Metalcore heroes Atreyu have been making a lot of noise again recently; with a revamped and re-energised line-up and the promise of new music on the way. Kicking things off with new single Save Us, the band shows off their new hard rock sound, but maintaining the soaring choruses that made them a favourite back in the early 2000s. The Time is Now follows, with some great Fall Out Boy-esque “hey heys”. At this point you’d be forgiven for questioning whether this was going to be an advert for newer tracks disguised as a greatest hits set.
Those fears are quickly alleviated with the classic Right Side of the Bed, which still packs a metalcore punch and brought a fist pump from sofas around the world. Brandon Saller has settled into his role as frontman after stepping out from behind the drums and is still able to carry the old songs, while Marc McKnight is more than capable of carrying over screaming duties. Another old classic, Ex’s and Oh’s follows and at this point we’re having enough fun to forget the absurdity of this night. Following the lesser known Do You Know Who You Are? with a mostly solo version of The Theft is a nice breather, with the latter being a candidate for an emo-acoustic singalong. When the rest of the band comes in you can imagine the pints being held up in the air.
The highlight of the night comes from Blood Children (An Introduction) blending into a ferocious rendition of Bleeding Mascara, which features Saller back on the drums for that authentic 2004 vibe, whileMcKnight kills the vocals. The Curse has been playing pretty much every day since watching this!
Following Bleeding Mascara is never an easy job, but two new tracks; the needlessly aggressive Underrated and, well, the needlessly aggressive Battle Drums, are a great advertisement for the new album. Final track, Lip Gloss and Black is a fitting way to end a triumphant set.
A quick note on the stage production, which was unbelievable; there was absolutely nothing half-hearted about the set-up, the lights, the production values or the sound. This felt like a proper show and Atreyu can only be credited for that.
Carry the Fire Night 1 was a short, sharp blast of nostalgia and a glimpse into the future. It’s still very strange to not be there in person, arm-in-arm with friends and strangers, singing along to some massive songs, but when all was said and done it was a brilliant set, a welcome distraction to our current situation and a genuinely enjoyable return for a beloved band.
9/10
Written by: Henry McCaughtrie
