Atreyu’s Brandon Saller has opened up on stepping out from behind the kit and into the spotlight, revealing the pressure he felt taking over as the band’s full time frontman.
Speaking on The Garza Podcast, Saller unpacked the shift that followed Alex Varkatzas’ departure, a move that reshaped the California metal outfit more than five years ago and continues to divide parts of the fanbase.
“I think it was just adapting to doing it in this band. ‘Cause I feel like it’s very much like a everything-happens-for-a-reason-type situation.”
Learning the frontman role the hard way
Saller didn’t walk into the role cold, during Atreyu’s hiatus, he fronted Hell Or Highwater, touring alongside heavyweights like Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour, studying how seasoned vocalists command a stage (per Blabbermouth).
“I was watching all these f**king really great frontmen and being, like, ‘Okay, that’s kind of how you do this.’”
That experience gave him a foundation, but stepping into Atreyu’s dynamic came with its own weight, he credits the band’s internal support for helping him lock into the role, even as expectations loomed.
Proving himself under scrutiny
The biggest hurdle wasn’t technical, it was perception.
“I wanted to have it so that people wouldn’t have a reason to f**king talk sh*t.”
Saller admits that mindset pushed him to refine both his voice and stage presence, even expanding his screaming to silence critics. Still, he’s realistic about the internet’s appetite for negativity.
“They’re gonna talk sh*t anyways.”
Even years after Varkatzas’ exit, the comparisons haven’t died down.
“It’d be, like, one of your friends being, like, ‘Man, I love your ex-wife more.’ It’s, like, ‘Dude, we’ve been divorced for six years. Move on.’”
Atreyu move forward without looking back
Despite ongoing noise online, Saller points to the band’s continued momentum as proof they haven’t stalled.
“We’re on tour with IRON MAIDEN. So it obviously did not.”
When it comes to his relationship with Varkatzas, there’s no active contact, but no bitterness either. Saller even supports his former bandmate’s current project, Dead Icarus, suggesting both sides are better off where they’ve landed.
Atreyu’s next chapter arrives soon, with ‘The End Is Not The End’ set for release on April 24th via Spinefarm, whether fans are still debating the past or not, the band isn’t waiting around for consensus.
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