Album Review: Atreyu - 'Baptize'

This long-running American metalcore act believe themselves to be ‘underrated’. Depending on your perspective, they are either absolutely are, or they absolutely are and kinda deserve to be.

Certainly based on this, their eighth studio album, they do. This band churn out paint-by-numbers punk-tinged metalcore that will please their hardcore fans no end, but Baptize is unlikely to win them any new devotees, and they are likely to remain slugged with the ‘underrated’ tag after well over 20 years. Even by their own hand.

That isn’t to say there’s not some good stuff going on within the grooves of this record. Most of the tunes rock like the blazes, before giving way to soaring, fist-pumping choruses (check out Catastrophe for a prime example of this), and then there’s some sweet variation in the form of the excellent, almost power ballad-esque Dead Weight (which is actually close to the album’s best cut), the raunchy, bluesy stomp of Fucked Up and the more atmospheric, but still anthemic Stay, which is likely to become a fan favourite in their live set.

Warrior closes proceedings in fine, uplifting, spirited style.

As the sands of time fall, in the wash-up of this band’s epic career, Baptize is likely to fit nicely into the pocket of their overall discography, a real fan-pleaser without breaking any new ground. Atreyu pretty much belong where they are; forging an excellent, long-term career from their music, solid, devoted fanbase in place, without setting the world on fire.

Find out more about Atreyu here.