Review Summary: After making a mockery of it's tried and true fan base, a return to old form for Atreyu doesn't mean success. A few good songs here and there, but lacks staying power and that certain "umph" you expect.
Fans are finicky. If a band decides to go away from what made them who they were, their true diehard fans will probably go away, too. It's a difficult thing to come back from, and not many have successfully. Atreyu's newest release, "The Congregation of the Damned," is a perfect example of exactly that.
Atreyu used to mix beautiful harmonies and melody with gruff vocals and amazing, sweeping guitars. With success coming from "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses," "The Curse," and "A Death-grip on Yesterday," the band changed their direction with "Lead Sails Paper Anchor," going with a more mainstream approach, therefore abandoning diehard fans. But a return to from was promised with Congregation, and the promise is fulfilled; yet it lacks what made Atreyu so good in the beginning.
The first two songs on Congregation, "Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed It All," and "Bleeding is a Luxury," shows the great, aggressive Atreyu that I came to love about 9 years ago. It's heavier than anything on Lead Sails, and gives you that feeling that you are in for a great ride. As soon as the Bleeding is over, though, that momentum is obliterated with the title track. Gone are the rough vocals from Alex, and generic radio rock takes over. It's unfortunate, because the album starts off so strong. Songs like "So Wrong," "The Congregation of the Damned," and "Storm to Pass" are just radio-friendly tracks disguised as metal, and I feel the voice and musical style of Brandon Saller ruin each song.
There are highlights as well, though. "Black Days Begin" sounds like a dirty old rock song you can't help but love. "You Were the King, Now You're Unconscious" starts off with a great riff and is probably the heaviest track on the album. Unfortunately, these tracks are few and far between.
Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel are back again, showing that they are the bright spots in this one promising band. Marc McKnight is a decent bassist and does a lot of back round vocals, but unfortunately, you just can't hear him. Alex sounds better than ever on vocals. Their rough, but at the same time, I just do not enjoy his singing voice. It's flat, and has no power, no push to it. His partner, Brandon, just seems like he is holding this band back. He is the creative force behind Atreyu, but I feel the band gives him too much control. The almost "emo-ish" lyrics of each song are written and sung by Saller, and I feel if they would take the writing privileges away from him, this would be a much more solid release. Otherwise, it's just another metal core release from another metal core band that has seemed to have past it's prime.
Atreyu returns to old form (somewhat) with the new album, reminding me at times of "A Death-grip on Yesterday," but it just doesn't work. In fact, it's like the bastard stepchild of Death grip. It's too over-produced (I know, good production can't be beat, but it's just overdone), and it lacks the power of previous albums. Atreyu may be back, but it is definitely nothing to scream about. In other words, don't buy it, download it, like I did, and you won't feel like you deserve your $12.99 back. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and money, and considering how promising this band once was, it's a sad, sad day.
