ATREYU

ATREYU, influential on the scene since 2002's "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses", are metalcore vets at this point. Earlier this year, the band released a new EP, the four-song "The Hope of a Spark". Now, they're back with another four-song EP, this one titled "The Moment You Find Your Flame".

While short EPs can often raise the eyebrows of music fans, rest easy that ATREYU made each of these songs epic, so the collection really does come together as a complete set. The EP features four metalcore gems, each individual and detailed enough to warrant their own time in the spotlight. Produced by longtime band collaborator John Feldmann, the new songs tackle deep topics surrounding the pressures, pleasures and pains of existence.

"Good Enough" kicks the set off with a delicate guitar intro followed by massive, steamy guitar riffing that parts ways when ATREYU frontman Brandon Saller's powerful voice cuts in. Musically, the instrumentals shift from thick guitars to lighter passages, making this a very dynamic track. Overall, the track is also melodic and mainstream-sounding enough that it could be a radio single.

"Immortal" follows, with eerie-sounding guitars that take a step back before the introduction of the vocals. This song has as a strong electronic basis and spooky vibe, making it something that would fit alongside MOTIONLESS IN WHITE or ICE NINE KILLS. The song's bridge especially has that unnerving tone, with the vocals distorted to sound ghost-like. It's a jarring but also cool-sounding effect.

Up next is "Gone", bringing a '90s pop-punk vibe, with manic rhythms and melodic punk vocals. Lyrically, the song describes a lost love whom the protagonist didn't know how to love and care for. This love disappears into the darkness. These are truly some of the most poetic lyrics you'll find in metalcore, which is a genre known for its verse.

The EP closes out with the mid-tempo anthem "I Don't Wanna Die", which begins with organs and morphs into a heavy metal track, complete with a METALLICA-like guitar passage. "I Don't Wanna Die" is the strongest song on the set and shows Saller's vocals at his best. His thick, powerful drawl drips with emotion as he sings about being set free from a prison that he's made for himself.

"The Moment You Find Your Flame" offers a range of sounds and brings great variety to ATREYU's catalog. More than anything, it displays that ATREYU are and always will be masters at conjuring up deep emotions and meaning in their songs and, subsequently, the listener. "The Moment You Find Your Flame" is a striking addition to their collection.