ATREYU Collaborates With Members Of BLESSTHEFALL, CHIODOS, ARCHITECTS On 'Covers' EP

Before Orange County, California-based modern rock band ATREYU launches its "Congregation Of The Damned" tour October 20 in Anaheim, California, the group will release a free five-song digital EP titled "Covers Of The Damned" on October 12 via www.guvera.com (U.S. only). MonsterEnergy.com will offer fans an early listen with a two-day exclusive stream of the full EP starting on October 6. "Covers Of The Damned" will also be available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon.com and all popular music download sites. Limited-edition vinyl copies will be available exclusively at each show on the tour. The tour will see several of these songs performed live with special guests.

"Covers Of The Damned", produced by Noah Shain (AS TALL AS LIONS, ORSON, ENDLESS HALLWAY),features two cover songs by ATREYU and three collaborations with the other bands on the tour. Shain notes that "these young bands all have a unique and different approach to rock music... such radical interpretations of dangerously classic songs. It was amazing to see and hear these guys work together! We recorded the album in a very short amount of time and everyone followed their instincts, so what you hear is an honest interpretation of the music of an older generation filtered through the ears and hands of the generation of artists making the music that defines today's culture. Kind of a once in a lifetime gig for me. And not only is it a bad ass record, it's gonna be a fucking amazing tour!" Adds ATREYU's Alex Varkatzas, "A whole tour teaming up to release an EP is a rare thing. We wanted to collaborate with the bands on our tour to create a fun series of covers. This shit was fun to record and will be fun to listen to."

ATREYU and the members of CHIODOS, BLESSTHEFALL and ENDLESS HALLWAY recorded the EP in White Buffalo Studios from September 12 to 17. ARCHITECTS vocalist Sam Carter recorded his parts remotely from the U.K.

"Covers Of The Damned" features the following songs:

* AEROSMITH - "Livin' on the Edge" (ATREYU)

* DEAD KENNEDYS - "Holiday in Cambodia" (performed with ENDLESS HALLWAY)

* VOLBEAT - "Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood" (ATREYU)

* THIN LIZZY - "The Boys Are Back in Town" (featuring ATREYU vocalist Alex Varkatzas and guitarists Travis Miguel and Dan Jacobs along with ENDLESS HALLWAY members Evan and Joe Mullen, CHIODOS vocalist Brandon Bolmer, ARCHITECTS singer Sam Carter and BLESSTHEFALL vocalist Beau Bokan)

* DEFTONES - "My Own Summer" (ATREYU guitarist Travis Miguel and bassist Mark McKnight with Brandon Bolmer and Tanner Wayne of CHIODOS, Sam Carter of ARCHITECTS and Jono Evans of ENDLESS HALLWAY)

All of the songs on the EP were important to the members of ATREYU in their formative years and contributed to their development as a band.

Fans can get a sneak preview of behind-the-scenes footage of ATREYU recording their cover of AEROSMITH's "Livin' On The Edge" below. There will also be an exclusive stream of the song on the band's Facebook page on October 1 .

"I had a blast during the whole process," ATREYU's Marc McKnight says. "I remember air drumming to 'Livin' On The Edge' with my friends in a fourth-grade talent show. I couldn't have been more excited to play it as a cover song. Also, DEFTONES were one of the first heavy bands I got into, so it was a pleasure to attempt to recreate their brutality." Adds CHIODOS' Brandon Bolmer, "I've always enjoyed DEFTONES, so this song is an expression of my gratitude to all of them. I'd like to dedicate this song to Chi Cheng."

"I really wanted play an AEROSMITH song," says ATREYU's Brandon Saller. "We did BON JOVI's 'Livin' On A Prayer' years ago, and I wanted to cover another iconic band from that era. No matter what age or where you're from, AEROSMITH comes on and you're ready to party." ?

For Ryan Jackson of ENDLESS HALLWAY it was "great to play music outside of your own material, it's something we rarely do. Being a huge fan of THE CLASH and certain melodic punk, I was pretty excited give 'Holiday In Cambodia' a go. I think it turned out really well, it's such a fun song. It would be awesome to play it live with everyone on tour."?

On recording with some of their upcoming touring mates, ATREYU's Dan Jacobs says, "Having all the bands on this tour participate in something like this gives all our fans an interesting perspective on some of the music that inspired some of us to get together and start playing music."

For ATREYU's Travis Miguel, the thrill of recording "Covers Of The Damned" was getting to work with everyone ATREYU will soon be touring with. "Doing cover songs with your own band is one thing," he says. "But collaborating with members of various other bands for cover songs is an even cooler experience because outsiders become insiders who give input and influence, which in many ways, can take it to a whole new level."

ATREYU wasn't just involved in choosing the songs for "Covers Of The Damned", learning them, coordinating the collaborations with the other bands and tracking the tunes, ATREYU bassist Marc McKnight also created the art work.

"I designed all of the art based around this project, and as an artist, I have to say, creating for your own band is definitely the most rewarding thing," he says.

ATREYU's "Congregation Of The Damned" fall tour will run through November 27 in West Hollywood. After that, the band will head overseas for a string of U.K. dates with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and BRING ME THE HORIZON beginning December 6, to be followed by a spot on Australia's "No Sleep Til" festival. ATREYU will play alongside bands such as MEGADETH, DESCENDENTS, AKLALINE TRIO and NOFX.