Alex Varkatzas | |
|---|---|
 Varkatzas with Atreyu in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | January 17, 1982 |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Member of |
|
| Formerly of | Atreyu |
Alex Varkatzas (born January 17, 1982) is an American musician, best known as the former lead vocalist of metalcore band Atreyu from its inception in 1998 until his departure from the band in 2020.
At age 14, Varkatzas, along with guitarist Dan Jacobs and drummer Brandon Saller, formed a punk band called Retribution. By 1998, when Varkatzas was 16, Retribution developed a heavier style and changed its name to Atreyu (as seen on their 1998 independent release, Visions ).[ citation needed ]
In 2011, during the Atreyu's hiatus, Varkatzas also started a hardcore project with Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati named I Am War. [1]
In 2018, Varkatzas erroneously claimed that Atreyu "invented" the metalcore genre, [2] [3] [4] a statement he later recanted. [5] [6] [7]
On August 22, 2020, news began circulating that Varkatzas had parted ways with Atreyu; [8] Although Varkatzas himself initially stressed that the rumors were fictitious, [9] on September 30, 2020, he and the band both confirmed his departure. [10]
In June 2021, Varkatzas announced the name of his new band, Dead Icarus. [11] On August 11, 2023, the band released their first single, "Sellout", and announced they had signed with MNRK Heavy and would release their debut album in 2024. [12]
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin Foley. The band has released eight studio albums and three live performance albums. Their eighth studio album, Atonement, was released on August 16, 2019.
Metalcore is a fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy guitar riffs often utilizing percussive pedal tones and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming; more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However, the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
Atreyu is an American rock band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight, and drummer Kyle Rosa.
The Curse is the second studio album by American metalcore band Atreyu. It was released on June 29, 2004, under Victory Records. The album went on to produce three singles, "Bleeding Mascara" "Right Side of the Bed" and "The Crimson".
Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams, with bassist Stephen Micciche also being in the band for a cumulative 15 of the band's 24 years. After spending the first decade of their career on the Ferret Music label, they signed with Epitaph Records in 2008 and remained there until their split in early 2022. Every Time I Die released nine studio albums, with their final album Radical being released in October 2021.
Integrity is a hardcore punk band originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but based in Belgium since 2003. It was formed in 1988 by lead vocalist Dwid Hellion.
Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty is the second EP by American metalcore band Atreyu. It was originally released on November 20, 2001, and released again on January 29, 2002, under the independent label Tribunal Records. The EP has early versions of the songs "Living Each Day Like You're Already Dead", "Someone's Standing on My Chest" and "Tulips Are Better", which were re-worked and included on the band's next release, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. The EP was released before the band's huge success following their first album and original pressings are increasingly hard to find. The vocalist, Alex Varkatzas, has a deeper approach to his screams on this album compared to Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. The album is the first Atreyu release with Travis Miguel on rhythm guitar, as opposed to the Visions EP which only had the founding guitarist, Dan Jacobs.
"Ex's and Oh's" is the lead single from American metalcore band Atreyu's third album, A Death-Grip on Yesterday, released in 2006. It is Atreyu's second single from 2006, but first from the album, as "Her Portrait In Black" was also released, which created for the soundtrack to Underworld: Evolution. The lyrics deal with the former alcohol addiction of vocalist Alex Varkatzas. This song is included on the video game Madden NFL 07. It is also a master recording playable on Guitar Hero II as an Xbox 360 downloadable track. A part of the song was played on an episode of Parental Control.
Lead Sails Paper Anchor is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Atreyu. It is the band's first release with Hollywood Records, and the album had a significantly different sound to it than their previous albums, moving away from a metalcore-type sound, for the most part. The album was released on August 28, 2007. The first single was "Becoming the Bull".
Congregation of the Damned is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Atreyu. It was released through Hollywood Records and Roadrunner Records on October 27, 2009.
Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 2004. The group consists of guitarist Marc Okubo, drummer Sam Applebaum, bassist Danny Hauser and vocalist Lukas Magyar. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released seven studio albums. Their seventh studio album, Mother, was released on May 12, 2023.
Brandon Kyle Saller is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the lead vocalist, keyboardist and former drummer of the metalcore band Atreyu. He is responsible for the melodic singing found in the band's music. He is the band's primary songwriter, along with guitarist Dan Jacobs. Following Atreyu's hiatus in 2011, Saller focused on his side project Hell or Highwater, where he is the lead vocalist. In 2011, the group released their debut album, Begin Again, in 2011. The band released an EP, The Other Side, in August 2013. Saller returned to Atreyu in 2014 and has remained a full-time member of the group since. He became the lead vocalist of the band after original singer Alex Varkatzas announced his departure.
Beau Mark Bokan is an American singer best known as the clean vocalist of the metalcore band Blessthefall and the former vocalist of Take the Crown.
Overcast was an American metalcore band that formed in Boston in 1990, and disbanded in 1998 after an unsuccessful tour. The band is often regarded as pioneers of metalcore.
Covers of the Damned is the third EP by American metalcore band Atreyu. It is for the band's Congregation of the Damned Tour, in support of their fifth album, Congregation of the Damned. The performers were a collaboration of Atreyu, along with their tourmates Blessthefall, Chiodos, Endless Hallway and Architects. Two songs were performed by Atreyu alone, one was by Endless Hallway featuring Travis Miguel of Atreyu, and the last two were a collaboration of certain members from each band.
Crown the Empire is an American metalcore band from Dallas, Texas formed in 2010. The band comprises vocalist Andrew "Andy Leo" Rockhold, guitarist Brandon Hoover, bassist Hayden Tree, and drummer Jeeves Avalos. They are currently signed to Rise Records and have released five studio albums. Their most recent studio album, Dogma, was released on April 28, 2023.
Erra is an American progressive metalcore band from Birmingham, Alabama, formed in 2009. The band was named after the homonymous Akkadian god of war and plague. The band has released six studio albums and three EPs to date. Their latest album, titled Cure, was released on April 5, 2024. They have toured with bands such as As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, TesseracT, Born of Osiris, Ice Nine Kills, Glass Cloud, Within the Ruins, Bad Omens, I See Stars, and Texas in July.
In Our Wake is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Atreyu. It was released on October 12, 2018, through Spinefarm. It is the final album to feature vocalist and founding member Alex Varkatzas before his departure from the band in September 2020.
Baptize is the eighth studio album by American rock band Atreyu. It was released on June 4, 2021 through Spinefarm Records and was produced by John Feldmann. It is the first album not to feature vocalist and founding member Alex Varkatzas who left the band in September 2020. The album received polarized reviews from music critics, with praise going towards the ambition, but criticism primarily going to lack of focus and consistency.
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