On new album “In Our Wake”, Atreyu presents a solid, engaging metalcore effort

If you think a veteran act isn’t capable of still writing engaging music, think again. Atreyu’s seventh full-length album, In Our Wake, while not necessarily an excellent album, is one of the better records in the band’s catalogue – and a solid metalcore record in 2018.

Few metalcore albums are this much fun. In Our Wake never forgets that important trait, but also experiments with different styles along the way. Back-to-back mid-album cuts like “Blind Deaf & Dumb” and “Terrified” are unlike anything Atreyu has ever attempted before, the former reminding listeners of Hollywood Undead with its rapcore stylings, and the latter being similar to the title track from Lead Sails Paper Anchor.

Make no mistake, though, this is certainly an Atreyu record. Solid cuts like “Into The Open” and album highlight “Nothing Will Ever Change” have classic Travis Miguel // Dan Jacobs riffage that hearkens back to their A Deathgrip On Yesterday record, while the title track has some of the best Brandon & Alex vocals – Saller sounds especially revitalized here. We haven’t even discussed album closer “Super Hero”, a nearly 7-minute song which features Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie and Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows.

In Our Wake probably isn’t Atreyu’s best overall album – that title still goes to The Curse. However, there are some truly exceptional tracks that are undoubtedly likely to become live staples, and “Super Hero” is a bold, gutsy song that is honestly jaw-dropping at times. Either way, a solid Atreyu record with lots of guitar solos and memorable vocal performances in 2018 is about all fans can ask for. Welcome back!