Russian Circles - Empros Russian Circles

Released: 23/08/24

One of the things I love most about the Chicago post-metal instrumental group Russian Circles is their indiscriminate approach to Old Nick's favourite genre, perfectly exemplified by 309', the opener to their almighty 2011 LPEmpros, now reissued on very limited indeed (and delicious looking) clear with red, silver, magenta splatter vinyl. Along with the nods to the heavy bass churn of Swans, and an epic, filthy doom-riff right out of the Sunn O))) playbook, '309' also incorporates quest metal à la Iron Maiden. (I just invented the term quest metal' “ to clarify, I mean that narrative-based ye olde' heavy metal that describes adventures with knights, dragons, witches and ogres, etc etc. Basically what a D&D player in the 1980s would listen to.)

At its heaviest,Emprosis some of he most thrillingly skull-crushing guitar music you will ever hear. At it's most melodically limber, as with the opening few minutes of Mlàdek', it brings to mind the ecstatic post-rock of Exolosions in the Sky, and Mogwai at their cheeriest. While elsewhere, on Schiphol', the trio of guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz and bassist Brian Cook show the full, breathtaking scope of their musicianship and compositional chops, sounding as it does like a wintrier version of Eno's languorous ambient classic Another Green World'. The three men, then, fully appreciate that when it comes to genre, we contain multitudes “ and with the brilliantEmprosthey created an album for all metal seasons.