Atreyu drummer Brandon Saller recently addressed fans who continue asking for the band to reunite with former vocalist Alex Varkatzas. He told them to “move on already” in a statement shared on the Garza Podcast.
Saller’s comments focused on the persistent requests from fans for Varkatzas to return to the band. The vocalist departed in 2020.
“I mean, Alex hasn’t been in our band for, like, f*cking — what? — six years? It’s a long f*cking time,” Saller said. “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 drew a comparison to divorce to illustrate his frustration with the ongoing requests.
“It’s, like, ‘Dude, we’ve been divorced for six years. Move on,'” he continued. “But there’s always gonna be those 150 people that still will do that till the end of time.”
Saller also addressed critics who claim the band’s quality declined after Varkatzas’ departure. He pointed to their recent successes as evidence to the contrary.
“A lot of times it’s funny ’cause people will say sh*t on the Internet as if it’s fact,” he said. “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.’ It’s, like, our band died with Alex. Well, we just had the number one most added song at radio this week. Quite obviously not.”
The drummer concluded by dismissing the online criticism as coming from a vocal minority.
“But then it’s again, you’re just kind of one f*ckhead that wants to do that on the Internet,” Saller said. “It’s, like, no one is f*cking listening. No one f*cking cares.”
Saller’s frustration stems from years of persistent fan requests following a departure that was more complicated than initially revealed to the public.
Loudwire reported that Varkatzas clarified he was actually out of the band in April 2020 at the peak of the pandemic. The official announcement did not come until September 2020. The band’s statement at the time described Varkatzas as “sailing off on a ship of his own” with mutual love and respect. The behind-the-scenes reality was more complex.
The band’s current success appears to validate Saller’s defense of their post-Varkatzas era. Atreyu is currently touring as support for Iron Maiden on their 2026 “Run for Your Lives World Tour.” They joined the legendary metal band for select North American dates that began in April 2026. This high-profile tour opportunity directly counters the criticism that the band “died” without their former vocalist.
Their radio success is equally impressive. Their single “Watch Them Hang” from the 2024 album *The Hope We Have* achieved the number one most added spot at active rock radio. The track topped the Mediabase Active Rock radio airplay chart for most added songs. This provides concrete evidence of their ongoing commercial viability and fan support.
The persistence of reunion requests highlights the challenge many bands face when longtime members depart. Nearly six years have passed since Varkatzas left Atreyu. Despite this, a vocal segment of fans continues to advocate for his return. This creates ongoing tension between nostalgia for the band’s earlier era and acceptance of their current direction.
