It’s summer 2002. You’re listening to music in your room, playing at the latest edition of Madden, and eating pizza rolls because school is out for the summer. Your best friend messages you on AOL instant messenger to tell you about a new metalcore band he discovered. You are already somewhat familiar with the genre of music, because it’s different than the alternative rock and nu-metal that you already listen to.
If this sounds like how you discovered the band Atreyu and their debut album Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, you’re probably not alone. Released on June 4th, 2002, it was the band’s debut album released on Victory Records. It was a transitional era from nu-metal to metalcore in terms of popularity, and it was right around the time where bands like Killswitch Engage were also emerging onto the scene.
Led by “Lip Gloss And Black” and with a melodic metalcore sound that appealed to even more, it was certainly a success – Atreyu was immediately prioritized by the label, and subsequent albums like The Curse only furthered their popularity.
