Atreyu have returned with their first new release in more than two years, dropping a stark and unsettling video for their latest single “Dead.” The Southern California veterans have always thrived at the intersection of punishing heaviness and soaring melody, and their newest track leans hard into that balance. Recorded by Matthew Pauling, “Dead” captures a band that is still evolving while staying rooted in the sound that made them metalcore fixtures in the first place.
The video, directed and produced by Sean Stiegemeier, matches the intensity of the song with imagery that pushes into darker emotional territory. In a statement, the band said, “‘Dead’ lyrically is about a very real and very dark question. It was important for us for the video to match that energy. This video may be sensitive to some but to us it was important to match the reality and the gravity of what ‘Dead’ is about.”
Alongside the release, Atreyu are back on the road for a celebratory run marking the 20 + 1 year anniversary of their influential 2004 album The Curse. The record remains a defining moment of the mid 2000s metalcore surge and delivered classics like “Bleeding Mascara,” “Right Side of the Bed,” and “The Crimson.” The current tour brings the album back to packed rooms across North America, giving longtime fans a chance to revisit the era that helped launch the band to global recognition.
The new single arrives on the heels of a massive year for Atreyu. The group recently wrapped a co headlining U.S. tour and continued to dominate festival stages, appearing at Download, Hellfest, Welcome to Rockville, and Inkcarceration. Their 2023 full length The Beautiful Dark of Life made a strong Billboard debut and has already surpassed 75 million streams, further cementing their staying power in heavy music.
With more than one billion streams across their catalog and a fanbase that grows by the day, Atreyu’s commitment to reinvention keeps them moving forward. For now, “Dead” marks the beginning of their next chapter as they revisit one of their most iconic eras onstage.
