Album Review: Atreyu – The Pronoia Sessions (Spinefarm Records)

“Pronoia”: the belief that the world is conspiring in your favour; the opposite of paranoia.

Atreyu’s ‘The Pronoia Sessions’ deconstructs, recreates, and reshapes the Orange County, California, band’s beloved anthems (and cover songs) as a new collection. What began as an acoustic album evolved into a grand re-imagining of Atreyu classics. It will be released on October 25th, 2024, via Spinefarm Records.

While it is fair to say that an album like this is never going to be necessary listening outside of the hardcore listener base, it’s also fair to say that everything Atreyu do is necessary listening. The idea behind this album is fascinating and what it delivers is wholly unique. Even if it is extremely melodic and poppy.

If you were designing this album, what track would you open with and how many would say Becoming the Bull? One of the most popular Atreyu tracks ever, and taken from their hit 2007 album, Lead Sails Paper Anchor. It is the bar setter for the creative heart and soul of this record, as it shows straight away that this is no lazy cash-in. Atreyu have sought to find a new way to express themselves in a highly melodic way and using some of their strongest tracks.

There’s also a clear message about growth and change here. This isn’t the same band that put a lot of these songs out. Hell, in the case of Right Side of the Bed, it’s twenty years later as the album the original is on, ‘The Curse’, came out in 2004. Alongside that, 2006’s ‘A Death-Grip on Yesterday’ is also featured via Ex’s & Ohs and The Theft, two of the stronger reimagined efforts on this release.

It’s not all about harking back to the earlier and heady days of Atreyu though and we also get reimagined versions of a few more modern tracks. Namely Drowning and Gone from 2023’s excellent ‘The Beautiful Dark of Life’. Two dynamic tracks with a whole new kind of flavour thanks to Atreyu’s dramatic reimagining. As well as two new versions of the heavy hitters, Warrior and Save Us, taken from 2021’s ‘Baptize’.

To cap it off… two covers, and two very interesting versions of big hits. Atreyu challenging themselves with a great version of Audioslave’s Like a Stone and a powerful version of Tom Petty’s Mary Jane’s Last Dance. Of the two, it’s the latter that is more unique, but both have a lot of value and Atreyu pour so much of themselves into them.

Are any of these songs going to replace the originals? Of course not, that’s not the point. They offer up something different, paying tribute to the past and showing how this band has developed over many years.

Atreyu – The Pronoia Sessions Track Listing:

1. Becoming The Bull (Reimagined)
2. Save Us (Reimagined)
3. Ex’s And Oh’s (Reimagined)
4. Right Side of the Bed (Reimagined)
5. Like a Stone (Audioslave Cover)
6. Drowning (Reimagined)
7. The Theft (Reimagined)
8. Gone (Reimagined)
9. Warrior (Reimagined)
10. Mary Jane’s Last Dance (Tom Petty Cover)

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