The Curse

The Curse is Atreyu's second album, on which they further polished screams, clean singing and big choruses to greatly widen metalcore's emotional expression. Injecting more dramatic construction and catchiness into the previous album's rawness, it is a breakthrough that thrust the band to the scene's center at once. It reached No. 32 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart, later certified RIAA Gold on sales exceeding 500,000 copies. "Right Side of the Bed" and "The Crimson," which got videos, are signature songs aired heavily on MTV2 and Fuse. The single "Right Side of the Bed" was also featured on the soundtrack to the racing game Burnout 3. From the drive of the opener "Bleeding Mascara" to the dramatic "You Eclipsed by Me," songs full of shifting dynamics line up. Alex Varkatzas's screams and Brandon Saller's melodic singing intertwine, balancing a dark lyrical world with singalong choruses. Also playing Ozzfest, it is an early classic that spread the band's name all at once.