Every musical release starts from a point of ground zero, and with a fresh lineup change along with a new musical direction, London, Ontatrio's Atria are building on their second EP to take them to the next level.
Set to be unleashed this coming August, their sophomore effort Ground Zero follows their 2018 debut New World Nightmare. Their new lineup features Jerad Sterling (Tortured Saint) on drums, Brody King on lead guitar, and bassist Joe Mullen to join founding members vocalist Tom Emmans (Odium, Deathpoint, Choices, Scaithe) and guitarist Tim Ross. Once again Atria teamed up with producer Jon Howard (Threat Signal) to help them craft their signature anthemic metal sound. Tom Emmans explains further.
"We've definitely gotten more aggressive, we always wanted to blend a lot of melody and anthemic chorus’ with brutality. I feel like the fans will agree that on this new one, we’ve gotten much better at doing that. Lyrically, there’s a lot of anger towards not only myself but the world we live in. I try to be hopeful, but I also try to dig into what’s making me angry. It's therapeutic and cathartic, but it’s really hard. It comes from a real place and it’s not always fun. We hope when fans hear Ground Zero from beginning to end, they feel as if they are being exorcised. from the frustration of life."
The EP also features their 2022 hit single "Antiheroes", which garnered the band a recent "Best Metal" trophy from the 2023 Forest City London, ON Music Awards. Blasting right from the get-go with a tinge of Slipknot and In Flames groove, the track is about losing faith in government and media.
"In 2022, I had seen the world completely fall apart, I had seen division, I had seen lies and hatred coming from both sides of the political spectrum. I wondered to myself how can all these people in one world be so divided? It was enough for any of us to question humanity, government, religion, and ourselves. This is the anthem that came out of it." adds Emmans.
The music video for "Antiheroes" filmed by Joe Lyko of Dark Moon Productions can be viewed below.
Performing heavy, yet catchy music, Atria has already shared the stage with The Agonist, Goatwhore, The Casualties, and Threat Signal, among many more and plans to be touring Eastern Canada later this year in support of the new record.
Atria's Ground Zero EP is due out on August 18, and is available for pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"Ground Zero"
"Antiheroes"
"Dysmorphia"
"Just A Number"
"The Brightest Lights"
"Antiheroes" video:
(Photo - Lisa Thompson - Dark Moon Productions)
