I first discovered Atlas Losing Grip after the release of their 2009 EP, Watching the Horizon, and became an instant fan. 2009 seemed to be a dark time for technical melodic skatepunk and Watching the Horizon was basically a glimmer of hope in the blackness. It didn’t hurt that the singer, Rodrigo, was a founding member ofSatanic Surfers, one of the genre’s most respected and legendary bands. 2011’s State of Unrest solidified Atlas Losing Grip as part of the worldwide vanguard of contemporary melodic skatepunk. State Of Unrest’sthoughtful, anti-institutional lyrics struck a particular cord with me. I listened to that shit on repeat. I got the album art tattoo’d on my arm. Needless to say I was excited for the release of Currents, the band’s 3rd full-length. Now, after many listens, I am left with conflicting feelings about Currents. The album simultaneously impresses and confuses, delights and disappoints.
The album opens with an epic metal-influenced guitar intro. Much of the guitar work on the record is more transparently metal than the band’s previous releases, and this is not a bad thing. The production is excellent and the crushing guitar compliments Rodrigo’s vocal delivery expertly. Rodrigo’s voice is, as expected, absolutely flawless. Rodrigo croons his personal, heartfelt lyrics with unrivaled power, passion, and melody. In my opinion Rodrigo is one of the best clean vocalists in punk right now, and it is a real shame he will not be continuing with the band following this album. "Shallow" and "Nemesis" are both particularly strong examples of Rodrigo’s vocal ability. Lyrically, however, the album lacks the strength of State of Unrest. The sharp criticism of religious institutions is toned way down and the theme of heartbreak and emotional dedication is repeated to the point of redundancy.
Currents is a very diverse album. Metal influenced rippers like "Sinking Ship" flow well with the classic ALG sound of "Nemesis" and "Cast Anchor," songs which showcase the blazing fast technicality and intricate transitions which made me fall in love with the band. A puzzling aspect of the record, however, is the inclusion of a huge amount of slow material, including three acoustic ballads. I understand a band’s need to evolve and diversify but the amount of slow tempo songs on this album seems excessive. "Closure" is only the sixth song on the album and is the album’s slowest. When I first heard it I thought my computer may have mixed up the order of the tracks. It disrupted the flow of the album to that degree. The lyrics to the song are sappy and predictable to the point of making me physically cringe while listening.
"So many questions remain unanswered, so much left unspoken. Despite the mending that I have done, a part of my heart remains broken."
I actually felt embarrassed listening to this. It pains me to feel this way about Atlas Losing Grip material because I truly love and respect the band. "Closure" is followed by "Kings and Fools," a decent song but one that does not have to be six minutes long. "Cold Dirt" is the album's second ballad, and though more listenable than "Closure," could have been left off in favour of the caustic ending to the ten-minute closing track, "Ithaka."
At 66 minutes long Currents is a very long skatepunk record. If the band had cut this album way down in length this could be a timeless melodic punk release. Unfortunately about a third of this material feels like filler. The album lacks cohesion and the momentum is stalled in too many places. Fortunately the mediocre songs are interspersed with really excellent material. I would recommend checking out "Sinking Ship," "Cynosure," "Nemesis," "Cast Anchor," and "The End" for some really standout tracks and examples of what Atlas Losing Grip does best.
