29 October 2009

A Shit Ton Of News Links

Below you can find a shit ton of news that on a slow news day might have recieved a full post of it's own but due to the massive amount of shit going on right now with the new album just released I've just posted links to all of them if anyone wants to read them.

See Atreyu's Live Streaming Videos From 10/27


Did you miss some of Atreyu's live videos from Tuesday? You can view them here. Thanks to Martina for sending me the link!

Congregation Of The Damned Lyrics!

Okay, these are as close to official as they are gonna get right now. Now with all things in life there is no such thing as perfect. The new Atreyu album is fucking brilliant... but the ability to read the lyrics in the booklet sucks... so I've done my best to try and get all the lyrics to all of the sixteen new tracks in one easy to print form.


That will take you to my Google Documents where you can view as well as download in PDF form as well as a few other forms.

I can almost guarantee there are some mistakes but I've tried as hard as possible to get them right. Some of those words in the booklet are so hard to read.

I've sent Brandon a couple messages regarding lyrics and hopefully will get a response. Feel free to debate some of them although keep in mind most of the lyrics are pulled from the booklet (well, of what I could read).

Time to learn the lyrics so we can all be singing and screaming in our cars on the way to work and school!

UPDATE: There was a little confusion about a lyric in You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious. Brandon has confirmed that it's "Taste the air as you pull it in your lungs, Try to savior it for one more song."

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #44

28 October 2009

COTD Album And Booklet Art Pictures

So I took a bunch of pictures of the CD that I purchased today (I had already had the iTunes version, today I purchased the Best Buy version). See below. Enjoy.

Oh and can I say... fucking amazing work on the art to whoever did it!










Atreyu News HQ Bonus Tracks Reviews

Thank the gods of Atreyu for releasing these. They are amazing. It only makes you wonder why they just weren't on the actual album itself. Amazing additions to an already stellar album.

We Are The Living Dead ★★★★★
This track for sure should have been on the album. It would have made a perfect addition to the whole zombie aspect of the album. It's definitely high up on my favorites for this recording session. It's heavy. It's professionally done. It's all of what Atreyu has become!

Bravery ★★★★★
This song is just great. I particularly love the last like thirty seconds of the song. The chorus is amazing and like the previous track flows perfectly well with the rest of the album. I don't know what else to say aside from it's great and very heavy (although not as heavy as We Are The Living Dead)

Another Night (Wishing I Wasn't Here) ★★★★☆
This song really feels like a great mix of what Atreyu is known for as well as some experimental (and well executed) moves. Of the three bonus tracks it's my least favorite but that said it still fucking rocks. To be honest, in a strange way this song really makes me think of AFI.

So there you go. As if 13 new epic tracks weren't enough we get three bonuses. Oh and just an amazing fact about the three bonus tracks, when added to the 13 tracks of the traditional release it makes a very wonderful full hour of brand new Atreyu awesomeness.

So if your still up in the air which bonus version to get, I'd say get the Best Buy version (or just get both). It comes with two bonus tracks (Hot Topic only comes with one) and they are the better of the three in my opinion. Not to mention, it's still only 10 bucks.

A Taste Of Things To Come (Lyrics+Bonuses)

I've been getting a lot of requests for me to review the 3 bonus tracks that were made available with the Hot Topic and Best Buy versions of COTD. I am currently in the process of getting a hold of those songs and will do just that!

Also, people really want the album lyrics, so I'm gonna work on that and get those up as soon as possible. Hell, maybe I'll just ask Atreyu and see if they bend to my will, lol.

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #43

27 October 2009

Atreyu News HQ Review of COTD


DISCLAIMER: Remember peeps, this is just one fan's opinion... nothing more!
First things first. I'm a weirdo. I almost always hate the order in which a band places the songs on their album (and more often than not it's the label that makes this decision actually). So this review will be different, as in, in a different order than the album comes.

