The follow-up to ‘Lead Sails, Paper Anchor’ is now under way.

Atreyu frontman Alex Varkatzas has spoken out about the band’s forthcoming fifth studio album.

“We started as a heavy hardcore band, and I think we’ve gotten away from that in recent years,” says Varkatzas. “The last record, for example, showcased us as a rock band with heavy parts. With this record, we want to return to our roots while also continuing to move forward. It’s about finding the right balance between the two.”

The album will be produced by Ill Nino and Saliva collaborator Bob Marlette and Atryeu are expecting to finish tracking by June.

“This album will scream as a statement of where we’ve been, what we’ve become and where we will go,” adds drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller. “We think this record will be a huge marker in the life of Atreyu and we can’t wait to unveil it.”

According to Varkatzas, the band has demo’d 30 songs and plan to narrow it down to 16, with the goal being to finish recording by June. “The songs definitely have a dark, heavier feel and I think the current climate has a lot to do with that,” says the vocalist. “Personally, I just feel…angry and it’s coming out in the music. Failed bailouts, unemployment on the rise, troops still in Iraq—I watch all this stuff on the news and it carries over to the sessions. It gets me fired up.”

After initial drum sessions at Henson Studio in LA, the band and Marlette will move production to the producer’s Blue Room Studios in the San Fernando Valley. “I was anxious to work with these guys,” says Marlette. “They’re a great slamming live band with amazing power and a great signature sound. This is going to be a helluva record.”