Following the day after playing a successful set on the Opus stage at Download Festival, Connecticut metalcore band Currents are now switching the large festival audience for The Key Club in Leeds, with a capacity of only three hundred, to play a sold out show to kickstart their string of limited headline appearances integrated throughout their busy festival rota, across select parts of The United Kingdom and Europe.
With only themselves and their touring support act AVIANA on the bill tonight, doors opened at 7PM with an already eager line of fans queuing down the street to get in, despite the first performance not even starting until an hour later at 8PM. With the atmosphere growing palpable with excitement throughout the wait, Swedish metalcore band AVIANA took to the small stage first, immediately capturing the attention of the room as the lights dimmed and their LED stage props took over paired with their introductory voiceover audio, setting the scene for this band’s entrance. Their prominent stage attire, cohesively worn by all the members, was an interesting sight, with the backing three wearing almost eery robotic looking masks (that upon close proximity, within an intimate venue, made it hard to tell who they were holding eye contact with within the audience) and hooded windbreaker-esque tactical gear.
Just like their considered visual appearance, this band also delivered in their auditory performance, instantly unleashing heavy riffs, brutal vocals and uncontainable energy. The energy arguably felt like too much for such a small stage, as the guitarists spun and moved as if they needed to cover as much ground as possible. Which produced an entertaining and invigorating display, that in turn the audience reciprocated, wasting no time in breaking out into a flurry of chaotic movement. AVIANA consistently set the pace and kept the energy going throughout their 45 minute set, becoming an unrelenting powerhouse, even throughout the sweltering heat in this basement venue.
With the tone of the night well established, and the energy still tangible, Currents embarked the stage in short time to elevate that sensation, starting their set around 9PM. Likewise, they wasted no time in bringing an animated presence to the stage, with fans immediately latching onto that enthusiasm and moving like their lives depended on it, vigorously moshing and eventually crowd surfing and stage diving over the active spectators. Having released an album The Death We Seek two years prior, they began the night by playing a handful of tracks from that latest addition to their discography, before venturing into some slightly older numbers that were evidently appreciated by their audience of tonight.
Later in their set, vocalist Brian Wille mentioned their performance at the Download Festival, asking if any of the members of the audience had also attended their set, in which one person within the room of 300 replied, earning the next song to be dedicated to them. Tonight’s performance showcased their versatility as a band, engaging and entertaining with punchy riffs, powerful rhythms and visceral and sensational screams, as if it was second nature or as easy as breathing to them, displaying the evident potential and ability this five piece has across platforms in delivering a prodigious performance, no matter where they are.
After playing for almost an hour, the band wrapped up with the promise to return with vocalist Brian stating to the crowd “I would do this everyday of the week with you if I could”. Currents have several more shows and appearances on their Europe & UK Summer 2025 schedule for eager fans to catch them, all of their headliners of which are supported by AVIANA. This limited run had a lot to offer and shouldn’t be overlooked, whether that be returning fans or anyone looking to discover some prominent new bands, it is definitely encouraged to catch this one whilst you can.
