Photos and Writing by Kyle Ostrander
Few bands in the world of heavy music have been more genre-defining than Russian Circles have been for post-metal. A staple in the genre, their latest album, Nine, dropped in late-August. The record plays off the group’s iconic sound while still progressing forward into new territory. In support of the release, Russian Circles are on an extensive North American tour, which included a stop at the Knockdown Center in NYC this weekend.
Despite the show’s early door time of 6:00pm, the cavernous venue quickly filled with concert goers, a testament of the connection and dedication the group has fostered with their fans over their 20+ year career. By the time Russian Circles took the stage, the entire room was vibrating with excitement. An acoustic guitar track played through the speakers as the trio grabbed their instruments and sprang into action. The hammering drum intro of “Seventh Seal,” a cut from their new record, began to echo through the room from the dark stage. A barrage of lights scattered across the stage soon illuminated the musicians as the full band kicked in with their parts, showering the space with chugging guitars and deep bass.
The 75-minute set included four tracks off Nine, with the rest pulling from across the group’s catalog, including fan-favorites like “Deficit” and “Youngblood”. Each song’s live version delivered a unique punchiness, along with special live arrangements, such as the extended drum intro on “Harper Lewis”, a full band jam outro on “Geneva”, and an added tremolo effect in the second half breakdown of “Youngblood”. As impressive as the music itself was guitarist Mike Sullivan’s ability to create and deliver in-sync live guitar loops, creating additional depth and force as he layered skillful tapping riffs over looped rhythm lines. All the while, bassist Brian Cook and drummer Dave Turncrantz contributed their iconic crunching bass tones and intricate drum fills every Russian Circles fan has come to enjoy.
Each band member was visibly entranced in their parts, locking in to deliver note-for-note perfection, as a robust light show pulsated strobes and danced colors of red and white perfectly in time with the music’s rhythm. The musicians didn’t say much, and actually didn’t even bring a microphone on stage at all, mainly using ambient loops to fill the short spaces between songs. The crowd contributed to the show’s strong momentum, cheering loudly at their favorite songs, and clapping along with Cook’s bass breaks. “I couldn’t wait to see these guys live and hear how heavy their new stuff is. They 100% delivered everything I hoped for!” said a fan to their friend after the show.
Russian Circles continue their North American tour through late-November. The band is also scheduled to perform at Fire In The Mountains 2027 next July. Full details on all dates can be found on the band’s website.
