The past two years have been somewhat rocky for the Orange County metalcore rockers Atreyu - following the release of the poorly-received album "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor", anticipation has been intensifying as critics and fans alike have been wondering if their latest work will consist of the same watered-down glam-rock material their last album was full of. After claims from their frontman Alex Varkatzas that the band have expressed interest in returning to their “heavy hardcore roots”, expectations have been high for the hard rocking quintet.

So as I play the album, and the first song 'Stop! Before It’s Too Late and We’ve Destroyed It All' begins to fade in, it’s only natural that I feel a slight twinge of hope as a riff is blasted through my speakers that would have been at home with the Atreyu from five years ago. Will this album be a true return to form? Are the days of 'Lip Gloss and Black' back? As the song progresses, things are looking to answer that question with a definitive ‘yes’. It’s difficult not to pump your fist along with the band’s chorus chants of “Kill, kill… take, take…” and when the song reaches its eerie breakdown and Varkatzas is left to inject his poisonous lyrics all over the shot, there’s an overwhelming feeling that this release may contain everything their last did not.

The new-found force of the band continues on into the album's strongest song, 'Bleeding Is A Luxury', which is melodic, yet heavy and complete with an orchestral breakdown which works beautifully, elevating this track quite easily above the rest of the album.

Disappointingly, the quality of the material begins to plunge over the following few songs. Whilst the title track is still a strong piece (and nowhere near as awful as the one from "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor"), flaws in the vocal work become apparent as the auto-tuned whining seems to have found its way back into Atreyu's musical repertoire. Unfortunately, Brandon Saller doesn't give up his pre-pubescent warbles until the album's final few tracks, making modern-day Atreyu sound like nothing more than a pop band (think of the previous album).

The introduction to 'Coffin Nails' makes me wonder if I'm listening to the same album, and yet I'm forcefully reminded by the shoddy vocal work that it's still Atreyu. A catchy chorus which sounds like it would play well live seems to pull the song back to an acceptable level of mediocrity. The fifteen-or-so minutes that follow this represent nothing but wasted potential as Saller and McKnight pound away impressively on their instruments, creating a perfect blank canvas for electrifying guitar work, only to have the Jacobs/Miguel guitar pair disregard the opportunity for creativity and strum out bland power chords instead. The solo in 'Storm To Pass' is a notable exception to this, however.

'Ravenous' breaks the pop-rock mould Atreyu have inadvertently created with a blisteringly fast, heavy number. This song is everything expected from this album, and to my relief, Saller's radio-friendly whines don't feature. The guitar lines are great and only improve from the start - face-melting riffs accompany Varkatzas’s screams of rage in a song that seems to have come to provide a reminder of who the listener's actually listening to. This is a homage to Atreyu’s earlier material. It’s just a shame it’s the only one of its kind on an album that's tearfully watered-down in comparison.

The record concludes with a reasonable attempt at a ballad, which worryingly sounds a little like Bon Jovi. It's different, but despite this, it seems to work. Don’t expect slushy romance or moving lyrics – Atreyu still have that much dignity intact. 'Wait For You' may be the slowest and softest song on the album, but it's safe to say it certainly isn't the worst.

There are certain points on the album where I find it quite easy to believe that, in comparison to the noise pounding from my music player, bleeding is a well-deserved luxury. However, whether it was the influence of new producer Bob Marlette or maybe the sobering up of Varkatzas, it's undeniable that Atreyu have found themselves a new sound. Drawing elements from their earlier material like "Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses" and incorporating them with the slightly softer concepts they explored in "Lead Sails, Paper Anchor", Atreyu have clearly diversified - providing a handful of both raw, screamed metal and sombre, pop-punk hits (albeit there's too much of the latter), both of which grow on you over time.

Whether you're a fan of the vampiric fivesome or not, "Congregation of the Damned" is a worthy listen.