As far as I am concerned, Sweden's Alas Losing Grip are most definitely one of the torch-bearers of modern punk rock. If you are anything like me, you miss the good old days of skate-punks golden era that were basically the 90's. The music: fast. The lyrics: a general "fuck you" to the man, and band logos were scribbled on your school back -pack in permanent markers or White Out.
Those of you familiar with Atlas Losing Grip know that their front man is Rodrigo Alfaro, former front man/drummer of one of my favorite bands, Satanic Surfers.
If their first ep with Rodrigo, 2009’s Watching The Horizon was that of a band finally finding themselves, 2011’s Unrest was that of a band refining their sound, 2015’s Currents is that of a band who’ve honed their sound and to coin a phrase “hit it out of the fucking park”.

It would be too easy to pass Currents off as just another run of the mill punk rock album from a run of the mill punk rock band if that’s what they were. Clocking in at over 6 minutes, album opener “Sinking Ship” brings to mind Failed States era Propagandhi. I’d say Black Album era Metallica was getting a fair amount of play in the tour van as well, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a cracking tune that sets the tone of the album. Currents pretty much keeps the pace until the acoustic midway point of the album, marked by “Closure” which Tim McIlrath would have been chuffed to have penned. The sense of urgency on the first half of the album tapers off after that, but that only serves to highlight the strength of Rodrigo’s vocal performance which is top notch. “Downwind” would be my favorite track on the album which to me is vintage Satanic Surfers.
“Ithaka” rounds out the album which is an 11 minute opus that wouldn’t completely sound out of place on later period Opeth offering.
In a genre that has sometimes been guilty of stagnating, Currents is a vital, technically- progressive, melodic punk rock beacon of light that finds a band at the top of their game, seemingly going from strength to strength, and will surely find its way in to many end of year lists for 2015.