Listening to Atreyu's new album, The Curse, feels like you are brain
flossing with barb wire, but at the same time in total relaxation and
sync within the music, if it's possible for those two concepts to coexist. Maybe masochism is the word I'm looking for. This SoCal band leaves all the over-emotional pop-punk
bullshit behind with the firing squad and spearhead a sound of their own.

The two singers, Brandon Saller and Alex Varkatzas toss singing
obligations back and forth which at times sounds like your average Joe
trying to calm down Satan after a bad bowling game. Easy speaker and drum set master Brandon Saller's vocals slide into your ear easier than a steak knife into pumpkin pie or (as I'm sure the band would prefer it)a jackboot into a rotting chest cavity. Saller's voice is like that of Deron Miller from CKY, a nice flowing, soothing voice and during more pissed-off and agro times like Damien Moyal of As Friends Rust. At times some of Saller's singing sounds like you're listening to Boston or the Doobie Brothers (more noticeable on, "This Flesh a Tomb").

This notion is soon ousted once the primal scream and gravel growl of main vocals and stage dance technician, Alex Varkatzas, pipes up and chimes in. You immediately land back in cold, bleak reality. Varkatzas vocal chord stretching ability is top notch and reminiscent of Canadian core monstrocities Grade and their singer Kyle Bishop's Velcro
tear scream or Nathan Gray from Boy Sets Fire. This shit is barely on the border of underground and the crap MTV plays ad nauseum. (I think they are actually on the head banger's ball).

The blend of different voices throughout the album breaks the monotony that is common in much of hardcore music. Although at times the music seems unfocused, with "Raaaaaaawwwwwooooowww!!!" and "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" being some of Varkatzas favorite lines. In the middle of all the chaos the duo somehow lasso this beast and drag it grudgingly back up to earth where if remains drugged and dormant long enough to appreciate.

Guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel keep it original with guitar work a step or two beyond your typical screamo band. The two use what sounds like a machine gun guitar on most songs with a very aggressive Junn- Junn-Junn-Junn-Junny muted metal standard effect. "Bleeding Mascara" as well as intense breakdowns as those in "You Eclipse Me" for example that leave your inner ear a mass of shredded bleeding pulp. Jacobs and Miguel play guitar like they grew up listening to AC/DC or Megadeth, and perhaps even gained inspiration from Prince and the New Power Generation. They use every inch of their guitars instead of going through the same power chord progressions through out the whole song.

The writing on this record seems to lament the life of people who are into the world of vampires, witch craft and dark scary things. When I noticed the chorus in "The Crimson" it became blatantly obvious; "Will you still hold me when you see what I have done? Will you still kiss me the same when you taste my victim's blood?" Yikes! The Curse is pretty easy to listen to for being such a raw-dog style of music. People have been talking these guys up as the next big thing in the metal/nu metal/whatever genre but take a gander and decide for yourself.