Atlas Losing Grip – Currents

Atlas Losing Grip a five piece Alternative Crossover Punk band from Sweden released their third album ‘Currents’ via Cargo records today (16th January 2015). Formed in 2005 ‘Currents’ marks their tenth anniversary. Atlas Losing Grip embark on the Currents European Tour 2015 Part 1 next week with support on many of the dates (see poster below) from German Punk Rockers Smile and Burn

With it’s Lighthouse cover photo, and the sound of gentle waves breaking the shoreline to start, this is a well thought out album with a nautical theme running throughout many of the fourteen tracks with make up ‘Currents’ The opening track Sinking Ship starts with the sound of gentle waves which lead to Metallica The Unforgiven/Nothing Else Matters type riffage and, after a lengthy instrumental start, it then becomes a Punkier Stiff Little Fingers style number. The Curse moves away from the nautical being about someone who doesn’t want to be their Father’s son, which is ‘the curse in the family’ and to prevent the curse being passed down he vows to ‘be the last one to carry the curse’ Shallow has a bit of a Gothic vibe say Shelter From The Storm by The Mission. Nemesis refers to sinking ships again, with lyrics including ‘My Nemesis, see you in hell’ it starts off very fast and punky then slows down ‘these songs are my weapons, these words my ammo’ before a roar of ‘This is my revenge’ and it speeds up again with some powerful drums and riffs to accompany the lyrics.

Closure is a gentle acoustic ballad about wanting to get closure and get answers to questions ‘Wish we could talk one last time’ Kings and Fools with it’s woodwind sound in the middle reminded me a little of Billy Idol’s Kings and Queens of The Underground. A couple more nautical themed songs in Cast Anchor and Unknown Waters before The End, which isn’t the last song and has an old horror movie theme feel with it’s organ start. Cold Dirt with it’s melodic keyboards and slower gentle lyrics has a Wizz Wizzard feel and ended with the sound of winds blowing, but you had to listen carefully to hear them. The end then comes in last song Ithaka, the longest track, at just over eleven minutes. It’s obviously a matter of personal taste, and mine lends to shorter songs so, after about five minutes, I was willing it to end and it ends very quietly with about a minute of very soft wind and again you had to listen very carefully! However it’s very rare that I will like every track on an album, even my favourite albums. ‘Currents’ is well crafted and I like the fact that it has a theme running throughout. Overall the sound is something like I would imagine a cross between Metallica and Stiff Little Fingers to be. A well deserved four stars.

Highlight track – Shallow

Track List:

1. Sinking Ship
2. The Curse
3. Cynosure
4. Shallow
5. Nemesis
6. Closure
7. Kings and Fools
8. Cast Anchor
9. Unknown Waters
10. The End
11. Downwind
12. Through the Distance
13. Cold Dirt
14. Ithaka

Band Members:

Niklas Olsson – Vocals
Stefan Bratt – Bass
Gustav Burn – Guitars
Max Huddén – Guitars
Julian Guedj – Drums

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Website: http://www.atlaslosinggrip.com/