Anchor’s Away!
‘My life’s a mess and I can’t find a way to fix it’
These words resonate deeply with us all, as Covid runs roughshod over our world; it has exacerbated and shone a light on the darkest corners of our lives. We are facing untold stress and hardship and we look to our heroes, these musicians, for comfort, solace, a hand to hold and even possibly find some answers. My friends I am witnessing the second night with Atreyu and this time we hear ‘Lead Sails Paper Anchor’ in its entirety. An album that shoved the band into the public gaze, garnered considerable radio play and attracted legions of fans like bees around a honey pot. First released in 2007, it spawned two singles that cemented Atreyu as players on the world stage, with solid gold production from John Feldmann, a legend in this industry; it was indeed a life-changing scenario.
We begin with ‘Doomsday’ now I don’t know about you but this has been a ‘doomsyear’ quite frankly and I am grateful for what live shows are being made to plug the no concerts gap. The high velocity and intensity continues as we celebrate ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Becoming the Bull’ however my favourite is ‘When Two Are One’ the grand initiator of the circle pit. We are gently reminded of the protocols of this ritual and so it begins as Porter races around the stage to show us how it’s done! The dynamic vocal ability of both Brandon and Porter is a tight unit, and uniquely balanced. They dive into action as the songs require, each providing the right tempo and tone of voice, dabbling in the harshness and the melodic with equal interest and gusto. A raw and untainted effort on ‘WTAO’ sees them reaching into our souls to have a little tinker around. Next up we have the intoxicating intro to ‘Slow Burn’ leaving you feeling incredibly impassioned and losing yourself in the music. Although not released as a single ‘Blow’ is one of the songs that is a firm fan favourite and it is their enthusiasm and of course the lyrics that secure this as an anthem for our times. We must remain fearless, which is what Atreyu means- taken from the Greek ‘atreus’ and we must never let anybody bring us down. Amen! Some of these songs have never been played live like the title track, which is what we finish with here; suffice to say the audience tonight were in a privileged position.
From the album that sailed Atreyu into destiny,
‘beating hearts grow but never die’
Will I come up for air? After tonight I’m dying to know.
Azra Pathan
Atreyu – Carry The Fire, Livestream Night Two featuring Lead Sails Paper Anchor on 4th December 2020