Russian Circles
“Eluvial”
Release Date: July 22, 2026
Nine (Sargent House)
Release Date: August 28, 2026
by Scott Deckman
Metal noisegaze without vocals. Russian Circles are termed post-rock. Hearing drummer Dave Turncrantz speak, his voice alone in the old days might ruin any metal cred, but in the current zeitgeist it fits right in with “heavy” music practitioners who are the opposite of old Sabbath or Metallica listeners. I know Russian Circles have a following and I recognize the name, barely. Why must we all be snarky fucks these days? I ponder this query often, and well, shut your mouth. If you know, you know. Unlike previous Nine single, “Empath,” “Eluvial” toils in ethereally foreboding guitars and noise and takes a while to punish, but it does get there (at five minutes and 13 seconds to be exact. That’s not a typo, the damn song is almost eight and a half minutes long). Skill is displayed throughout, and when things get loud, there are black metal leanings and a thickness that can be suffocating, depending on the mood. It’s Wagnerian. Maybe serial killer music, if Dr. Lecter liked exalting metal.
