Coming out of Southern California during the rap-metal explosion around the turn of the century, Atreyu crafted a sound much closer to Agnostic Front or Hatebreed. The metalcore quintet was formed by Brandon Saller (drums/vocals), Dan Jacobs (guitar), Chris Thomson (ba**), Travis Miguel (guitar), and Alex Varkatzas (vocals). Their warped, detuned guitars are matched by pounding drums and acidic vocals, which give the material an edge otherwise absent from their sludge metal. Atreyu released the Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty EP on Tribunal in 2001, with the full-length Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses appearing the next year on Victory. Touring almost nonstop in support of the record, the group faced lineup changes as ba**ist Marc McKnight replaced Thomson before the recording of their follow-up. Atreyu's second full-length, The Curse, surfaced in June 2004 and was re-released with an accompanying DVD a year later. They contributed a track to 2006's soundtrack to Underworld: Evolution and were near the top of the billing for the year's Taste of Chaos tour, alongside the Deftones and Thrice. Their next effort, A d**h Grip on Yesterday, was issued in late March 2006 and became a Top Ten hit. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide