Former ATREYU Vocalist ALEX VARKATZAS's New Band DEAD ICARUS Announces Debut Album 'Zealot'

DEAD ICARUS, the new band of former ATREYU lead vocalist Alex Varkatzas, as well as Gabe Mangold of ENTERPRISE EARTH and Brandon Zackey, will release its debut album, "Zealot", on October 31 via MNRK Heavy.

Produced and co-written by Mangold, "Zealot" is a precise and pummeling execution of airtight technical riffs, miles of solos, blast beat assault and battery, and screamed, growled, and sung vocals.

Today, the band has shared the video for the latest single "Bearing Burdens And Saving Skin". Watch it below. The song kicks off with furious hardcore energy and evolves with guttural death growls and monster, chunky breakdowns.

"I couldn't be more excited and proud to shared our first full length album 'Zealot' with the world," Varkatzas says. "To be a zealot means to be fanatical and uncompromisingly devoted to one's beliefs. A lot of emotion and energy went into its crafting. I worked very hard to step up my vocal performance and really committed to holding nothing back and trying new things in order to match the dynamic nature of the songs."

He continues: "We kick things off with 'Bearing Burdens And Saving Skin', a fast, chaotic, catchy ripper. Lyrically, the song deals with dishonesty and unrelenting revenge. We match it with a dark and wild video by MyGoodEyeVisuals, which was shot in a cemetery inside a haunted house and serves as a precursor to the subsequent videos we have in the works. Be ready, we are just getting started..."

DEAD ICARUS leans on the uncanny creative union between vocalist Varkatzas, guitarist and producer Gabe Mangold, and drummer Brandon Zackey. The band truly gets its wings from the undying commitment made by its members. The musicians pursue their artistry with a resolute sense of focus, manifesting in the precise execution of airtight technical riffs, virtuosic solos, blast beat assault and battery, and hard-hitting vocals.

Countless fans worldwide initially got to know Varkatzas as co-founder and original frontman for influential Southern California metalcore stalwarts ATREYU. After two decades earmarked by chart-shaking success, a pair of gold albums and gold singles, sold-out shows around the globe, and critical renown, he embarked on his next chapter in 2020. Enter Mangold. Celebrated as guitarist for ENTERPRISE EARTH, he and Alex instantly clicked and forged a musical partnership, yielding their 2024-released "Ad Infernum" EP. Inciting critical applause, Revolver promised, "Fans of old-school ATREYU will definitely enjoy."

DEAD ICARUS will embark on its first tour this September with ENTERPRISE EARTH and NEKROGOBLIKON. More worldwide touring is planned for 2025 and beyond.

"Zealot" track listing:

01. The Unconquerable
02. Bearing Burdens And Saving Skin
03. Zealot
04. 1 Million Days
05. Temptations Kiss
06. Fountains Of Death
07. Casting Spells
08. Hell Opens Its Mouth
09. Vade Retro Satana
10. Secrets In The Dark
11. Betrayal Shaped Daggers

A staple of Ozzfest in the mid-2000s with two gold albums, ATREYU is one of the defining bands of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal, alongside groups like AVENGED SEVENFOLD and LAMB OF GOD. Metalcore classics like "The Curse" and "A Death-Grip On Yesterday" were powered by Alex's distinctive scream.