Now, I live by my iPod and so I have the ability to switch things up in the order I choose. I have changed the order of songs for Congregation of the Damned in a way that I find more pleasing. I don't just do this for Atreyu, I have done this for the new albums from Marilyn Manson, Breaking Benjamin, AFI, Rammstein, and Three Days Grace that have all come out this year as well. That said, here is the order I listen to the songs.
  1. You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious
  2. Congregation of the Damned
  3. Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed It All
  4. Insatiable
  5. Bleeding Is A Luxury
  6. Lonely
  7. Storm To Pass
  8. Coffin Nails
  9. Black Days Begin
  10. Gallows
  11. So Wrong
  12. Ravenous
  13. Wait For You
I do this not to put the good ones first or the bad ones last. I do this to spread the songs out in a way I see that fits best. Additionally, I don't have either of the special CDs with the bonus tracks because I purchased mine on iTunes last night so this review with deal specifically with the original album itself.

1) You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious ★★★★★
When re-arranged I had to put this one first. It has an epic intro that I simply couldn't wait until the middle of the album to hear. This is by far the shining jewel on the album in my opinion. I could listen to this song over and over and over again. The bottom line with the intro and the song itself is that it should be heard loud... very loud! In one fell swoop this has become my absolute favorite Atreyu song... period. What more can I say? Best chorus. Best lyrics. Alex's voice is amazing. Brandon's voice is amazing.

I know this Atreyu Fan Site is on the Atreyu radar (hell, they follow us on Twitter) so I hope they read this. Make this the second single! PLEASE! I'd kill to see a music video for this song.

2) Congregation of the Damned ★★★★
Yes, the speculation is over. Clearly what was once titled "Carried Away" is now titled "Congregation of the Damned." Do I care? Not really. It works either way.

Now, I really like this song. It makes for a great title track. Ultimately it's nothing to write home about but it's still really good.

3) Stop! Before It's Too Late And We've Destroyed It All ★★★★☆
We've had this song the longest and it has stood the test of time, I think. Like "You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious" this song is meant to be played very loud indeed. The lyrics to this are epic and most of all brutally honest. The writing truly shows the maturity of the band and their willingness to express their opinion. Expressing an opinion on the state of the world will do nothing but lose you fans, because some people will not like what your saying. Underneath it all, this song screams, "this is what we believe and we're gonna scream it on the rooftops whether you like it or not!" That shows emotion, dedication, and most of all bravery. Any band can go out there and sing neutral songs that won't piss people off. Kudos Atreyu.

4) Insatiable ★★★★☆
Some songs are just good period. Some songs, like "Insatiable" here, are okay... until you sit down and read the lyrics along with the song. I would have given this a three and half stars until I really read what was being said. Again, brilliant writing, and most of all very self-reflective writing. Also, did I mention how good Alex is now? I mean, he's been great but this CD really shows what he can do!

5) Bleeding Is A Luxury ★★★★
I might be in the minority on this song, but I think it's the worst on the CD. I still think it's really good, but compared to the rest of the album I give it the lowest rating. The chorus is great, the writing for this is pretty good, but I (bite my tongue) feel like this is rather filler-like. Again, I like the song and I certainly don't skip it, but I think it's the lowest note the album. From about the two-minute mark on is when I really like the song, because it's very different there.

6) Lonely ★★★★☆
I'm not gonna lie, this song is light. But I love it. It's not heavy. Dare I say, it's very LSPA... but then again I love that CD too. This is anything but single material but I really do love this song and I guess I can't give a good reason why.

7) Storm To Pass ★★★★★
This is the second best song in my opinion and clearly a stellar choice for the first single. This song never gets old and the absolute killer part is it's chorus. I'm a sucker for having a man-crush on Brandon's voice so anything that really showcases how great of a voice he has gets me all gay inside. What this song also does is show how great Alex and Brandon work together.

8) Coffin Nails ★★★★★
Yet another amazing track showing how amazing Alex and Brandon are together (makes you wish they could have babies together... sorry, bad image). This song kinda makes me thing of Ill Niño for some reason. Either way, the lyrics are brilliant as well. Also reminds me of LSPA but again, I loved that CD.

