Reviews
Album review: Atreyu – The Beautiful Dark Of Life
Metalcore veterans Atreyu turn up the wow factor, but have they still got the x factor?
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Reviews
Album review: Atreyu – The End Is Not The End
Reborn metalcore stalwarts Atreyu prove they’ve still got that killer instinct for a tasty hook as they continue to roar back into action.
- Words:
- James Hingle
Atreyu in 2026 are not a band losing their standing. If anything they’re thriving. With Brandon Saller now fully settled into his new position up front on vocals, The End Is Not The End feels like a band hitting a genuine second wind. It’s easily their most focused and effective record in years, leaning into what they do best, and sounding all the better for it.
Dead comes crashing in with crunching riffs and a chorus engineered for maximum crowd destruction. It’s slick, yes, but still carries enough grit to unleash its muscular energy properly. Break Me keeps that momentum going, leaning further into big-hit territory without sacrificing weight.
All For You does the exact opposite. It sounds huge and clearly built to be bounced off a crowd spanning a huge festival field, while Ghost In Me leans into a more atmospheric space, trading meraudering for mood.
It’s here that Brandon really comes into focus. Already a proven force, having been in the band since day one, he sounds even more assured and astute across this record. Case in point: Ego Death, which sees the band sharpening their sound and leaning fully into their hook-first identity.
Then Children of Light, featuring Max Cavalera, injects a burst of grit. The Soulfly man's unmistakable growl cuts clean through any gloss, snapping everything back into sharper focus. It’s a reminder that Atreyu still know how to bite when they want to.
The album closes with Break The Glass, a fitting finale that erupts with a battle cry, as a flurry of riffs are fed to you at lightning speed, before slowing the chaos into a piano-led ballad. It’s Atreyu at their melodic best.
The End Is Not The End doesn’t reinvent the California legends. It refines them. Here, they are a band fully aware of their strengths, with the energy of those truly out to prove themselves. This is not the end. It almost feels like a new beginning.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Bad Omens, Bury Tomorrow, Beartooth
The End Is Not The End is released on April 24 via Spinefarm.
