Last year, Russian Circles unleashed Gnosis, their heaviest album yet. But even by those standards, Audiotree’s Chicago studio had no idea what was in store when the trio dropped by for a three-song live session.

Interspersed with interview segments, the 25-minute video offers a rare intimate look at Mike Sullivan, Brian Cook and Dave Turncrantz’s apocalyptic post-metal onslaughts, delivered across three Gnosis tracks: Betrayal, Conduit and Gnosis itself.

The musicianship is jaw-dropping, but Sullivan’s tone even more so: a spiritually aggressive tone that maintains clarity without ever losing its doom-metal edge.

Full article: www.guitarworld.com

From the moment they stepped out of their multiple Uhauls, fresh off a half-completed US tour, it was clear how seasoned the men in Russian Circles were to the rigorous load-in load-out process. It was still warm in Chicago, despite it being October. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe the fact they weren’t loading into a venue, but the cheerful nature of this band was palpable. It felt odd, in a way, to hear a band that is known for being instrumental, be so vocal. Their guitarist, Mike Sullivan, was quick to share tour stories, talk about gear, and crack jokes that invigorated his band and the room. The humans behind this loud, heavy, powerful music turned out to be (in many ways) total goofballs.

During soundcheck, the amplification literally shook the studio. It’s difficult to translate how loud this band actually is without standing directly in the room. What was most impressive was their precision without the use of a click-track—a common tactic for louder bands—how clear it was that this band were masterful at listening to themselves and each other simultaneously. One breathing unit in harmony with itself.

To be this seasoned, have nearly 20 years in the game, and still be able to push the bar with this repetitive loud rock music is a feat. There’s a lot of derivative that has stemmed from this band’s sound, and a lot of new sounds that have been inspired by it. Russian Circles continues to be the force to be reckoned with in post-metal, and demonstrates exactly what it takes to stay in and be the absolute best band they can be.

Check out Russian Circles on Audiotree From Nothing!

 

 

 

 

RUSSIAN CIRCLES & CULT OF LUNA 

CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2023 

+ Svalbard supporting 

 

March 17 Copenhagen, DK - Store Vega 

March 18 Berlin, DE - Huxleys (SOLD-OUT)

March 19 Wiesbaden, DE - Schlachthof 

March 20 Utrecht, NL - Tivoli Ronda 

March 21 Brussels, BE - AB (SOLD-OUT)

March 22 Paris, FR - Olympia 

March 23 Stuttgart, DE - Wizemann 

March 24 Lausanne, CH - Les Docks 

March 25 Ljubljana, SI - Kino Siska 

March 27 Vienna, AT - Arena 

March 28 Munich, DE - Muffathalle 

March 29 Prague, CZ - Roxy 

March 30 Krakow, PL - Studio

March 31 Warsaw, PL - Progresja 

 

UK SHOWS

w/ WIEGEDOOD:

August 14 London, UK - Heaven

August 15 Newcastle, UK - University

August 16 Manchester, UK - Band On The Wall

August 17 Bristol, UK - Arctangent festival

 

EU FESTIVALS 2023:
August 3 Poolbar festival Feldkirch (AT)

August 5 Krach Am Bach festival - Beelen (DE)
August 9 Brutal Assault - Jaromer (CZ) 

August 13 Alcatraz Festival - Kortrijk (BE)
August 19 Motocultor Festival 2023 - Carhaix-Plouguer (FR)

Tickets: russiancircles.com

 

Helms Alee will be back to Europe in June 2023. Tickets on sale now: www.helmsalee.com

Full list:

June 8 - Mystic festival – Gdansk (PL)

June 9 - Blechschloss – Dresden (DE)

June 10 - Meet Factory – Prague (CZ)

June 11 - PMK – Innsbruck (AT)

June 12 – Ligera – Milan (IT)

June 13 – Sunset Bar Club – Martigny (CH)

June 15 – Supersonic – Paris (FR)

June 16 – Hellfest – Clisson (FR)

June 17 – La Zone – Liege (BE)

June 18 – Patronaat - Haarlem (NL)

This feature appears in CREEM's Spring issue. Subscribe now to reserve your copy.

In a windowless white box, a band that hasn’t played a proper gig in two decades is rehearsing in front of me. Their list of tracks explodes with staples from an era when experimentalism was valued—long before their professed genre trafficked in merch collabs and titles like “vocalist/pro wrestler.”

BOTCH ANNOUNCES MORE US TOUR DATES - 2023 
Tickets on sale FRIDAY, February 17th  
10AM Local time of each city.  
All show links: linktr.ee/botchband

BOTCH LIVE 2023  
BOTCH LIVE 2023 
5 Oct Portland, OR - Revolution Hall 
6 Oct Portland, OR - Revolution Hall     
7 Oct Portland, OR - Revolution Hall       
13 Oct Chicago, IL - Metro
14 Oct Chicago, IL - Metro - SOLD OUT 
19 Oct  Austin, TX - Emo’s
21 Oct  Denver, CO - Summit Musichall 
10 Nov New York, NY - Webster Hall - JUST ADDED 
11 Nov New York, NY - Webster Hall - SOLD OUT
14 Nov Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
15 Nov Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer (very low tix) 
17 Nov Boston, MA - Roadrunner
18 Nov Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom - JUST ADDED 
7 Dec Los Angeles, CA - Fonda

8 Dec Los Angeles, CA - Fonda 
9 Dec Santa Ana, CA - Observatory 
12 Dec San Francisco, CA - The Regency

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    •    DO NOT POST COMMENTS HERE ABOUT TICKETS FOR SALE   
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