Baptism not only marks the beginning of a new life in terms of christening children. It can also be a celebration of a person’s renewal. Californian metalcore titans Atreyu wash away their sins and begin anew with their seventh album Baptize on June 4th.
Following the departure of Alex Varkatzas in October 2020, Brandon Saller steps up to the vocal plate for 15 songs of fraught emotion set to menacing synths, juicy riffs, and screams of catharsis.
The title track escorts us down the aisle to the tune of organs and a choral chorus. Instead of sprinkling us with the Holy Water, Atreyu seize back the listener’s head and dunks them into the bowl. Heavy riffs have Atreyu reborn from the ashes. Saller’s clean yet understated “I see what I have become” catches him in a moment of reflection before the renewal. Pockets of aggressive instrumentals shine like glimpses of the new life to come. Layers of clean vocals melding with screams mesh the old with the new, shedding the feeling of “living in darkness”.
Atreyu have been in need of a saving grace since Varkatzas’ exit. This change in line up fed the band the chance to begin again, opening the door to experimentation. ‘SAVE US’ becomes an amalgamation of melodic rock within the rounded guitar tones, metalcore with the battle cry “Who’s side will you ride with”, and stadium rock with a solo which soars so high the solar flares burn our wings. Whereas ‘Broken Again’ is pure, unadulterated aggression. The frustration of being pulled within the bubbling riffs resembling the tumultuous nature of mental health make Saller’s vocals rich. While this falls on the more mainstream side of their demographic, the metalcore elements within ‘Broken Again’ are undeniable.
‘Catastrophe’ holds our hand at the end of the world. The wasteland is set with layers of synths pattering like dying stars. A guttural scream exchanges those for thick guitars which hurtle toward the Earth like meteors. With pounding drums which threaten our hearing, ‘Catastrophe’ is a tableau of being “lost in all this uncertainty”. Looking at various news outlets and social media posts; it’s hard not to catastrophise over the state of the world. Nestled within the heavy interludes and catharsis breeding vocal hooks is the feeling the world may be falling apart but at least we have someone to “dance in this catastrophe” with. ‘Catastrophe’ by name, comfort by nature.
A baptism is said to be an overwhelmingly emotional experience. That sentiment isn’t lost here as Baptize houses some heart wrenching moments. Atreyu branch out into the cinematic rock as ‘Stay’ dances on the pieces of a grieving, shattered heart. ‘No Matter What’ praises the strength people have to carry on when all is lost. The swelling of pride in a person so resilient pulls at the heartstrings as the solo zips away like a shooting star. On the other end of the spectrum, the grunge elements to ‘Sabotage Me’ opens the door to the self-saboteur. Confronting the essence of insular doubt is by no means new territory, but this “voice inside your head” is worthy of a listen.
Atreyu may not be treading new waters with Baptize yet the album feels fresh. With that being said, there are elements of stagnant waters with the album having 15 songs. Had they whittled the content down a little more, this good album could have been great.
Baptize will be available across all major streaming platforms from June 4. For the latest Atreyu news, including new releases and tour dates, click here or follow their social media linked below.
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