They're back with a new album, 'Geneva' just 18 months since the last one. That's right, suckers. It's everyone's favourite instrumental 3-piece from Chicago, Russian Circles. It's heavier than 'Station', more melodic than 'Enter', it's their best work to date. Bassist Brian Cook (he of Botch and These Arms Are Snakes fame) commands a solid groove throughout the album, most notably on the title track where his pulsating rhythm fights against Dave Turncrantz's tribal drumming, creating an aura of tension before Mike Sullivan enters with some lush spidery guitar. The musicianship on this record is simply stunning, not that it ever takes focus away from the album as a whole. Post-Rock/Post-Metal/Instrumental Rock/Whatever you want to call it can be a tricky beast; songs have a tendency to drag on, losing the listener's attention. Thankfully Russian Circles manage to avoid this through the taut discipline of their songwriting. There's not a single passage that outstays its welcome.
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