Article By: Clay Adamczyk
Boston’s mild winter took a brief hiatus last Wednesday. The unusually warmer weather was replaced with a frigid chill, which is more normal for a New England December. The wind was bitter and sleet bombarded the smiling faces, many who, despite the inclement elements, still decided to trek to the Middle East Upstairs that night. It should be no shocker the venue sold out, because Chicago’s own epic-math-post-metal trio, Russian Circles, are one hell of a draw in any weather.
Colin Snyder, the drummer of Boston’s own math-rock duo Thief Thief, described the event best by saying, “this is the show no musician should miss.” Hordes of viewers crowded the stage not only to be entertained, but to learn from these metal gurus. Russian Circles are technical wizards, creating an orchestral sound with only three people. Mike Sullivan’s use of loops creates a powerful wall of sound that rushes over you like a tidal wave. Brian Cook’s bass shakes your bones and rattles fillings right out of your mouth as you stare, jaw-dropped and drooling, at their raw talent. This chaotic pleasure is held together by Dave Turncrantzpossibly the most precise drummer alive. Each flick of the drumstick on the snare is made with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings, and can only be appreciated in live viewing. It’s no wonder a striving musician would want to learn from this. Music 101 The Precision of Music: Russian Circles is a class that would fill up fast.
Russian Circles brought all they had to the Middle East that night, most importantly, tunes from their recently released masterpiece, Geneva (Suicide Squeeze, 2009). Though additional strings were not part of the live act, stripped down is not in Russian Circles’ vocabulary. The gentle background strings most audibly present in Gevena’s opening track, “Fathom,” were replaced with a greater harmonization of feedback redefining the orchestral sound. “Malko,” was a love story that ends in heart break, while title track, “Genva,” starts from an in-your-face crunch to a full on in-your-head war. While Sullivan and Turncrantz exchanged worried looks during some of these new pieces, the problems in sound were unbeknownst to everyone else. Amongst the Geneva roar, RC dipped into Station (Suicide Squeeze, 2008) staples like “Verses” and “Youngblood” and the Enter (Flameshovel Records, 2006) apocalyptic anthem “Death Rides a Horse.”
A man named Canada, speaking for Russian Circles, stated, “[Russian Circles] likes to keep their anonymity, and were not doing interviews.” No need. Their music speaks for them.
