Yesterday, Atreyu cursed the world with their new album 'The Curse'. This band started back in the end of 2001 with their first EP and they are from Orange County. This album is their second full length, before they have released one demo called 'Fractures in the Facade of your Porcelain Beauty'. The first one, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, was receiving great comments. The band's original and unique music hit like a lightning bolt in hard music circles. After that the band was constantly on tour. At the end of 2003 they went home for the recording process of their next album. And that album is in front of me right now.

The album starts with an intro, the first time my volume wasn't that hard and I had to turn it up to hear this intro. It is a normal intro that is building up. And at the point where it has to explode the first song 'Bleeding Mascara' begins. And the power that struck me was enormously. I liked the last album but I love this album (yes, already). This band/album is one piece of art. I don't know why but without hearing the rest of the album I knew this would be my favourite song of the album. The great drums and riffs in this song just give the album a lot of power. But the vocals that constantly change into another style make it an extraordinary song. 

This great vocals that are used in all the vocals switches from clean singing to screaming with a sound that sounds like the singer from 'From Autumn to Ashes'. Of course I wanted to know if there was one singer, but drummer Brandon does the backup vocals. I have seen this once before when I was at a 'Taproot' concert and it looked quite difficult. 
The production of this album is just awesome and I couldn't hear many mistakes.

Overall this album will be in my year list. This means that other bands need to do their best to convince me that this isn't one of the best albums this year. If you like bands like 'From Autumn to Ashes' or you want to hear a great mix between a clean rock vocals and an awesome metal scream, you should definitively buy this album.

Tracklisting:
1. Blood Children (An Introduction) 
2. Bleeding Mascara 
3. Right Side of the Bed 
4. This Flesh a Tomb 
5. You Eclipsed by Me 
6. The Crimson 
7. The Remembrance Ballad 
8. An Interlude 
9. Corseting 
10. Demonology and Heartache 
11. My Sanity on the Funeral Pyre 
12. Nevada's Grace 
13. Five Vicodin Chased With a Shot of Clarity 
14. Possessed 
15. American Hollow 
16. The Sadist Nation 

Line Up:
Brandon Saller - Drums/Vocals
Daniel Jacobs - Guitar
Marc McKnight - Bass
Travis Miguel - Guitar
Alex Varkatzas - Vocals