ATREYU frontman Brandon Saller has opened up about the band's decision to re-record "The Curse", their gold-certified 2004 sophomore album, as part of a 21st anniversary celebration — an unusual move that carries both practical and artistic significance.
Speaking to Rock 100.5 The KATT FM, Saller explained: "There were motivating factors in doing that. One was, we were gonna go tour this album with this lineup. We want to be a transparent band and say, 'When you come to these shows, this is what it's gonna sound.'" The re-recorded version featured MEMPHIS MAY FIRE's Kellen McGregor on vocals, giving the classic material a fresh vocal identity while preserving the essence of the original.
Crucially, the re-recording also gave ATREYU ownership over the material. "We are very lucky where we have zero re-record clauses in any of our contracts, so we could re-record every one of our albums if we wanted to," Saller noted. The original "Curse" recordings, along with early albums "Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses" (2002) and "A Death Grip On Yesterday" (2006), remain tied up through Concord Music, who acquired Victory Records.
The timing coincides with the release of ATREYU's tenth studio album, "The End Is Not The End", out April 24 via Spinefarm. Produced by Matt Pauling, the record has been described by Saller as "the heaviest and most metal record we've made" — yet also "the biggest musical journey we've taken in years." Twenty-five years into their career, ATREYU show no signs of coasting. "We just refuse to become boring," Saller declared.