Russian Circles - Nine

“Vast, searching post-metal.” – Stereogum

“Absolutely crushing.” – The Needle Drop

“[‘Empath’] is relentless and pummeling, which is exactly what I love about Russian Circles. These dudes make fearless art that is complex and heavy.” – Vice

“Powerful instru-metallists Russian Circles are back to hypnotize headbangers. ” – Revolver

Russian Circles, “exemplars of post-rock and post-metal” (Pitchfork), present “Eluvial,” the second single/video from their new album, Nine, out August 28th via Sargent House. Arriving on the heels of “Empath,” which “showcases the evolving toughness of Russian Circles’ sound,” (Consequence), “Eluvial” is Nine’s grand centerpiece. The patiently cataclysmic track is centered around the kind of ping-ponging delayed guitar patterns that Brian Eno and The Edge developed for The Joshua Tree, with guitarist Mike Sullivan slowly unfurling a winding, linear melody against the backdrop of drummer Dave Turncrantz’s Latin-rhythm-inspired groove and Brian Cook’s pairing of grinding bass and stuttering electronics. “Eluvial” slowly builds to an apex, leaving only the vaguest breadcrumb trail of obscured percussive and melodic motifs to the song’s final cleansing tempest.

For Nine, Russian Circles adhered to their strategy from Blood Year (2019) and Gnosis(2022) by teaming up with engineer Kurt Ballou (Converge, Mastodon, High on Fire), who they’ve worked with since 2016. Basic tracking took place at Electrical Audio in Chicago, where they’ve recorded as far back as their debut album, Enter (2006), while the finishing touches occurred at Ballou’s GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts.

Reinvention is unnecessary when the path forward has always been an open horizon. When it comes to Russian Circles, you can go back through their catalog and find a vast array of broad-ranging influences — the formidable Touch & Go artists of the Midwest, the prog giants of late ‘60s and early ‘70s England, the hypnotic motorik and kosmische grooves of West Germany, and the international underground’s most caustic strains of metal. Yet, it’s fair to say the band’s adventurous diversity has evolved into its own distinct sound. Whereas earlier albums were almost playful in their traversing of territories, Nine is a document of a band that knows the lay of the land and is fortifying their dominion over the varied terrain.

This fall, Russian Circles will bring their “pure metallic catharsis” (Guitar World) across North America. A full list of dates can be found HERE, contact us with any requests!