9) Black Days Begin ★★★★☆
This is another great song that gets better once you've sat down and read the lyrics. Not the fastest song but certainly displays their talent. This song makes me think of The Curse with lyrics like "your body, it taunts me, your flesh, oh it's so haunting."

10) Gallows ★★★★★
I have been in love with this song since Call of Duty: Metalhead Zombies. Over and over and over I played this track. The chorus to this is simply amazing and the lyrics are perfect. Hands down, the third best song on the album behind "You Were The King, Now You're Unconscious" and "Storm To Pass." If you haven't read the lyrics, look them up and really listen to what they're saying. This song is perhaps the most revealing song on the album! Oh yeah, did I mention, this song is amazing turned up! Up up up!!!

11) So Wrong ★★★★★
I love the lyrics to this song so much. Now, as we all know, we all interpret songs different and I may be biased in my assessment of this song... but I think this song is about a loss of religious faith. I think it's about looking back to being younger and making everything fit in a religious view without really assessing the facts. When he says "a flame still burns at the back of it" I think it's talking about how even though you don't believe in the religion you were raised in you still have it in the back of your head because you were force-fed it for years without alternative. I think this song shows religious maturity when Alex screams "and all that I know is that I know nothing." Here he's saying that he's grown to accept that although as a species we can explain a lot there is still a lot that tugs at us with wonder and often excruciating curiosity. He no longer is pretending that he knows for a fact the great questions, of God, life, the after-life, and the universe. Again, this is my interpretation and what makes music wonderful is how everyone interprets it differently. Atreyu has had songs in the past that I would say scream, maybe not anti-religious feelings, but at the very least a questioning of authority, specifically religious authority. Not to mention, the album cover is the Madonna with a pit of "damned" people inside her guts...

12) Ravenous ★★★★☆
Just like "Stop! Before It's Too Late And We've Destroyed It All" this song is brutally honest and expresses a very stong and very clear opinion. Great lyrics, great showcase of their talent.

13) I'll Wait For You ★★★★☆
Umm... is this Atreyu? Holy shit! Now this is different. I really like it. Every great rock band needs their power ballad and I think this one will fit the bill. Is it any surprise this song exists? Not really. Considering that Brandon and Alex have both gotten married in the last two years. It's a great closer, and yes, little bitches who moan about LSPA will moan about this. Well fuck you. Nobody likes you anyways. As for the lyrics, they aren't stellar. But the sheer balls they had to put this on the CD are well worth an extra half-star, I say.

Final Grade: It's a near perfect 4.6 stars average, rounded up equals ★★★★★

Final thought: This CD is clearly their best in my opinion. It serves a very important function, which is to really make every Atreyu album really feel like Atreyu. Before this there seemed to be a pre-LSPA and LSPA vibe among the fans. With Congregation we now feel like they are all Atreyu because Congregation seems to have the best of everything they've ever done all in one.

So there are those people who bitch and moan about LSPA being "slow and emo" or "sell-out" and I'm not even gonna get into how wrong they are and that they need to shut the fuck up. However, those nay-sayers really have nothing to say now. There is no "old Atreyu" or "new Atreyu" anymore. There is just Atreyu. And they fucking rock.

Above all, this album shows maturity and a very clear path to where Atreyu wants to be. So here it is, if you don't like Congregation then you are not a fan of Atreyu any longer. This is where they are going and this is Atreyu at their best. This is where they want to be and where we fans want them to be.

Now, I took a risk when embarking on this fan site. Congregation could have sucked. It could have totally sucked major donkey balls, but it didn't. I have a feeling this site, and Atreyu, is going to get bigger, much bigger, very soon.

Brilliant work boys. You've made us all so very proud!

UPDATE: A review of the three bonus tracks can be found here.

Atreyu LIVE Shedule For Today!

