Daily Band Camp Album – Russian Circles – Empros

What we can learn from this (aside from never to use Google to help write the opening paragraph of a review) is that the band have a wider-ranging gaze than that of many of their Stateside contemporaries. Where other, more lethargic, instrumental acts would be content to lean upon one riff for the duration of a song, Russian Circles have proved themselves to possess a rhythmic intensity which empowers riffs with an ever-evolving nature, resulting in compositions which are as unique as they are powerful.

With Geneva as the summit of the Chicago three-piece’s ascent to post-metal beautification, Empros is given the difficult task of answering the question ‘where do we go from here?’ The answer is to deliver more of the same crushing, and often startling, musicianship but this time with a more streamlined and, dare I say it, refined approach. It’s a consistently gradual progression which defines Empros; contrasts in tone and texture are always smooth and never abrasive, despite their often overtly aggressive nature. Indeed, Russian Circles have become masters of the art of the chameleon-riff, one that shifts to match its surroundings but without ever losing its own sense of individuality and purpose. – Drowned in Sound