Russian Circles Present “Eluvial

Photo Credit: Chris Strong

Russian Circles, “exemplars of post-rock and post-metal” (Pitchfork), present “Eluvial,” the second single/video from their new album, Nine, out August 28th via Sargent House. Arriving on the heels of “Empath,” which “showcases the evolving toughness of Russian Circles’ sound,” (Consequence), “Eluvial” is Nine’s grand centrepiece. The patiently cataclysmic track is centred around the kind of ping-ponging delayed guitar patterns that Brian Eno and The Edge developed for The Joshua Tree, with guitarist Mike Sullivan slowly unfurling a winding, linear melody against the backdrop of drummer Dave Turncrantz’s Latin-rhythm-inspired groove and Brian Cook’s pairing of grinding bass and stuttering electronics. “Eluvial” slowly builds to an apex, leaving only the vaguest breadcrumb trail of obscured percussive and melodic motifs to the song’s final cleansing tempest.

For Nine, Russian Circles adhered to their strategy from Blood Year (2019) and Gnosis (2022) by teaming up with engineer Kurt Ballou (Converge, Mastodon, High on Fire), who they’ve worked with since 2016. Basic tracking took place at Electrical Audio in Chicago, where they’ve recorded as far back as their debut album, Enter (2006), while the finishing touches occurred at Ballou’s GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts. 

Reinvention is unnecessary when the path forward has always been an open horizon. When it comes to Russian Circles, you can go back through their catalog and find a vast array of broad-ranging influences — the formidable Touch & Go artists of the Midwest, the prog giants of late ’60s and early ’70s England, the hypnotic motorik and kosmische grooves of West Germany, and the international underground’s most caustic strains of metal. Yet, it’s fair to say the band’s adventurous diversity has evolved into its own distinct sound. Whereas earlier albums were almost playful in their traversing of territories, Nine is a document of a band that knows the lay of the land and is fortifying their dominion over the varied terrain.

This fall, Russian Circles will bring their “pure metallic catharsis” (Guitar World) across North America. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are now on sale. 

Pre-order Nine

Watch the Video for “Empath”

Russian Circles Tour Dates

Fri. Sept. 25 – Whitefish Bay, WI @ The Argo *

Sat. Sept. 26 – Chicago, IL @ Bohemian National Cemetery *

Mon. Sept. 28 – Detroit, MI @ El Club *

Tue. Sept. 29 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House *

Wed. Sept. 30 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda *

Thu. Oct. 1 – Boston, MA @ Royale *

Sat. Oct. 3 – Queens, NY @ Knockdown Center *

Sun. Oct. 4 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *

Mon. Oct. 5 – Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage *

Wed. Oct. 7 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *

Thu. Oct. 8 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm *

Fri. Oct. 9 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater *

Sat. Oct. 10 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *

Mon. Oct. 12 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East *

Tue. Oct. 13 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi *

Wed. Nov. 4 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall $

Fri. Nov. 6 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves $

Sat. Nov. 7 – Austin, TX @ The Far Out Lounge $

Mon. Nov. 9 – Phoenix, AZ @ Walter Studios $

Wed. Nov. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco $

Thu. Nov. 12 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall $

Sat. Nov. 14 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom $

Sun. Nov. 15 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox $

Mon. Nov. 16 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall $

Tue. Nov. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall $

Thu. Nov. 19 – Englewood, CO @ The Gothic Theatre $

Fri. Nov. 20 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown $

Sat. Nov. 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater $

* w/ Pelican $ w/ Primitive Man