Modern metalcore is something of a poisoned chalice. It may be, to some, a way to take the scene to new heights of accessibility and recognition, but to others it brings up that old elitist war cry of “sell out!”. The key, it seems, to becoming a band that old and new fans flock to in equal measure is balance. Take the heavy, riff focused elements and crushing breakdowns of the past and mix it with the atmospheric, ethereal sounds of the modern day. And what band better encompasses that blend than Currents?
The Death We Seek is their fourth album, three years after the incredibly well received effort The Way It Ends, though as with most albums from 2020 it suffered from being lost in the COVID shuffle. It was a fantastic display and understanding of what a modern metalcore album should be; a mix of powerful emotion, soaring choruses, lush electronic flourishes and some lovely tech-adjacent riffs, leaving fans salivating for what would come next.
We kick things off with the title track and we don’t mess about. Straight in with those atmospheric synths and crushing sonics. One thing that sets Currents apart from other metalcore bands are their epic choruses and cleans. They might not be at Bury Tomorrow‘s level yet but they’re definitely a close second with their melodies and vocalist Brian Wille is only going to get better with time. The high bar continues with ‘Living in Tragedy’, ramping up the heaviness with glorious shrieks and a hell of a stomp in the intro. This is the band on top form, conjuring a swirling vortex of noise and destruction that looks set to level venues all over the world, big and small. Some of these riffs could open up the earth beneath your feet and erupt magma, they’re that intense.
After a rousing one-two punch of solid if familiar breakdowns, techy chugs and stuttering electronics, the pace slows down on ‘Unfamiliar’, a song that doesn’t live up-to the promise of its opening riff. Yes, there’s a solo in there that will raise a few eyebrows but this feels like the first time the record feels a little generic. The clean/scream slower paced metalcore semi-ballad has been done to death and this isn’t one of the better examples of it. Recent single ‘So Alone’ fares a lot better with some of the record’s best melodies and some solid instrumentation throughout, along with showing some of the better uses of subtler, background ambient elements.
“At times it's the writing that hits that little bit harder than anything else, showcasing the bands songwriting on a level seen in few of their peers.”
Lyrically the record is very introspective, digging into themes of responsibility and accepting the outcome of your own decisions. At times it’s the writing that hits that little bit harder than anything else, showcasing the band’s songwriting on a level seen in few of their peers. Production wise, it can be a mixed bag. While the guitars sound lush and the synths are prominent enough to even be noticed in the background, when the band kick things into a higher gear, the cacophony of sound gets a little bit muddy and even sludgy at times, robbing the listener of what should be the full impact of the music. It isn’t enough to lower the quality of the record but at times you’ll find yourself wanting a slightly clearer mix. Ultimately your enjoyment of this album will be down to how you fare with the varying levels of electronic involvement on each track. We’re not talking Bad Omens here, but there’s certainly moments that make your eyebrows raise and purists may throw in the towel. It would be their loss though.
If you’re looking for the heavy pinnacle of the record, then ‘Vengeance’ has you covered. Scratching, squealing guitar work mixed with some luscious death growls. No cleans or sing along choruses hear, just a slab of the band at their devastating best. And therein lies one of the albums key issues… identity. ‘Gone Astray’ follows and it’s pretty much the polar opposite. The hooks are good and in a way, it sounds like it could be a song off Architects last two records with it’s almost euro-metal synths and a chorus made for the crowd to get involved. At points it doesn’t seem clear whether the band want to be regarded in the heavier, more brutal metalcore scene or they want to have the big tunes and choruses to allow them to ascend to the next level. Trying to do both is admirable, but it sort of leaves the group hopping between two camps, though they objectively do the more crushing, pummelling stuff to a higher standard.
Closer ‘Guide Us Home’ is a more straightforward ballad than earlier on in the record. Yes, making the emotive, more heart-wrenching song the album closer is one of the biggest cliches in heavy music but it’s done for a reason. The feelings come through hard and after the aural pummelling (That’s not to say it’s a soft track, there’s still a good bit of heft here) it’s good to hear some sort of different strokes from the band and it also packs a true air guitar solo courtesy of Chris Wiseman. It’s a real lighters in the air moment in a record filled with a couple of flamethrowers.
Ultimately, Currents fall short of their high standards, but only just. Some production missteps and not really sticking the landing in one camp or another makes the record weaker than its predecessor. However, there’s more than a few top quality tunes on here and when they get it right, few can touch them. If they can nail a more consistent approach to their style, they’ll be at the top of the pile in no time.