With more than a decade long music career and 5 studio albums, latter being Memorial in 2013, the post-metal/rock trio Russian Circles from Chicago, USA unleash a loud and heavy roar. Almost a week after announcing their up-coming sixth studio album Guidance, to-be released on 5th of August via Sargent House, the band shows off their first bone-crunching single of the awaited record – Vorel.

From their very first studio album Enter, Russian Circles have kept themselves to the concept of creating a constant flow within their albums. Either it’s guitar noise by Mike Sullivan or continuous, hushed drum-work by Dave Turncrantz, or just a huge layer of sound by Brian Cook, maintaining this flow from song to song is an inviolable trait within their album production. Judging by the first sounds of Vorel, it’s obvious that Guidance isn’t going to break the tradition. Only giving a hint of what the album-opener Asa could sound like, the fast-paced beat soon grows into the masterful heavy war-drum. And with the first drum interlude the guitar gives us the melody and the over-all feeling of the track.

Much like the single Deficit from their previous album Memorial, Vorel reveals the up-coming album on the heaviest note. The pressing melody strives throughout the whole track and makes the listener sink into the sounds of something utterly tragic and chaotic. As this might as well be the soundtrack for the earth splitting open, I will admit that it’s also the most aggressive Russian Circles track to-date. One of the key factors to reaching this sound is without doubt the bands collaboration with the guitarist Kurt Ballou of Converge for Guidance. With noise filled background, distorted riff guitar, buzzing bass and the aggressive drum-work, this track demands several returns to the impending doom. Nevertheless, it hushes down before long and converts itself onto Mike’s delayed palm-muted riff for the opening of Mota that just keeps on reminding me of Harper Lewis.

Tracklist:

Asa Vorel Mota Afrika Overboard Calla Lisboa

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Up-coming North-America tour:

Jun 16: Vancouver Levitation, BC

Jun 18: Salt Lake City Crucial Fest, UT

Aug 26: Madison High Noon Saloon, WI

Aug 27: Minneapolis Cedar Cultural Center, MN

Aug 29: Missoula Palace Lounge, MT

Aug 30: Seattle Neumos, WA

Aug 31: Portland Doug Fir Lounge, OR

Sep 02: San Francisco Great American Music Hall, CA

Sep 03: Los Angeles Teragram Ballroom, CA

Sep 05: Phoenix Crescent Ballroom, AZ

Sep 06: Albuquerque Launchpad, NM

Sep 07: Englewood Gothic Theatre, CO

Sep 08: Kansas City The Riot Room. MO

Sep 09: Chicago Metro, IL

Sep 25: Detroit El Club, MI

Sep 26: Toronto Lee’s Palace, ON

Sep 28: Cambridge The Sinclair, MA

Sep 29: Philadelphia Union Transfer, PA

Sep 30: Brooklyn Warsaw, NY

Oct 01: Washington Rock And Roll Hotel, DC

Oct 02: Durham Motocro Music Hall, NC

Oct 04: Atlanta Aisle 5, GA

Oct 05: Birmingham Saturn, AL

Oct 06: Baton Rouge Spanish Moon, LA

Oct 07: Houston Warehouse Live, TX

Oct 08: Austin Barracuda Austin, TX

Oct 09: Dallas RBC, TX