chance to perform each song, and then ran the entire thing through a computer using the "Instant-Pop-Star!" button (a-la Auto-tune, some of you may know this through rap-artist T-Pain, who uses it to his advantage...).

Unfortunately this doesn't lend well to an artist when their clean vocals on previous albums were nearly-pitch perfect anyway and still managed to sound almost untouched!

If you want Atreyu + a magical talking computer that likes to sing, then go ahead, take the plunge & hop on the juggernaut that is the radio billboard top 100. I'll keep on listening to the real deal on their previous efforts.

It's really simple. Buy this album. It is the their best piece of work by far. It really shows how far they have matured musically. Their lyrics touch upon more than just being betrayed as in the last albums. The very first song Doomsday is about the loss of his grandfather. If you read some of the bad reviews this album has received, it is because they are not patient enough to really get a sense of what the song is saying. It only take one play to LIKE a song. It takes a lot more times to really LOVE a song and for it to really mean something to you. If you enjoy the other Atreyu albums, you will enjoy this one. Just give it some time if you find their music to be intrusive at first. Definitely the best album by them with great meaning and incredibly dynamic sounds.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a band progressing their sound. Plenty of bands have done such smoothly: Deftones, Unearth, August Burns Red, The Mars Volta. Conversely, this CD is weak as hell. This band has been running downhill since "The Curse". "Death-Grip" wasn't terrible, but "Lead Sails" is CRAP. If Atreyu goes any more pop, they'll have choreographed dance routines and headset mics. Do yourself a favor: instead of putting your money toward this CD, use it to pay someone to crap directly into your ear canal. You'll come closer to getting your money's worth this way.

Newsflash! Atreyu have always been the prissy c*** they are now. I'm 13, and have to listen to it when my insolent classmates blast it out their new i-pod that mommy and daddy bought them after the wretched conformists scream and whine. If you actually think, and have an identidy, you won't buy this ear torture. Whether these poseurs sing and scream, or just sing it's equally as bad. You want REAl metal? Pick up E.T.T.S., Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Cattle Decapitation.