Chicago upstarts raise the bar for instru-metal

Russian Circles - Station
Posted by Laila Hanson on 07-Jul-08 @ 02:56 PM

[4/5]
Russian Circles could have made things a lot easier on themselves. They could have followed in the footsteps of 2006's Enter and made a predictable instru-metal album that would cause fans of bands like Pelican and Isis to instantly cream their jeans. Instead, with Station the Chicago act have crafted an extremely diverse album that tempers headbang-worthy rock riffs with shimmering guitar lines, setting Russian Circles apart from their peers. This type of innovation is best evident in the seven-minute "Harper Lewis," which seamlessly shifts from a percussive, delay-driven noise romp into a detuned chugga-chugga interlude and, finally, a post-rock power jam-and that's only the first half of the song. However, despite the presence of Explosions In The Sky-esque, movie soundtrack-ready "Verses," Russian Circles certainly haven't lost their edge. In fact, a galloping guitar riff during "Youngblood" sounds that much heavier precisely because you're not expecting it, a trait that neatly summarizes the true genius of Station. (SUICIDE SQUEEZE) Jonah Bayer


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