Russian Circles
There are instrumental rock bands, and then there is Russian Circles. This Chicago-based trio has raised the bar incredibly high with the release of their first full-length Enter. The band charges out of the gate on this debut with a potent forcefulness that leaves many of their more seasoned, contemplative, and mathy peers sounding a bit hesitant and flaccid in comparison. This strength of spirit has quickly earned Russian Circles considerable recognition as a formidable live band, to such an extent that they are being requested as openers by high-profile acts such as Tool.
It all comes down to the fact that Russian Circles has the inspiration to carve fresh material from a bedrock of spacious melody and crushing heaviness, the energetic dexterity to steer songs as big as mountains through hairpin rhythmic changes, and the superb musicianship necessary to deliver all of this with an elegant precision and natural momentum that plows straight into the listener’s ears, causing a rapid back-and-forth swaying of the head, commonly known in medical terminology as rocking the fuck out.
