ATREYU's BRANDON SALLER: 'We're Far From Breaking Up'

After ATREYU blacked out the band's social media earlier in the month and posted the letters "R.I.P.", some fans speculated that the California metallers were breaking up. However, ATREYU later revealed that the tease was actually for a new song called "Dead", which is the band's first new offering in two years.

Speaking to Sultans Of Slack at last weekend's Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, ATREYU vocalist Brandon Saller addressed the fan speculation, explaining: "Me and Porter [ATREYU bassist Marc McKnight] kind of came up with that idea of doing that as the ['Dead'] rollout. And we thought, okay, this is a possibility that people might think we're breaking up. But we were, like, common sense would say, 'They've been a band for 27 years. They're probably not gonna break up with just a black photo and 'R.I.P.'' [But] no — it was wildfire. People were sending us stressed out, crisis-mode DMs — worldwide. We had a dude in Japan send us like DMs in Japanese and then translated in English. [It was, like], 'Please, don't let [it be true]. You can't [break up].' And we wanted to say something, but then you just can't. But it was wildfire. There was a lot that happened with that rollout that I didn't expect. But it worked. I mean, at the end of the day, it worked. People were, like, 'Man, it's fucking stupid.' It's, like, 'Well, were you talking about it?' 'Yeah'. 'Point in case.'"

Brandon continued: "In this day and age, it's hard to get people's attention, unfortunately, [with] a band just being, like, 'Hey, we have a new song.' But if you're, like, 'We may or may not be breaking up,' they might listen more. And it makes sense. With a song called 'Dead', what are the options for promotion? There's only a few things we could have done here."

Saller added: "We're far from breaking up. We have at least another six months. [Laughs]"

"Dead" was recorded by Matthew Pauling.

ATREYU recently announced dates for its upcoming tour that begins November 4 in Mesa, Arizona and concludes December 11 in Pomona, California. The trek marks the 21st anniversary of ATREYU's 2004 album "The Curse". A true breakthrough moment for the band, "The Curse" delivered staples like "Bleeding Mascara", "Right Side Of The Bed" and "The Crimson", which are songs that helped cement ATREYU as one of the defining forces in the mid-2000s metalcore scene.

ATREYU's riffs, hooks, melodies, and relentless energy remain a driving force in heavy music, with over a billion streams worldwide and a fanbase that keeps growing. The Southern California band recently wrapped a triumphant co-headlining U.S. run and tore through massive festivals like Download, Hellfest, Welcome To Rockville and Inkcarceration.

Since forming around the turn of the millennium, ATREYU has pushed well beyond their DIY roots — earning multiple RIAA gold records, Top 20 Billboard 200 debuts, and spots on major film and video-game soundtracks. Their latest album, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" (2023, Spinefarm),debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums and has already racked up over 75 million streams, with singles like "Gone" and "Watch Me Burn" lighting up rock radio and flagship playlists like Spotify's "Volume" and Apple Music's "The Riff."

ATREYU is:

Brandon Saller - lead vocals
Dan Jacobs - guitar
Travis Miguel - guitar
Porter McKnight - bass/vocals

Photo credit: Sean Stiegeimeier