Does Your God, Know My God?
post a comment | posted Nov 17
..."Atreyu singer Alex Varkatzas used to deal with severe anxiety by taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication including Lexapro and Klonopin, which helped him work and tour without suffering from panic attacks. However, for the writing and recording of Atreyu's new album Lead Sails Paper Anchor, Varkatzas went cold turkey and let his emotional upheaval inform the band's songs even more directly.
One of Varkatzas' main coping methods these days is writing lyrics, which is partially why new tracks like "Honor," "Can't Happen Here" and first single "Becoming the Bull" are so fraught with tension and aggression. But while Varkatzas is raging as hard as ever, he's no longer ranting about getting dumped or betrayed. Instead, he's addressing larger issues such as war, self-empowerment and the importance of family..."
(http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1567801/20070823/atreyu.jhtml)
I think this album has proved that Atreyu is still evolving after they included many more melodic selections on their last album. There is definitely a progression that they have followed over the years, with each album focusing more on melody and becoming more complex. The album starts off with "Doomsday," which is a song that Alex wrote about the day his grandfather died while he was on tour. "Can't Happen Here," to me, is one of my favorites as well as one of the most powerful songs on the album. The lyrics to this song support the notion that Atreyu is covering larger issues by asking the question "Does your god, know my god? This is how the world will end." It represents the fear that violence and hatred amongst religion and race will eventually cause mankind to destroy themselves. This is Atreyu's most diverse and ambitious album to date. It isn't all about metal guitar riffs and bellowing screams, but it includes an array of strings, hand claps, and even a little cowbell. Although the album is different, there are many aspects of it that still sound like the "old Atreyu." The lyrics are still both painful and beautiful, the drums still make your heart pound, and the guitar solos are as amazing as they always have been.