Russian Circles Sneak Attack the Nile Theater

The drummer for Russian Circles has the right foot of an antagonized brutish wildebeest.

It took over half of their set last Monday for me to realize and confirm that, David Turncrantz, their drummer was only using one single foot pedal for the bass drum. He was machine-gunning, I thought for sure he had a double-bass set up. He stomped on it like a quarterback dipping and pivoting down field. His foot fidgeted in rhythm, almost hovering the entire night right above the bass pedal. He provided the constant thumping ricochet that rumbled through each Russian Circles song and shook everybody’s organs.

Russian Circles have always been an instrumental incineration. Metal from the earth. No vocals, no angst, no cries, just music crammed to the bone. Guitarist Mike Sullivan and bassist Brian Cook combine to add an atmosphere of destructive energy. Their riffs crank along with the drums, building each song up to deathly peaks.

The three-piece crossed into Arizona midway through their current Blood Year North America Tour to play the fabled Nile Theater in Mesa.

The tour is in support of Blood Year the Chicago group's new seventh studio album, and second with producer Kurt Ballou. Their last was 2016’s Guidance. Read my review of Blood Year by Russian Circles.  

The Nile is a great room for a big loud rumbling concert and Russian Circles filled up the space. Russian Circles walked on with "Hunter Moon," the opener of the new album, playing from the sound system. Then they smashed into "Arluck," with Turncratz getting a running start. “Quartered,” off Blood Year, started with the bass drum drilling, pumping dust off the walls, until the song climbed and took off.

Lights were kept low.

Maybe three or four lights flashed off and on with one blue setting. Each player was lit in their silhouette of silverlined light. Other than Sullivan moving forward one step to change pedals, he nor Cook moved around the stage.

They were stuck in place, frozen by the hard-charge of their metallic muster. Cook held onto his corner of the stage, switching to a 6-string guitar for a few songs. He hopped and splashed around, knuckling his bass down low and shooting up into the air. In his own world, he’d hunker and squat, light shadows twitching his expressions.

Russia Circles barbecued the Nile Theater for the privileged few who bothered to show up.

I’m not complaining about the freedom of movement, or lack of disinterested people, but we could’ve packed a whole lot more fans in there. It’s time artists start pulling away from Mainland Phoenix and play some damn shows at The Nile.

Continuing with the Blood Year North American Tour, Russian Circles finishes the first leg in hometown Chicago on September 28. Facs, also out of Chicago, have been supporting Russian Circles from the start. Windhand will take over the opening spot when the tour’s second leg begins October 18 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

REVIEW: "Blood Year" by Russian Circles

The new album from Russian Circles, Blood Year, is the sound of Armageddon, of lost causes and cratering landscapes.

The three-man group from Chicago continue their instrumental onslaught on your speakers with their seventh studio album. Russian Circles don’t need a singer because in the space between their instruments you can hear the screaming and wailing

Blood Year is the group's second time working with legendary producer Kurt Ballou, known for his work with Converge, Isis, Dillinger Escape Plan, Gatecreeper and other hardcore acts. Ballou worked on 2016’s Guidance and here continues to provide the appropriate atmosphere for Russian Circles. Brian Cook on bass, Mike Sullivan on guitar and Dave Turncrantz on drums continue to tighten their aesthetic of pulverizing sound.

"Hunter Moon" begins the quest of Blood Year with a stretched out, wide-open guitar playing contemplatively.

The sustain feeds discontent, alluding to uncertainty on the horizon. It's a distant memory by the time "Arluck" ramps up with a cracking drumbeat. Turncrantz stays steady but beats all hell from the set while the guitars gather together like flies to newly discovered dead meat. Riffs trickle in until you're lost in a vortex. Turncrantz plays the drums like Lucifer’s methed-out cousin, cramming the snare head with furious vigor.

And Blood Year goes on like that. Russian Circles hit the niche and just go. Sullivan and Cook continue in lockstep finding aggressive chords that hit the ground hard but also disperse into the sky. It’s heavy metal mixed with some spooky action. Each song is all blasting amps and disrespected drums. There is no break from the attack until "Ghost on High" when Sullivan meditates on a few slipping chords. The breather is short-lived. 

 

"Sinaia" begins mystically then takes off and sounds like flying through the center of the earth.

It’s a gorgeous pummeling knockout groove from the acid drip of Syd Barrett's angst. There are moments throughout Blood Year where you feel so lost and the music hits you from all sides. "Quartered" is a brain-warping beat-down with chugging riffs choking the life from you. Russian Circles extract an epic hopelessness in their riffage. There is a sense of impending disaster, or passing tragedy already struck. After more than a decade making music, they continue to explore their little corner of the universe.