Former Atreyu frontman Alex Varkatzas, has walked back his bold assertion that the band played a pivotal role in inventing the metalcore genre.

In an interview with Rock Sound in 2018, Varkatzas initially made waves by declaring Atreyu as trailblazers in the metalcore landscape, attributing the genre’s inception to the band’s early contributions. However, his latest statement seems to contradict this claim, introducing an unexpected twist to the story.

Five years later, Varkatzas has softened his stance on the matter. In a recent interview with Talk Toomey Podcast, he acknowledged the contributions of other bands to the development of metalcore, and explained his original comments were nothing more than a ploy to spark interest in the band’s upcoming album at the time.

“I say stupid shit sometimes. Like I said I invented metalcore once. You can call me out on that if you want, it’s fine. My thoughts on it are like, we rode on the backs of other bands that we liked at the same time. There were bands that were coming up doing the same thing. And at that time, I think that screaming and singing together was like kinda that bridge that made it a little different. But no, I mean, I didn’t invent anything. I also didn’t invent chopping the water when you have a new record coming out.

“Like most people I think who know me, know that me saying that ‘I invented metalcore’ is fucking ridiculous. Because I don’t care. Metalcore wasn’t even a coined term when bands like Lamb Of God and all that… They were calling it like the ‘new wave of American heavy metal ‘— ’cause that sounds way cooler, right?” Varkatzas added. “I’m chopping the water, trying to make business for… You know at the time Atreyu wasn’t exactly killing it. So, you got a new record coming out, you gotta get a little resourceful.”

The evolution of music is a complex and multifaceted process, rarely attributable to a single entity. The metalcore genre is no exception, it has undergone significant transformations over the years, with multiple bands contributing to its growth. Varkatzas‘ initial claim sparked debates within the metal community, and his backtrack is likely to bring some of these discussions back. Get ready for some interesting reactions to this shift in narrative.