It took a great deal of time for Fairfield, Connecticut djent/metalcore band CURRENTS to form. The original incarnation of the band was founded in 2009 under the name WE CAME AS A PLAGUE. The band quickly disbanded but reformed in 2011 with Patrizio Arpaia on vocals and changed their name to CURRENTS. They spent several years finding, experimenting and formulating their sound. In 2015, Arpaia would leave and vocalist Brian Wille would join Jeff Brown on drums, Chris Wiseman and Ryan Castaldi on guitars and Dee Cronkite on bass. After releasing some self-produced Eps and even a full-length album - "Life-Lost" in 2015 - they joined up with SharpTone Records to release their labeled debut "The Place I Feel Safest" in 2017. They quickly followed this up with an EP in 2018 titled "I Let The Devil In". Soon after they were chosen to support bands such as MISS MAY I, BORN OF OSIRIS and FIT FOR A KING.

Releasing their latest, "The Way it Ends" this past June, CURRENTS sophomore effort improves and cements their emergence into the modern heavy music lexicon. Feeling like a seamless continuation and expansion of their "I Let The Devil In" EP, they bring a lot more texture and progressive elements than your typical metalcore band. Opener, "Never There" sets the perfect dichotomy this band displays starting with an eerie instrumental giving way to full on aggressive vocals from Wille, warning the listener that they are not for a faint of heart and should be listened to with an open mind. This is heard most prominently on "Origin", the absolute masterpiece that acts as the centerpiece for the album. Filled with electronically influenced melodic fervor, the tracks lyrical themes grapple with the bleak and dire nature of our humanity and questions our place and importance on this earth and the universe. Their single "A Flag to Wave" builds on the technical rhythmic pounding on the drums and grips you with its blistering chaos and delivers throughout.

As they have continued from their debut record, the band display such technical and melodic prowess that they are not to be ignored as just another djent/metalcore act. They bring a set of unique skills and worldview to the metalcore world and push the boundaries of the genre. Willie's voice swings effortlessly from screams to clean vocals even dipping briefly into black metal yells and death metal growls. Once you've been bludgeoned bloody and raw from the constant pummeling of the heavier tracks, you have lighter tracks like "Let Me Leave" and parts of the closer "Better Days" that carry the ominous feeling that there is something deeper here. Then you can go back and read through the lyrics of trauma, apathy, and heartache that is poetic and heart-wrenching at the same time. This is not the first time I have been amazed at the poignancy of a band, but one delivered with such precision and brutality is rare.