Back in May, the Chicago post-metal trio Russian Circles released “Vorel,” the lead single off their upcoming sixth studio LP Guidance. That song was a colossal rampage of terraforming guitars and pillaging drums that seethed steam through gritted teeth, liable to burn down the landscape even as it was willing it into shape. “Vorel” was music for smashing boulders or brandishing cigarette burns into glaciers, but the most exciting part about it wasn’t its battle march sweep or the throttling toms; it was when the song receded into itself and leaked these beams of transcendent guitar harmonics that suspiciously halted right when they seemed to signal light at the end of the tunnel.

A month and a half later, we finally get to hear that ray of illumination. “Mota” doesn’t crunch or crash like its predecessor; instead it’s a glowing orchard blooming fireballs. The song swells like a rising hot air balloon for the first two minutes, and then burrows all the sunshine into a pressurized hole during the next three, before it reaches a breaking point and supernovas into an earth-shattering frenzy of golden flames and propulsive shockwaves. And when the final residual screeching gives way to that hospitable bath of heavenly whispers that stops short before it can truly offer you salvation, its a cruel cliffhanger. This album can’t come soon enough. Listen to “Mota” below.

Tracklist:

01 “Asa”

02 “Vorel”

03 “Mota”

04 “Afrika”

05 “Overboard”

06 “Calla”

07 “Lisboa”

Tour dates:

08/26 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *

08/27 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center *

08/29 Missoula, MT @ Palace Lounge *

08/30 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *

08/31 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *

09/02 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *

09/03 Los Angeles, CA @ The Teragram Ballroom *

09/05 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *

09/06 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *

09/07 Englewood, CO @ The Gothic Theatre *

09/08 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room *

09/09 Chicago, IL @ Metro *

09/25 Detroit, MI @ El Club ^

09/26 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace ^

09/28 Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair ^

09/29 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^

09/30 Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ^

10/01 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel ^

10/02 Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall ^

10/04 Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 ^

10/05 Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^

10/06 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon ^

10/07 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio ^

10/08 Austin, TX @ Barracuda ^

10/09 Dallas, TX @ RBC ^

* with Cloakroom

^ with Helms Alee

Guidance is out 8/5 via Sargent House. Pre-order it in digital or physical formats.