Atreyu

Orange County's Atreyu have been playing for over 10 years now and are about to release their fifth studio effort, 'Congregation Of The Damned', via Roadrunner Records.

We caught up with Guitarist Travis Miguel for a chat.

Could you please state your name, role in the band and favourite Metallica release?

Travis Miguel - Guitar    My favorite Metallica release would have to be …And Justice For All.  Who doesn't love 9 minute songs

Starting in Orange County, what bands influenced your sound in 98 and what were your favourite bands to share the stage with in the early days?

Everything from Ink & Dagger, Hatebreed, Ensign, Glassjaw, Bane, Misfits, Green Day, Dead Kennedys, Final Conflict,..the list goes on.  Coming out of Orange County we shared the stage with Bleeding Through, 18 Visions, Throwdown, Adamantium, Wrench, Taken, Show of Hands, among many others on a regular basis.

Atreyu have been going for over 11 years, and have 5 full length releases to their name.  Is it harder to find the inspiration to write hard hitting tunes now or easier?

It isn't easier or harder really.  Some songs come together very easily and are written quickly and others may take months to finish.  It's always been that way and it probably always will be.

Congregation of the Damned is due to hit the shelves at the end of this month.  What was the drive behind the new material and are there any reoccurring themes?

The drive has always been to make the best music we can.  This time around we took a look back to everything we've done thus far and took influences from each album and threw it into an "all encompassing" Atreyu record.

The new release is going to be distributed through Roadrunner Records.  How has it been working with the Road Runner family?

So far so good.  We've learned that working with any label can be very unnerving and stressful, especially if the label is large.  Road Runner has been really good to us thus far.

The album was produced by Bob Marlette and mixed by Rich Costey who is basically at the top of the food chain in the recording world.  How was this experience in contrast to working with John Feldman and what influences you when choosing someone to record with?  

Every producer has their own way of working.  Some work solely on vocals or drums, others may work strictly with editing, and some might just pop their head in the studio for 5 minutes and take off.  Bob Marlette was right there along with us the whole time; from preproduction to editing.  He wasn't one of those producers who was kissing our ass, telling us that this album is gonna make millions.  He knows we're a bunch of douchebags which made it super comfortable to work with him.  We have the same self-depricating sense of humor.  He pushed us to deliver our best without overstepping any boundaries….and he has an awesome gargoyle collection.

Since your inception, Atreyu have been through comparatively few members when compared to other bands and have had a solid line up for the past 6 years.  What’s your secret? 

We've known each other for so long, we know which buttons not to push.  We all have the same left-of-center sense of humor.  Not to say that we don't get on each other's nerves from time to time, we just know how to deal with each other's shit.

In a live environment, how what has the reception for the new tracks been like ?

The kids that have heard it seem to dig it.  A lot of them are singing along to the new songs which is always a good sign

Who are some active bands you have not had the chance to tour with but would love to given the chance?  

If we ever toured with Metallica, I could knock that off my "ok, I can die happy now" list.  I also really dig Toxic Holocaust.  They've got that old school punk/hardcore/metal cross over which is very refreshing.

Can we expect an Australian tour in support of the new album next year?

Nothing's planned yet, but we always make it a point to make it down there whenever we can.  Other than the plane flight, Australia's the perfect place overseas to tour.

Xbox or Playstation?

Xbox…mine's been overheating lately though.

McDonalds or KFC?

Neither if i can help it.

Taylor Swift or Kayne ?

I'm a bigger fan of Kanye's music, but the guy can be a douchebag

Any final words, thanks or meaningless dribble for your Australian fans ?

Save us some Golden Gay Times ice cream bars…us Yanks love that shit!

Atreyu's new album 'Congregation Of The Damned' is set for an October 26th release via Roadrunner Records. You can find out more about the band on their Myspace page.