Currents // Remember Me

When the darkness comes, I beg you don’t follow me

Pull me out from all i’ve known, let it swallow me

Seesh, what a record to start the day!

I can sense it, I've convinced myself that the world I love is gone The blood is on the walls, the damage has been done We carry the weight of selfless scars we silently crave Upon a pedestal, we place our pain

♫ Currents - The Death We Seek ♫

Carrying the weight of selfless scars we silently crave

Show me your hands and touch the stars with me

I can't shake this feeling I see the signs that we've gone astray So now we close our eyes We'd rather die than face all our mistakes

Awwww I remember when I was just a baby blog way back when 10+ years old and all I did was take custom playlist suggestions and just absolutely desecrate the masses with just the sickest EDM or metal tracks I could find.

Man where do times go? Should I do that again? I only really make custom ones for me these days buuuuuutttt I could be persuaded.

Archetypes Collide - Self-Titled / Currents - The Death We Seek

It's true what they say that when you get older, your tastes in music kind of "slow down," so to speak. You're not listening to as much new music, and you're stuck listening to a lot of old favorites, but in the last few years, it's been necessary. I've been revisiting a lot of my old favorites, because of COVID and trying to find some kind of solace in the madness that our world has presented us with. There was a period of time where I didn't listen to anything new, but that changed at the end of 2021 when I spent some time catching up on releases from that year, plus a bit of 2020, and throughout the last couple of years, I've been getting into new releases. Things have slowed down now, but that's partially because I haven't found anything I care that much about. When it comes to consuming music (as well as writing about it), I'm more selective now. I'm only listening to what catches my ear, and not what I feel like I have to listen to, let alone write about, as that's why my postings are very sporadic now. I've also noticed another trend, especially lately -- I'm listening to music that's a lot more "generic" than I'd like to admit. Not that it's bad, but I've been listening to stuff that's more straightforward, fun, and catchy, versus weird, unique, and off the wall. I used to love music like that, and I still do from time to time, but I like stuff that I can have stuck in my head more so these days. A lot of my favorite bands and albums have that in common, but it's because those songs and albums are so iconic and catchy, it's hard to forget them.

Today I wanted to talk about a pair of records briefly that I feel very similarly about, and they both fall into the realm of "generic" hard-rock and metalcore that doesn't necessarily do anything I haven't heard before, but works pretty well for what it is. I've been getting into a lot of hard-rock and metalcore that's rather generic, but the hooks and breakdowns (if there are any, that is) are quite strong and they keep me coming back to the album. Two albums came out this year that took me a few listens to really get into, but I've been enjoying them quite a bit since their release. Those two albums are Archetypes Collide's self-titled debut and Currents' The Death We Seek. These two bands are quite different, as the former is more of a hard-rock meets metalcore band, whereas the latter is a djent / technical metalcore band, but both bands are similar in the sense that they're nothing necessarily special in their respective genres. That's not to say they aren't good, but there are other bands that do what they do better, although they are very good at what they do. Both of these albums are catchy, fun, energetic, simplistic, and somewhat memorable, all things considered. They do what they do well, and for fans of metalcore and hard-rock, that's honestly all you need, really.

Archetypes Collide released their debut self-titled album this year, and if you want a record that takes a lot of influences from various sub-genres of hard-rock and metalcore, you'll probably really enjoy this. I hear elements of Linkin Park, Bring Me The Horizon, Wage War, Breaking Benjamin, and even labelmates I Prevail (whose newest album True Power I've grown on quite a bit, too; I'll have to review that album again, and talk about how I've grown on it, but I do enjoy the album a lot more now), specifically nu-metal, hard-rock, alt-metal, metalcore, and even some pop-rock here and there, specifically with hooks and melodies. In other words, there is a lot to enjoy, and if you enjoy most mainstream styles of rock, you'll find something to like in this 41-minute album that never feels too long or too overbearing. Fans of the various kinds of hard-rock and metalcore that are popular right now will find something to like here, but I will say that on their next record, they do need to find something that makes them stick out a bit more. They can make the Linkin Park and Bring Me The Horizon worship work just fine on this record, because it's their debut, but they need to step up their game if they really want to make an impact.

As for Currents, however, this band has been around for the last decade, give or take, and this is my first experience with them. Known as a djenty / technical metalcore band, this record reminds me a lot of stuff like Erra and Northlane, but they have a few tricks up their sleeve that keep me coming back to this record, as well as make them stick out somewhat. Their vocalist, for starters, is very strong and honestly carries most of this album, but the breakdowns on this record are great, too. A lot of them sound alike, but they're really damn good, nonetheless. The Death We Seek is also only 41 minutes, so, it's very short, and it never feels like it's too long, but like with Archetypes Collide, they definitely need to develop more of a unique sound, because as cool as their sound is (and they do have some interesting guitar riffs throughout the record), it doesn't stick out as well as other bands. In terms of djent bands, there are better bands, but the only real major djent records we've gotten this year are the new Periphery album (which is good, but it's very long and self-indulgent), and the new Veil Of Maya record (which I didn't really care for, because it's even more generic than this), so it says a lot when this is the best record in that vein we've gotten this year.

I feel very similarly about both albums, despite them being relatively different, at least in the sense that these are generic records that are catchy, fun, and short, even if they don't necessarily reinvent the genre, or anything close to that. That's not why I like them, though, and that's the point of this double review. I wanted to highlight how albums like this work a lot more for me now than they did maybe a few years ago. It could be due to the fact that I'm more selective with what I listen to. I'm not listening to every single generic metalcore band anymore, so I'm not sick of this sound, or I'm not listening to 20 different forgettable bands in that vein. It's also probably due to just enjoying catchier music these days, and just wanting to enjoy music more than analyze it. I'm a music fan first, and while I won't say these two records are the best I've ever heard, I enjoy them for what they are. That's all I need. I can enjoy these albums for what it's worth, and while I can admit they're generic, they don't hinder that enjoyment. I'm just not looking for music that's very weird or inaccessible anymore, because I don't come back to that kind of stuff a lot. If you're a metalcore fan, I'd recommend checking these out, you might find a couple of your favorite albums of the year.

Currents "The Death We Seek" Album Review

The Death We Seek, the latest release by metalcore band Currents is out now via SharpTone Records. It is a record of extremes, and is powerful, emotional and unflinching in its approach. The result is a highly addictive album with wide appeal. Juxtaposing epic breakdowns with moments of tranquillity, the album is a unique and enjoyable experience. Currents pull no punches with The Death We Seek,…

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All I wanted was to shape the Earth for you, and all you wanted was the knife digging through my back || The Death We Seek - Currents

Currents: Remember Me

Song of the Day: February 11, 2023

“ Carry the weight of selfless scars we silently crave. Show me your hands and touch the stars with me. Falling walls like mountains form where I stand. You are my family, and I will not let hate be my last sin ”

Additional Thoughts: Discovery from New Music Night for 02/11/2023 on RockedNet.