RUSSIAN CIRCLES

Chicago’s Russian Circles have earned their place as one of the most influential post-metal trios of the past two decades. Their name — borrowed from a childhood ice-hockey drill — hints at the discipline and circular motion that define their music. Albums like the latest Gnosis (Sargent House, 2023) showcase their ability to pair heaviness with subtlety, crafting soundscapes that are simultaneously crushing and delicate. Their music flows from cinematic calm to overwhelming intensity, threading intricate bass lines, searing guitars, and punishing drums into immersive instrumental narratives.

The band’s members are deeply embedded in heavy music’s fabric. Bassist Brian Cook is also a part of Botch, SUMAC, and These Arms Are Snakes, while guitarist Mike Sullivan and drummer Dave Turncrantz draw on Midwest hardcore and indie roots. Known for precision and discipline, Russian Circles prove that an instrumental band can communicate profound emotion without a single word – infamous for touring with enormous backline setups, amplifiers almost as monumental as their sound.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Russian Circles are immersive architects of sound. Their performances ebb and flow like tectonic plates, shifting from meditative calm to intense eruptions. When they explode, the force is overwhelming; when they retreat, the silence is charged with tension. Every show is both hypnotic and ferocious, a journey through loss, resilience, and transcendence that is felt as much in the body as in the ears.

‍