ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Year – Russian Circles

After more than six albums of highly acclaimed work behind them, RUSSIAN CIRCLES return from their relentless touring schedule with Blood Year. Promising, as ever, more crushing atmospherics and weighty musings, there seems to be more than meets the eye to this release. Having changed the set up of their recording in order to capture the momentum of their live shows, what is the end result on the band’s dynamics with this fresh approach?

Hunter Moon reverberates through with a calm demeanour and a cool delay. It’s soft, warm and inviting a couple of minutes into the headspace of RUSSIAN CIRCLES, allowing you to acclimatise yourself back into the company of old friends. It’s a soft introduction to what promises to be a steep drop into the heavy, as Arluck barks a wonderfully full drum beat, almost startlingly different in pace to Hunter Moon, before a pretty tasting bassline croons on over the rhythm. The layering of guitars adds a prefect texture to the smooth melody. There’s some beautiful harmonising through the loop and the rise and fall of textures, from the drop off of guitars to the rebuild into a more complex motion, with more power from the bass and more varied emphasis from the drums is superb.

If you were at ease with what Arluck brought to the table, Milano is the next level. Much darker and instantly weightier, it brings a sense of imposing dread in its fluid, impactful melodies with its towering, meaty basslines and aggressive but sustained drums, all pushing that sense of refrain behind the need to move harder and faster. When things finally erupt, there’s a moment of complete bliss to be swept up by the inferno of sound that collapses over you. It’s overpowering, intimidating and utterly knowing, a masterclass in atmosphere.

Kohokia has the clipped, snappy drum beat and waving melody that continues to put you in a mood of deep menace and contemplation. The bassline in particular holds an important focus on this track, shifting from the natural heart of the piece to the psychedelic mood-swinger that once more forces the direction of the tune to lull this way and that. The journey into the churning body of Kohokia ramps things up into a deliciously expansive rhythm, as guitars soar and breathe a constant fresh feel over the mid-tempo beating, it’s an utterly mesmerising shift in tone continuously. Kohokia reprises its motifs to complete its expedition with a complete sense of satisfaction, proving, if it wasn’t already whole-heartedly apparent, that RUSSIAN CIRCLES are undeniably one of the best progressive bands around.

As the first section of the album comes to a close, Ghost on High is another beautiful dip into RUSSIAN CIRCLES‘ softer side. Still filled with weighted emotion, it’s tranquil atmosphere is hypnotic as the layering of guitars sinks you further into the blissful depths of its mood.

The trance like state slowly bleeds into Sinaia’s introduction, with delay and reverberation mounting into a backdrop of more ominous ambience, ready for the bass to take the helm. The whole track suddenly grabs you by the ears and switches the angle of its timbre to murky and threatening. Nothing is rushed, the formation of so much mass and scale takes time, and the inflection of these lighter and darker moments allow for each part to take centre fold with that much more impact. As the second half of the track gears itself up for the final onslaught, the utter dirt of the groove and might of the wall of sound that meets you both rewards and punishes. The meat of a stomping, brutal riff is almost overwhelming, and it takes no prisoners. Sinaia is the kind of music that knows how good it is, but isn’t remotely interested in your feelings towards it; RUSSIAN CIRCLES are here to do things on their own terms.

The finale comes in the form of Quartered, a droning, metallic screaming over a focused beat, a world away from the dainty introduction of Hunter Moon. As ever, filled with atmospheric guitars that echo through whatever space is left after the thundering drums. The chug of both guitars’ ranges from fixated jabbing to a droning sludge, another level of drive and ambition behind it. There’s no release from the bending wail of the guitars cutting through you, to release you back into the jaws of the beast as the grumbling gravel of the track stamps to a conclusion, revering in its behemoth state.

It’s clear that the focus has changed in the time between Guidance and Blood Year, RUSSIAN CIRCLES have taken their sound and evolving it with the new techniques and thematic responses, to bring a fresh take on their specific brand of instrumental music. Expect blisteringly heavy riffs and walls of captivating sound, yet the unusually calm moments convey a sense of texture and dimension; truly, there are things you might not expect on this record. ultimately, RUSSIAN CIRCLES still have plenty to say, and with their unparalleled talent for creating mighty, impactful sounds, Blood Year sees them rise to the challenge of generating yet another uproar of delight and awe at their work.

Rating: 9/10

Blood Year is set for release on August 2nd via Sargent House.

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