1:30 PM EST - Atreyu goes to buy their new record

2:30 PM EST – Radio Station Visit

4:00 PM EST - Live from Soundcheck

5:00 PM EST - Bus tour

8:15 PM EST - Pre-show backstage hang

8:45 PM EST - Live set

10:00 PM EST - Post-set signing

Times Subject To Change

Purchase COTD For Only $3.99

Did you order a special edition of COTD and you can't wait for it to come in the post? Or maybe you're just a cheap fucker like me!? Check out Amazon.com's digital special of the day, Atreyu's just released Congregation of the Damned for only four bucks! You can purchase the album here.

Thank You MySpace Promotion Bitches

Thanks to the handful of people who became MySpace Promotion Bitches and put the Atreyu album artwork as their main picture on MySpace! Ya'll will remain in the top friends as some major fucking fans of Atreyu! You rock!

"Congregation of the Damned" Now Available!

Atreyu's new studio album Congregation of the Damned is now officially out now!!!!!


Well fuck me! I'm off to give it a listen (you can purchase it now on iTunes for only nine bucks) and plan on posting my official review of new CD tomorrow sometime. Happy listening!

Oh, and of course, there's a new poll for you to give your rating of the new album (look to the right).

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #42

26 October 2009

Mariah's Story: "Atreyu Fan 'Til The Day That I Die"

Thanks to Mariah for sending her own touching personal Atreyu story.
My lucky atreyu story. i had just found out that atreyu was going to play in spokane wa, on september 10 of 2007. i was just so excieted that i was yelling on thetopo my freaking lungs. some bitch cut me in line at the ticket booth so i gave her a nice glare and flipped her off. so i get my lucky atreyu tickets and get on my way. i protected those tickets like they were my freaking kids. the day gets here. i had to go to freaking school that day and it freaking sucked balls. i get in line at the ticket exchange booth and by then i was so starstruck that i finally get to meet the dudes that hepled me defeat my depression. the opening bands played awesome. then atreyu came on. i yelled to them god knows how many times i said i love you to them. alex looked at me once and i just wanted to cry because here is the person who not only helped me defeat my depression but inspired me to write lyrics and poetry myself. during there show marc mcknightthrew me one of his bass pics because i sang with him. then the atreyu show got over and all of the sudden freaking brandon saller gave me a vic firth drumstick. by that time i had told myself that i was going to be an atreyu fan till the day that i die. i am dying to meet them in person. that is one of the things i want to do before i die. that was my totally freaking awesome story.
You're beautiful girl! Thanks for sharing your story!

Matt's Interesting Atreyu Concert Experience

Thanks to Matt from MySpace for sending me a this ... interesting... and quite shitty Atreyu concert experience. Luckily the shitty part had nothing to do with Atreyu the band.
last nite at the atreyu concert was sick they came on and destroyed the stage some pics on my profile but after the concert i come outside to see that the car was stolen. took 4 hours for a cop to show up freezing my ass off in atlanta with no coat the deuce from hollywood undead was kind enough to give me his coat too keep me from freezing
Below is a picture from the concert as well as one of him and Marc!

Hot Topic Version of COTD


It seems as though Hot Topic also has a special edition of Congregation of the Damned and for a good price too! Go here to purchase the new CD along with the bonus track "Another Night (Wishing I Wasn't Here)" for only $9.99!

For many of us this is also the first look at the back of the album too!

Another MySpace Webcast Tomorrow

Looks like Atreyu will be doing another webcast tomorrow! See tweet below.

Poll Results: Atreyu Is Touring With Hollywood Undead...?

The poll closes today which asked "Atreyu Is Touring With Hollywood Undead...?" Well, it looks like generally we Atreyu fans aren't too crazy about the skinny masked boys. See results below.

Amazing!!! 28%
They're okay... 20%
Vomit! 45%
Never heard of them 6%

Atreyu On Rockline Radio Tonight 11:30pm EST

If you're free tonight you can check out Atreyu on Rockline Radio.


