Craft Recordings celebrates the 20th anniversary of Atreyu’s best-selling sophomore album, The Curse, with its first vinyl reissue in a decade. Originally released in 2004, The Curse marked the metalcore band’s commercial breakthrough—not only breaking the US Top 40 but topping Billboard’s Independent Albums chart, thanks to memorable singles like “Bleeding Mascara,” “Right Side of the Bed” and “The Crimson.”
To mark the album’s anniversary, this special reissue of The Curse features a rare bonus track (a cover of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”) and a fresh jacket design. In addition to black vinyl, the album will also be available in a variety of limited-edition pressings, including Bleeding Mascara and Crimson Swirl wax—both of which can be found exclusively at atreyuofficial.com—plus Pyre Smoke (via CraftRecordings.com) and Metallic Gold Marble (Revolver). All variants of The Curse arrive September 6 and can be pre-ordered here.
Named for the protagonist in Michael Ende’s The NeverEnding Story, Atreyu was formed in Orange County, CA, in 1998.
After releasing two EPs (1998’s Visions and 2001’s Fractures in the Facade of Your Porcelain Beauty), the band signed to Victory Records—the storied rock, metal, punk and hardcore label, which boasts Thursday, Between the Buried and Me and Taking Back Sunday among its legendary alumni. Victory Records was acquired by Concord in 2019, while its influential catalog, which spans over three decades, is managed by Craft Recordings.
In 2002, the five-piece released their genre-defining debut, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses. While the acclaimed album set the stage for their enduring career, the band’s 2004 follow-up, The Curse, placed them on the path to mainstream success. Recorded after a year of non-stop touring, the album found the band reflecting on their newfound fame, while grappling with the ups and downs of life on the road.
Produced by Garth “GGGarth” Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Biffy Clyro, Melvins), the album built upon the foundations that Atreyu set with their debut. While the metalcore heroes delivered plenty of blistering moments (including “Bleeding Mascara” and “Corseting”), they balanced their work through a host of reflective, melodic breakdowns, anthemic hooks, a growling power ballad (“The Remembrance Ballad”) and a pop instrumental “An Interlude.”
Upon its release in the summer of 2004, The Curse topped the US Independent charts and became Atreyu’s first album to break the Billboard 200, where it peaked at No.32.
The LP, which went on to earn a Gold certification from the RIAA, also earned high marks from critics. Rolling Stone praised The Curse as “true headbanging nirvana,” while AllMusic declared that it “expands mightily on the promise and power of their debut.” PopMatters, meanwhile, hailed it as “a confident album,” praising Atreyu as “a young band who dares to make music that defies categorization.”
Also driving the album’s success were singles “The Crimson” and “Right Side of the Bed”—both of which found significant rotation on the likes of MTV2 and Fuse—while the latter track was also featured in the popular video game Burnout 3: Takedown. The following year, the band appeared on the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where they covered Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Game.” The song, which appears on the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Curse, was previously only available physically in the US on a limited-edition exclusive of the album.
Since releasing The Curse, Atreyu has become a leader in the global metalcore scene, thanks in part to two runs on Ozzfest, sold-out headlining tours, appearances on movie and game soundtracks and performances alongside peers like Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Slipknot and Bring Me the Horizon.
To date, they have released a total of nine studio albums, including A Death-Grip on Yesterday (2006), which marked their first LP to break the Billboard 200’s Top Ten, and Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007), which landed at No.8 and topped both the US Hard Rock and Rock Albums charts.
The band, which currently consists of Brandon Saller, Dan Jacobs, Travis Miguel, and bassist/unclean vocalist Porter McKnight, released their latest album (the acclaimed The Beautiful Dark of Life) in December 2023.
This summer, Atreyu has performed across Europe, the UK and the US, including appearances at the Download Festival (England) and Rock im Park and Rock am Ring (Germany). Looking ahead, the band will be playing Las Vegas’ When We Were Young Festival, where they will be performing The Curse in full.
Atreyu Tour Dates:
6/28–6/29: Münster, Germany – Vainstream Rockfest
7/19: Cadott, WI – Rock Fest 2024
10/19–10/20: Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival
