Hollywood Records
2007
Lead Sails Paper Anchor
About This Album
Atreyu's Lead Sails Paper Anchor is a decent album. The problem? It would be a much more consistent and stronger one if producer John Feldmann had settled on one sound -- slick or raw -- because it can't be both. (For the record, the rougher moments on the album do give Atreyu more vitality.) It isn't even a case of different songs having different production values, which would have made for a difficult, but ultimately forgivable, listen. Instead, these switches in sound occur multiple times, often in the same song. It's noticeable right from the beginning with opening number "Doomsday." During the verses, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel crunch away while Alex Varkatzas' raspy vocals add texture and grit, but as soon as the chorus hits, the sound abruptly becomes slick and restrained. It's not on the part of the musicians, either -- it's very obviously a recording effect. It's a trend that is repeated throughout Lead Sails Paper Anchor, reining in Atreyu's hard and heavy sound to the album's detriment. By holding the band back, the album never achieves any sort of critical mass. Fortunately, Lead Sails Paper Anchor isn't a bland effort, and this helps to compensate somewhat, even if some of the songs seem a little out of place.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,7 and 9)

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