One doesn’t get points for this, but we’ve been Atreyu fans for many years at ROCKLINE. Once we got a taste of what the Orange County quintet was up to we were hooked by Alex Varkatsas’ throaty growl, his stage presence exuding strength and command augmented by Brandon Saller with his melodious vocals while firmly ensconced on the drum stool only partially hidden by his massive kit. The twin guitar work of Big Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel holds its own when compared to any of the Classic bands which featured twin shredders...
The link to the website is here.

Lots Of News To Come... Bear With Me...

Sorry that there hasn't been any new news today yet. I've been in classes all day (probate law, family law, debtor-creditor relations, fun fun fun!).

But I'm getting ready to head on home for the night and have lots to talk about!!!

Which Version Of COTD Is Right For You?

So it's finally almost here. Atreyu's Congregation of the Damned will be out Tuesday... or Monday.. or Wednesday. Lol (see post below).

Well all confusion left aside, there are many ways to purchase the new album this week.

1) Physical Regular Version
This one can found at FYE, Target, Circuit City, etc. The track listing for this is the normal track listing which can be found below.

01) Stop! Before It's Too Late and We've Destroyed It All
02) Bleeding Is A Luxury
03) Congregation of the Damned*
04) Coffin Nails
05) Black Days Begin
06) Gallows
07) Storm to Pass
08) You Were King, Now You're Unconscious
09) Insatiable
10) So Wrong
11) Ravenous
12) Lonely
13) Wait for You

*You may have noticed that track three is now "Congregation of the Damned" when it was called "Carried Away." I am not sure if they switched out a song or if they changed the name but this is the official track listing now. And if you listen to the preview on iTunes they clearly say "Congregation of the Damned."


2) Digital iTunes Regular Version
This has the same track listing above except it's a digital copy that you download on iTunes.

3) Digital Amazon.com Regular Version
This is basically the same as number two except this one is only $3.99 on October 27th!

4) Physical Best Buy Version
This one has the same track listing as the two above as well as an extra two bonus tracks.

14) Bravery
15) We Are The Living Dead

5) Physical Japanese Version / Hot Topic
If you live in Japan you can get the same first 13 tracks as well as an extra (which for all intents and purposes I will refer to as track sixteen). You can also get this version at Hot Topic!

16) Another Night (Wishing I Wasn't Here)

So there you have it. Plenty of ways to buy it. Personally I'm probably going to get the Best Buy version. To me it seems like it's gonna be the best ... buy. Hahahaha. But if you're interested in the extra tracks then go for the deal of the day on Amazon.com on Oct. 27th for only $3.99.

Oh my fucking god, it's almost here!

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #41

25 October 2009

Japanese COTD With Bonus Track (UPDATE)

For some reason the Japanese always get a bonus track. Well Atreyu's Congregation of the Damned is no different. If you speak Japanese then you can read here all about the bonus track called "Another Night (Wishing I Wasn't Here)".

UPDATE: Thanks to the person who left the comment to let me know the following:
Availalbe through CDJapan.co.jp on Wednesday for ¥2,427 and ships to USA for as low as ¥500, so the total would be $32 est.
You can purchase it here!

Wait... I'm Confused... ? ? ? (UPDATE 2.0)

I don't know what's going on... erm... ??? Huh?


So I guess it comes out tomorrow? Maybe? What?

Well, this blog is still going to act as though the CD is coming out on Tuesday since that is when the CD shops stock their shelves. So yeah... I dunno.

UPDATE: Okay, this makes a little more sense and a little less at the same time. Either way, I can guarantee that Congregation of the Damned will be available on Tuesday.



UPDATE 2.0: And things get ever more confusing...

Two Days 'Til The Congregation

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #40

23 October 2009

Track By Track Review Of COTD


Metal Hammer has uploaded a track-by-track review of the Atreyu's Congregation of the Damned which can be found here.

