Review: Atreyu Sells Out Gramercy
Review By: Phil Ryabkin
Photos By: Derek Soto
Atreyu made a bold statement last month stating that they invented “metalcore”. While that is extremely debatable, the one thing I can greatly say is that they inspired the genre. For twenty years, the metalcore juggernauts have blended together the extremely harsh sounds of Poison the Well & At the Gates. While also mixing a small doses of cheery rock music with the likes of Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses. The sound Atreyu started twenty years ago has been inspired by other major acts like Avenged Sevenfold & Escape the Fate. Atreyu initially broke up in 2011, but since 2015 Atreyu has been making waves with their next comeback. With their newest album “In Our Wake” finally out, its amazing to see that Atreyu is not giving up their 20 year legacy anytime soon. I’m happy that this massive tour is came to NYC and we’ve managed to sell Gramercy Theater out! Along for the ride is Memphis May Fire, Ice Nine Kills & Sleep Signals! If you’re looking for a massive metalcore show with a heavy dose of rock music thrown in, you cannot miss this tour.
Atreyu’s live shows are bouncy and fun. If you want some awe inspiring metalcore with a fun twist to it, then this is a live band you cannot miss. Vocalist Alex Varkatzas sings some proficient melodies and then in some songs he delivers some incredibly harsh screams. He even jumps into the crowd sometimes to pass the microphone to fans. Plus, Alex went into Gramercy’s seating area to entertain all of the fans in the back. Then, back up vocalist/drummer Brandon Saller throws in a couple of screams to add on some heaviness, while thrashing away on the drums. He might not be their lead vocalist, but Atreyu isn’t afraid to give Brandon the spotlight on some songs. The chemistry between the vocalist and drummer is incredibly nice to see in person. Then, guitarists Dan Jacobs & Travis Miguel are shredding away some of the most top notch riffs in the metalcore game. These are some insanely technical shreds that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Megadeth or Dream Theater record. Finally, bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight delivers powerful bass lines that can be felt all across the entire venue while also providing some backing vocals. The setlist was also a real treat for fans. Not only are the new songs super fun to hear live. But, the amount of classics we got that night were just beautiful. We got to hear classics like Bleeding Mascara, Blow, Ex’s & Oh’s, When Two are One, Blow, Right Side of the Bed and much more. Plus newer hits like Do you know Who We Are & House Of Gold mesh so well into the setlist. The crowd was bouncing around into a fun but intense mosh pit. You could literally feel the energy throughout the whole venue no matter where you were standing. Atreyu’s live sets are honestly an experience to behold and one of the most fun bands you can ever see live.
Memphis May Fire has been making a steady grind recently to be the best it can be. Recently, the band has shifted away from its pure metalcore roots to a more heavy rock styled sound with their newest album “Broken”. The sound that Memphis May Fire is aiming for is extremely reminiscent of bands like Breaking Benjamin & Creed. Many fans have been critical of this new sound change, but adopting more a rock sound is definitely a greater way to expand a good deal of your musical horizons. However, this tour will still provide you with many of the older metalcore jams you probably still want to hear live. Plenty of fans got to hear some older hits like Prove me Right, The Sinner & Vices which definitely enveloped some mosh pitting action throughout the whole set. With one calm moment being part of the new song known as “The Old Me”. This was definitely a super diverse set that spanned a catalog that featured plenty of songs from every MMF album. Vocalist Matty Mullins provides some intense screams and wonderful clean vocals as the sound is an insane mesh of everything you come to expect from the metalcore sound. Sometimes you’ll get a heavy part and then you’ll get something calming soon after. Memphis May Fire is trying to broaden out their sound and I give them props for always trying something different.
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Ice Nine Kills have been making a huge name of themselves recently with their most recent album. The Silver Scream has been attaining a huge amount of critical acclaim from both fans and press. It is literally a love letter to some of the greatest Horror movies of all time (Saw, Friday the 13th, Jaws, A Nightmare on Elm Street) and it features plenty of metalcore swagger for those who claim that the genre is too stale. INK is riding on the hype of this new album and there is no better way to promote by joining a fun tour like this. Plus, the band came out in Horror movie attire. As each member dressed as an icon such as Freddy Kruger and Jason Vorhees. Vocalist Spencer Charnas bridges a vocal gap that goes between super happy melodies to extremely angry tempos that are sometimes near deathcore levels of heavy. By far, one of the most versatile vocalists you can probably see right now. Lead guitarist Justin DeBlieck shreds away some super-fast melodies that remind you of groups like Shadows Fall & Trivium. But, INK’s modern specialty also adds in a hint of Goth flavor that’s seen in groups like Motionless in White & In This Moment. Which makes plenty of their live shows a fun experience in the mosh pit.
Sleep Signals is a band I’ve never heard of before they started this tour. But man, This is a high octane rock outfit that’s fit for a tour package like this. With lots of catchy chorus chants, extremely happy vocals, bouncy drums and groovy guitar riffs that relish in Atreyu’s sound, it’s no wonder they were chosen to be the opening band on this tour. This band has only been around since 2014, but they’ve done very well to make it this far. Sleep Signals takes on everything that makes all of the other Hard Rock/Metalcore fusions work but gives it their own spin on it. Another thing to note is that this band is currently not on a label at all. To see Sleep Signals work this hard and get on a lineup like this is true pride at its finest. This is an incredible achievement for the group from Minneapolis.
Metalcore fans both old and new got the best of both worlds when Atreyu came to NYC. Tons of true high octane energy throughout the whole venue and so much fun throughout the whole night. Atreyu wanted to make sure that everyone in the audience was having the night of their lives and they truly delivered.
