Since they muscled their way onto the Orange County metal scene in 1998, Atreyu have sold over a million albums by constantly challenging themselves and their audiences with boundary-pushing charged music and acrobatic performances. Even fans used to the unexpected from Atreyu however, will be blown away by the musical growth, determination and depth of new album ‘Lead Sails Paper Anchor’.

Embracing new styles of singing/playing, a previously unexplored level of melodicism, and a genre-shattering range of instrumentation (Turkish saz, trumpets, strings, piano, opera vocals, pedal steel guitar), Atreyu have created an exultant disc that expands the parameters of heavy music and unabashedly exposes their love of ‘80s metal, thrash, industrial, hardcore, alternative and even alt-country. It also includes some of the most brutal tracks of their career.

“Can’t Happen Here” starts with machine guns, helicopters and screaming children, then breaks into a marching snare beat before bursting into raging vocals, abrupt rhythmic shifts and a trademark monster hook refrain.  
First single, "Becoming The Bull", kicks off with huge guitars and a stomping beat before shifting into a turbo-charged chorus. Then, mid-song, the band explores dynamics with a soft, atmospheric passage that builds into a horrific scream and another pummeling groove. "That song is about the struggle of every day life and trying to deal with it and get your shit together," singer Alex Varkatzas says. "Life is all about good and bad and it's important to realize that in order to keep your sanity." "When we finished the demo for that song, we were all amazed," comments drummer/songwriter Brandon Saller. "It's so different for us, but it's so cool, and it was the first indication that this record was going to be everything we wanted it to be."

The most adventurous song on ‘Lead Sails Paper Anchor’ is “Falling Down”, which begins with a shuffling beat and a near-rockabilly riff that builds in intensity until it bursts in a chorus of blaring horns and harmonized vocals, then launches into space with a blazing metal solo. “We were doing whatever we felt like the whole time, and at one point I went, ‘Dude, I really want some horns somewhere on the record,’” says Varkatzas. “I really like bands like Rocket From the Crypt. So we put them in there and they’re tight and punchy and really help keep the song interesting.” One thing that’s always felt good to Atreyu is ‘80s metal, and this time around they indulge themselves like never before – especially on “Blow”, in which the band pays homage to the excesses of ‘80s metal. Buckcherry's Josh Todd provides guest vocals on the track.

Just as surprising as the eclecticism of the songs is Varkatzas’ growth as a singer.  His expanded singing techniques – harsh and melodic, brash and snotty, tunefully melancholy -- effectively bridge the band’s previous blend of corrosive howls and crooning.  “I was screaming for three records straight, and it was time to bring in some new elements,” Varkatzas explains. “I did that a little bit on our last album, but I didn’t have the right tools. For this, I worked hard and practiced my ass off. I don’t have god given talent. My talent is in my determination. I’ll just try fucking hard and suck at something for a while until I finally get it right.”

The album is titled ‘Lead Sails Paper Anchor’ after an acoustic-based ballad Varkatzas wrote about feeling homesick on the road – a condition the singer likened to sailors being adrift at sea. “The image just came to me,” he says. “With lead sails, a ship wouldn’t be able to move and then a paper anchor would be completely useless. And sometimes that’s how I feel on tour until we get onstage – completely useless and shitty because my heart’s at home.”

Varkatzas’ lyrics are harsh and sobering, born from a year of family trauma, personal struggle and a desperate yearning to cope with anxiety, depression and pain. “Doomsday” is perhaps the most personal song on the record for him. It addresses the feelings of helplessness and frustration that he suffered when his grandfather died while Atreyu was on tour. “Blow” addressees Atreyu’s tenacity in the face of adversity. “Becoming The Bull” is about self-examination and self-control and “Can’t Happen Here” is about the U.S. government’s policy of intervention abroad. “That song really stands out because it’s somewhat political, which we don’t usually do,” comments Varkatzas.

“This really feels like a new beginning for us,” says Saller. “We’re actually at a label that believes in our band and trusts our instincts. So we didn’t hold back anything this time. We wanted to give it everything we had. This is 100 percent Atreyu and that’s what we’ll always be.”