Atreyu

The hardcore scene must be taking the Mad Libs approach to naming its bands lately. It's a simple formula: Take a dark colloquialism, throw in some smutty nouns and adjectives and you've got your very own Unearthed As I Lay Dying in a Cradle of Filth. But rather than fake the machismo with a tough-guy vocab lesson, the members of Atreyu showed true testicular fortitude by naming themselves after a character from a kid's movie. Fortunately, this NeverEnding Story reference has the musical muscle to ward off any would-be bullies with an arsenal of breakneck drumming, punishing guitars and an occasional (and strangely appropriate) melody. And thanks to the bloodied, guttural scream of frontman Alex Varkatzas, the SoCal quartet hit hard enough to sign with Victory Records for its debut album, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, and last year's The Curse. They might have a sissy name, but we recommend not mentioning that fact in their presence.