Connecticut bruisers Currents are back with their brand new album ‘The Way It Ends’. Eagerly anticipated after the success of their fierce 2017 debut ‘The Place I Feel Safest’ and the ominous 2018 EP ‘I Let The Devil In’, the new album takes their brand of death-infused metalcore and sees them tighten the screws, transforming it into a something even more intimidating and picturesque. This is both more brutal and beautiful than you’ve ever heard them before.
The solemn album opener ‘It Was Never There’ kicks off proceedings with a stark message, driven home by front man Brian Wille’s honest and pained vocals. His poignant execution summons your goosebumps to spring into action, intensified by the delicate and hypnotising melodies beneath. Things drastically change as soon as ‘A Flag To Wave’ begins though, swapping out every ounce of calm for pound upon pound of punishment. Thunderous drums, crushing riffs and a chorus that soars as high as the flag they’re grasping – this is a very impactful way to begin an album, and there’s plenty more where that came from.
‘Monsters’ is a perfect blend of memorable melodies and unrelenting heaviness, effortlessly jumping from one of the catchiest choruses of the record to some of its most devastating riffs without any of it sounding out of place. There’s even more apocalyptic heaviness within ‘Poverty Of Self’, bursting at the seams with grimace-inducing low tones, blood-curdling screams and some stunning drum work courtesy of Matt Young.
‘Split’ opts for a slightly more djenty feel with an unshakeable dark feeling coursing through it, largely thanks to the eerie and sinister guitar work of Chris Wiseman and Ryan Castaldi. ‘Origin’ is an energetic bruiser, maintaining a bouncy up-tempo vibe from beginning to end. Chris Pulgarin’s rib-shattering bass tone drives the verses, aided by a subtle electronic vibe and tastefully technical guitar work that hardwires itself into your brain. There’s so much punishment contained within this album, but it doesn’t stop there.
Juxtaposing the ferocity of the record there’s heaps of serenity and grandeur, all delicately laced with melancholy and gloom. ‘Let Me Leave’ is full of heartache, speaking out about grief and the difficulties of dealing with it through cathartic verses, passionate choruses and some soul-stirring instrumentation. ‘How I Fall Apart’ is a gut-punching anthem, full of captivating vocals and ever ascending emotions that are rocketed skyward by gigantic guitars, a furious breakdown and the most passionate solo of the album.
The show stealer, though, is the closing track ‘Better Days’, cleverly summarising the entire record and subtly reminding you of everything that built towards it. It demonstrates them at their absolute best, continuously shifting dynamics to bring things to a dramatic and impactful end. In their short career they’ve managed to do the difficult task of making their second album just as impressive as the first. In fact, ‘The Way It Ends’ isn’t just as impressive. It’s better.
Currents are beginning to show signs that they’re breaking away from the crowd into a spotlight of their own. Though it’s only been three years since their last full length they’ve done a lot of growing in that time, with the songwriting in particular. This isn’t just cool, solid riffs thrown together in succession with heavy breakdowns and technical solos just for the sake of it. These are structured sections of songs all meticulously crafted and sculpted to work with one another, using every tool at their disposal precisely when they need using, not just because they can.
‘The Way It Ends’ showcases a band that fully understand the components of their formula, able to recreate it over and over again like child’s play. This record has got some of their best material to date, sharpening every aspect of their sound to create something seriously piercing. Currents are a band to watch in the coming years. Get ahead of the game and start watching them now.
DAVE STEWART