Reviews

Certainly a hit already on these shores, the crowd made their knowledge of the songs loudly known. Yet whilst instrumentally the band are extremely proficient, with breakdowns piled up with finesse, they are let down by frontman TJ Miller, a screamer who’s vocal chord shaking is completely average and lacks any real passion.

Still Remains

Atreyu’s love for all things 80s is no secret, yet it remained unclear as to whether it was their choice to have a compilation of Madonna’s hits from the decade played before their set. Little of Madge’s influence was present in their performance, however almost every successful hair metal band from the time received a sonic ‘tip of the cap’.

Whatever period of Atreyu you were there, from the rough and raw emo-metal of their debut to the testosterone fuelled bro-down of latest album Lead Sail, Paper Anchor, the changing faces of the band were all given the spotlight.

Their twiddly riffs and unpolished screaming period was the main focus, allowing lead singer Alex Varkatzas to show of his newly toned physique, whilst Dan Jacobs, guitar ninja extraordinaire, was on hand for frequent fret-frying finger action, truly a sight to behold and a sound to savour.

Aside from getting over the demon booze and bulking up considerably, Varkatzas has become a rather fine frontman. Spending most of the night atop the PA, his performance was engaging and intense, with the rest of the band throwing their instruments around, in greatly entertaining fashion, to keep up pace.

The only disappointing part is melodic vocalist Brandon Saller being stuck behind the drums, hindering his own performance, though his vocal range was still ridiculously impressive.

As Someone’s Standing On My Chest was the sole track from their debut in the set, it was with a little disappointment they left the stage after Untitled Finale. Yet in an unexpected turn of events, they for a shack-shaking cover of You Give Love A Bad Name and the anthemic, career-defining Lipgloss and Black.

Atreyu’s sound and fanbase may have changed a lot over the years, but show after show, they still deliver the same energy, the same power and, most importantly, the same fun as always.