by Greg Prato

Rock bands that combine hardcore vocals together with heavy metal riffs have become commonplace in the early 21st century. One such band that follows this blueprint to a T is the southern California quintet Atreyu, and the proof is offered in truckloads on their 2006 release, A Death Grip on Yesterday. Instead of just having a single vocalist doing all the work, Atreyu employ the use of two singers -- Alex Varkatzas and Brandon Saller -- the latter of whom pulls a "Phil Collins" (he doubles as the group's drummer). With one handling the hardcore barking and the other handling the melodic emo singing, the vocal duo is showcased best on such tracks as "The Theft" and "Shameful." Although they put a unique spin on modern-day metal with the vocal duo thing, musically, Atreyu sound similar to the majority of the bands you can spot on any given episode of Fuse (riffs, riffs, riffs), as evidenced by such selections as the album-opening "Creature." Atreyu fit perfectly into the modern-day metal landscape, but there's a multitude of other bands sharing the metallic sound heard on A Death Grip on Yesterday.