Russian Circles

Lybica – Lybica Review

By Grymm on September 13, 2022 in Reviews, Instrumental Metal, 34 comments

“First and foremost, and this should come as no surprise to any of you… but this wins Cover o’ the Year for me. Hands down, no competition. Sure, you’ve got your Eliran Kantors, your Travis Smiths, and your Necrolords. And that’s all fine and dandy. But here, we have a proud, majestic cat with its tongue out, as if to say, “I’m here, world… and I shall blep.” It’s only fitting, then, that Lybica, the South Floridian instrumental band featuring Killswitch Engage’s Justin Foley and members of Gravel Kings, would name themselves after the African wildcat species often referenced as the godfather to the modern-day domesticated cat.” Cats in the belfry.

Novarupta – Carrion Movements Review

By Carcharodon on April 27, 2022 in Reviews, Instrumental Metal, Post-Metal, 27 comments

“I was not familiar with this post-metal project prior to snagging it for review. Carrion Movements is both the third album from Novarupta and the third installment in a conceptual four-part series based around the elements of fire, water, air and earth. This is the ‘air’ entry in the tetralogy, following 2019’s Disillusioned Fire and 2020’s Marine Snow, which seem to have caused something of a stir in post-metal circles. Can Carrion Movements trigger the reputational eruption many seem to think Novarupta deserves? Carrion, my wayward son.

Daxma – Unmarked Boxes Review

By Carcharodon on November 18, 2021 in Reviews, Ambient Metal, Post-Metal, 14 comments

“Where Ruins based its first track loosely on the seminal critical theory work, Minima Moralia: Reflexionen aus dem beschädigten Leben, by German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno, Daxma’s second full-length, Unmarked Boxes, drinks deep of 13th century Persian poet Rumi’s work of the same name.” Smart music.

Driving Slow Motion – Adrift:Abyss Review

By Carcharodon on September 24, 2021 in Reviews, Drone, Post-Metal, 14 comments

“It seems that I was not the only one to like Driving Slow Motion’s 2019 debut, Arda. That self-released piece of instrumental Tolkien worship appears to have scored the Fort Worth, Texas quintet a deserved label deal with Post. Recordings, which now brings us the band’s sophomore effort, Adrift:Abyss. Its predecessor, Arda, was not an instant banger. In fact, it wasn’t a banger at all, but it is one of my favorite instrumental efforts of recent years. Arda is a record that repays time invested in it, with each listen revealing additional layers of complexity buried in its gentle ambience.” Can’t drive 55.

Dawn Fades – Ode Review

By Emya on September 13, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Shoegaze, 16 comments

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Dawn Fades is a band that, despite having a sound I find to be on the experimental fringes of metal, maintains a modest demeanor which comes through in their music. Dawn Fades’ specialty is not an ostentatious display of guitar riffs but rather the ethereal and sublime aura surrounding their songs.” Morning gaze.

Praise the Plague – The Obsidian Gate Review

By Grymm on July 27, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 16 comments

“For as generally tired and played out the genre has become as of late, black metal pairs exceptionally well with a cornucopia of disparate genres. Sure, we all know that it goes together with death metal, like a harmonious, spiked-gauntleted, and dog-food-promoting Reese’s peanut butter cup. Doom, however, seems like a stranger chocolate for our humbled corpse-painted nut butter of dubious origins. Something about not only the speed involved, but also the “hurry up and get to the fucking point, already” aspect of doom that would, on the surface at least, seem contradictory to the icy, tremolo-infested sound that birthed many a hooded sweatshirt-clad frost-dweller. Thankfully, we have German quintet Praise the Plague.” Gate creepers.

Sarin – You Can’t Go Back Review

By Huck N Roll on February 4, 2021 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 16 comments

“For post-metal fans, the big release this week is the Cult of Luna EP. But other bands are working hard in this genre as well, one of which is Canada’s Sarin. Their third album You Can’t Go Back drops this week, and while they don’t have the marquee name to go with the release, that doesn’t mean they should be thrust to the side as we all rush headlong into The Raging River.” Breathe deep.

Neànder – eremit Review

By Doom_et_Al on October 7, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 16 comments

“Any old fool can say, “The sea is beautiful.” Using music to evoke the feelings inspired by that beauty is far, far harder. To some extent, that’s something all instrumental bands have to do: since there are no lyrics to tell you what to feel or think, the music has to inspire emotion and sensation all on its own. Instrumental music is both brave and dangerous In this respect – there is simply nowhere to hide. Berlin’s Neànder aims to achieve this lofty goal by combining the density of doom, the introspective melancholy of post-rock, and the fury of black metal, all with the focus solely on their instruments.” eremit the fog.

HarborLights – Isolation Ritual [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Carcharodon on December 19, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Deathwish, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“Back in August, I stumbled across an absurdity of the other writers loitering near the skull pit, waiting for the cleaners to finish. To pass the time, I suggested my fellows check out the advance tracks for HarborLights’ new record, which I misdescribed as instrumental post-metal.” Skull pit gossip and marina lighting.

Ghosts of Glaciers – The Greatest Burden Review

By GardensTale on September 25, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Translation Loss, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 20 comments

“Flow is one of the hardest elements of songwriting to capture. It’s a combination of the fluid transition between song sections as well as a product of the interplay between rhythm and melody that creates a cascading feeling, and it often hides in the smallest details. I’d also argue it is one of the most important emergent properties of post-rock and post-metal, particularly the instrumental type. The illusion of being dragged along a river is among the genre’s most significant qualities. Ghosts of Glaciers is an instrumental post-metal band, set to release their third record of the decade, and their first since signing to Translation Loss. They are up against some stiff competition this year, including Russian Circles and Cult of Luna. Have they mastered the art of the flow, or is the river all dammed up with nowhere to go?” When the levee breaks.