Here is an example of what they had to say about "Gallows" and "Storm To Pass":
Gallows
Awesome Maiden-esque guitar lick intro, into ringing-out chords. Alex roars and calls as the driving tempo riff pounds on. Another album highlight, with its massive chorus and combination of Alex/Brandon’s voice giving aggression to the serene and beauty to the ugly. Some great little guitar touches in the background, a dense mix with things that leap out more and more with each listen. An absolute stormer.

Storm To Pass
The first slow-starter, with it’s plucked guitar and bass line. The chugging driving verse riff sees Alex singing, and he really can! So all vocal bases are covered from a cerebral punkiness to the scream and into the soaring clean vocals that pull on heart strings. This may sound a bit more on the pop side melodically, but it’s just so catchy you can’t deny awesomeness! Great solo with tons of gnarly pinches too.
Freaking sweet! It's almost here peeps... (unless your Italian or German... lucky bastards!)

Thanks to Matt on MySpace for the new submission!

"Gallows" Going Up On MySpace Today

Well, if you totally sucked ass at the Zombie game and weren't able to hear Gallows through the game, go to Atreyu's Myspace page to listen to Gallows there! This is my favorite of the 3 released songs!

"Congregation..." Out Today In Italy and Germany

If you live in Italia or Deutschland then you can go out and purchase the new Atreyu album today!? If you have purchased it legally in either of these countries feel free to leave your comments on what you think!

Four Days 'Til The Congregation...

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #38

22 October 2009

Atreyu Updates Official Site For COTD

Check it out! It's the shiz!


Atreyu's Super Mario Halloween Costume

So the other day Atreyu's Official Twitter asked what we think Atreyu should be on Halloween. Well I replied the following:


Well while doing some early holiday shopping at the mall I found that dressing up as such is a very real posibility. Come on guys... this would rock our world!

Five Days 'Til The Congregation...

Atreyu Pic Of The Day #37

21 October 2009

Listen to "Gallows" Online!!!

But there's a catch. You gotta blow some zombie brains away. Get to level six on the Atreyu Call of Duty: Metalhead Zombies and you unlock "Gallows" which I gotta say, i jizzed my pants. LOVE IT!

And the game, not hard at all. It took me a couple goes at it to get used it but it's actually kinda fun. I'm still playing it!

Here's a little tease (and quite possibly wrong):

"Restless... chasing shadows. Choices... facing gallows."

"We don't see your scars... are you afraid of who you are?"

So get to it!!! Play the game here.

Atreyu Uploads Webisode #5



After some kinks yesterday the final webisode is up and working! It features the fourth track from the album, also the title track, Congregation of the Damned! WOOO!

The Madness Of The Online Webshow

I lucked out and was able to catch the end of the Atreyu webshow since it was at 5pm central time, not eastern (where I live). I only caught about ten minutes but below is a little of what was discussed.
Would you bone Cameron Diaz? Will the world end in 2012? Label forced them into this live webshow (haha, kidding!). And most of all, who's got the biggest 'dong.' Oh, and Dan has fucked Taylor Swift.
Oh, sweet Jebus. Such madness.

The show had nearly 15,000 views and far too many people were sending questions all at once. Alex and Dan did most of the talking. In the end, Alex stuck his ass in front of the camera and it was over. If anyone reading this wants to add anything that I missed (prolly a lot) then don't be shy, leave a comment or e-mail me. Hope everyone enjoyed.

Free Autographed COTD Booklet With Purchase


If you'd like your copy of Congregation of the Damned to have an autographed booklet then go to New Bury Comics site to buy the new album for $13.99 plus s/h. Supplies, I assume, are limited.

Atreyu's Call of Duty: Metalhead Zombies (UPDATED)

Bored? Wanna blow away some zombie brains? Go here and play some Call of Duty: Metalhead Zombies. The game is pretty basic. You've got a gun. You shoot shit...

You can rock out to some Stop! and Storm but sadly no Gallows or anything else new. ::sadface::

Well, enjoy... ::shrug:: Maybe they'll add a new song or something soon.

UPDATE: Dirrr!!! I'm stooopid. See twitter post below.