ATREYU
The Pronoia Sessions
SPINEFARM
9/10
ETHEREAL ROCK: Pronoia is the belief that the world is conspiring in your favor—the opposite of paranoia. At its most basic, pronoia is a spiritual principle that views life through the lens of something greater than ourselves, explaining synchronicities, serendipitous events, and hidden blessings. It asks us to inhale this attitude of thankfulness, honesty, and the capacity to accept the gifts life bestows upon us, even during difficult times.
For Atreyu, such a divine idea has never held more weight than it does now. When the band started in 2002 with Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, such an impressive debut showcased the band’s deep and passionate songwriting, delivering with a sinister ferocity that echoed the sounds of change in a flooded and exhausted metalcore genre.
Throughout a prolific discography spanning over nine albums, the band’s undeniable talent has consistently shone through. Each album represents a significant musical evolution, building on the last to create an increasingly monumental and striking body of work. The band is now sitting on the shoulders of its new release, The Pronoia Sessions. A rerelease of their own music, and dark takes on Tom Petty’s classic, “Last Dance for Mary Jane,” and the enduring, Chris Cornell-led Audioslave ballad “Like a Stone.” Confidently intertwining formative experiences and their undeniable ability to deconstruct, recreate, and reshape a sound, The Pronoia Sessions comes at a time in the band’s career when the world is a terrifying place. The haunts of war, hate, and hypocrisy reign supreme to logic, reason, and compassion. The Pronoia Sessions takes the best songs of the band and creates a haunting and otherworldly collection befitting of such times.
An idea that stemmed from wanting to create a vibe similar to the rawness and spirit of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, the idea would be pushed into a deeper, atmospheric, and poignant outlook of these songs. While the idea of taking one’s own work and rereleasing it would deter most, The Prenoia Sessions is far from such a basic concept. The Pronoia Sessions is not only successful at creating a reason to cast doubt aside and revisit these previous masterpieces, but they also bring a new, distinct richness and chilling beauty to the vocals and instrumentals, making each track feel like a totally different experience.
“Ex’s and Oh’s,” “Right Side of the Bed,” “Drowning,” “The Theft,” and “Warrior” are the epitome of the powerhouse offerings on The Pronoia Sessions. With the vocals and instrumental wonder that far surpasses expectations, its intoxicating guitars, atmospheric orchestral touches, saxophone interludes, and chest-swelling percussive decadence drives the listener onto a precipice of tenebrous and pained musical energies that continue through every track until its close.
By no means is The Pronoia Sessions merely a reissue. The intricate musical arrangements and careful consideration that have gone into each track give listeners the impression that this is a brand new album, especially if they have never heard any of the songs before and are discovering them for the first time. For these reasons, The Pronoia Sessions deserves acknowledgment as one of the band’s strongest albums to date. ~ Sammie Star
