Four Years Can’t Stop Atreyu!
It is no doubt that Atreyu has gained respect and a massive following within the hardcore community of the world, but it only makes sense that their first show in four years on September 11th be in the city of their inception and at the venue that put them on the map. Atreyu’s performance at the iconic Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California was everything that this writer expected. Judging by how fast the show sold out, everyone knew that the band would play a mantra of older songs with some emotional speeches strewn in-between songs. Once you got past the slightly below the average sound quality of the Chain Reaction and just focus on the iconic setting of this famous SoCal venue it was clear there was plenty to admire.
When the band announced that they were going to take a break from to recording and “focus on other parts of their lives”, chances were slim that the world would see Atreyu anytime soon or even ever again. Even though the break was always supposed to be temporary, it seemed Alex Varkatzas (vocals) had a good thing going with band Bleeding Through and Brandon Saller (drums, vocals) has a separate good thing going with his band Hell Or Highwater. But nonetheless, Alex’s screams were as strong as ever and Brandon still has that clean vocals crispness that makes Atreyu so unique.
One never knows what four years apart will do to a band, but It was easy to tell that the whole band was pumped as ever to be on that stage. It hadn’t seemed like much changed with the band even given their time apart. They were smiling with each other and displaying the same energy they did on stage when this writer first saw them five years ago. Besides a few different haircuts, they still sounded like the good ol’ Atreyu that the world has come to know and love.
This reviewer got to the show nearly two hours before doors opened and were greeted by a line of exited Atreyu fans camped by the entrance. Anticipation was very high for this show judging by the pumped up the already pumped-up fans. With no openers on the bill, the roughly 90 min set abruptly kicked off with the hard-hitting classic “Creature” which opens their 2006 release A Death-Grip on Yesterday. At this time, the audience was pretty mesmerized to see Atreyu stand on stage together for the first after the four-year hiatus. Those in the front were being pushed into the barricade-less stage by those doing everything in their power to make their way up to the front. Next up was “The Crimson” of 2004’s The Curse. Once this track kicked in, there was no safe place to be in the over-packed venue.
The set continued on with timeless classics such as “Bleeding Mascara”, “Ride Side of the Bed”, “Her Portrait In Black”, “Ex’s And Oh’s” and “This Flesh A Tomb”. Throughout the night, the band made sure to through in some more recent hits like “Blow” and “Becoming the Bull” off 2007’s Lead Sails Paper Anchor which resulted in a venue full of echoing voices and screaming fans. The only song they played off their latest full-length album Congregation of the Damned was “Gallows”. You can view the full setlist HERE. Throughout the set, there was no signs of any lost energy as cascaded right onto the stage. Hearing these songs at the famous Chain Reaction was almost like watching Atreyu play when they were 17 years old and just starting out despite their older completion.
Congregation of the Damned may not be beloved by all Atreyu fans, however, “Bleeding is a Luxury” or “Stop! Before It’s Too Late And We’ve Destroyed It All” would have been a nice addition. The energy was kept high the whole set and was filled virtually with songs off their greatest hits album so you won’t find many complaints here.
As expected, about seven songs into the set they played their latest single “So Others May Live” which is available for download on their site. Even though this song has been met with mixed reactions from their fan base, there was no question everybody at the venue was into the new track as it was met with loads of energy from the audience.
As their regular set came to an end with “Untitled Finale” it truly seemed like it was the band’s first show in several years as emotions ran high as Alex gave a little speech in appreciation for his fans and the people who have supported Atreyu throughout the years. Brandon also dropped in with his mic and thanked fans with his own speech. Overall, the songs sounded crisp and exciting. It truly felt like an old small venue show from a band you have known and loved for years. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for those who were lucky enough to get tickets, but the crowd was not ready to go home.
The first encore treated fans to a cover of the Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”. Alex’s and Brandon’s lyrics were drowned out by the singing of the crowd and the stage divers were more abundant than ever. The second encore and last song of the night were “Lip Gloss in Black”. The emotional riffs and lyrics followed by the piano outro gave for a dramatic ending to Atreyu’s first show in four years.
Now, Atreyu seems to be in full swing once again as they embark were they left off. Those who attended the Chain Reaction show September 11, 2014 left knowing that the future looks bright for Atreyu and there are bound to be plenty more suppresses to come.
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