Atreyu drummer Brandon Saller has fired back at fans who continue to demand a reunion with former vocalist Alex Varkatzas, six years after the split. In a candid interview, Saller compared the persistent requests to an uncomfortable personal situation: “I mean, Alex hasn’t been in our band for, like, f*cking — what? — six years? It’s a long f*cking time. And still it’s, like, ‘Bring Alex back?’ It’s, like, bro… It’d be, like, one of your friends being, like, ‘Man, I love your ex-wife more.'”
The drummer emphasized that fans need to move forward. “It’s, like, ‘Dude, we’ve been divorced for six years. Move on.’ But there’s always gonna be those 150 people that still will do that till the end of time.”
Saller also addressed the misinformation spread online about the band’s decline following Varkatzas’s departure. “A lot of times it’s funny ’cause people will say sh*t on the Internet as if it’s fact. We’ve gotten that a lot. It’s, like, ‘The f*cking band died with Alex.’ And we’re, like, ‘Well we’re on tour with Iron Maiden. So it obviously did not.’ Our band did not die with Alex. We just had the number one most added song at radio this week. Quite obviously not.”
He concluded by dismissing internet trolls outright: “But then it’s again, you’re just kind of one f*ckhead that wants to do that on the Internet. It’s, like, no one is f*cking listening. No one f*cking cares.”
Saller’s frustration reflects the band’s undeniable momentum in recent years. The Mosh reported that Brandon Saller has been vocal about telling Atreyu fans to move on from calls to reunite with Alex Varkatzas. He emphasized the band’s ongoing success and new album releases. The current lineup has proven that Atreyu remains a vital force in the metal scene, contrary to claims that the band’s best days ended with the former frontman’s departure.
The band’s recent achievements demonstrate that Atreyu has not only survived but thrived under Saller’s leadership. These accomplishments include their Iron Maiden tour and chart-topping radio additions. This success directly contradicts the narrative perpetuated by a vocal minority of fans who refuse to accept the band’s evolution.
The modern incarnation of Atreyu features a stable and talented roster. Wikipedia notes that the current Atreyu lineup consists of vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight, and drummer Kyle Rosa. This configuration has solidified the band’s sound and allowed them to maintain their creative output without relying on nostalgia or past lineup changes.
