In Vain – Currents; the singles

While I’m working on a band retrospective for In Vain, I thought I’d give you a taste from they latest album Currents.

So let’s discuss the first one, Seekers of the Truth. This was their first advance track of the album, and it shows a good portion of what In Vain do best: progressive melodeath with big guitar hooks, scorching solos, layered vocals and orchestral keyboards for support. It’s about as standard as In Vain songs go, and had the duty to assure fans that what they love is here to stay. The lyrics “Cannot compromise what we believe” are the main mantra of the track and echo this sentiment in spades. Also a big bonus is the lyric video from Costin Chioreanu who’s visual style is unmistakable.

Next comes Soul Adventurer, which is a totally different affair. A modern prog platter, with clean vocals over Leprous-style syncopated riffs, it sheds new light on what their latest album has to offer. Gorgeous vocals by Sindre Nedland (the brother of Borknagar/Solefald‘s Lars Nedland), with a guest appearance from Trivium‘s Matthew Heafy, bring the track to soaring heights, and the heavier epilogue reminds us that this is still In Vain. While I’ve seen various on-line opinions on this track, ranging from trite to triumphant,  for me it’s the perfect counterpart to Seekers of the Truth. Both tracks show what In Vain does best, and while there are better songs on the album, they are highly representative of what you get with Currents.