I am pretty sure it won’t be long until I get a promo from some publicist who is delivering an all-AI metal band. Those are out there, I’m sure, but that dreck hasn’t washed up on my shore yet, and I hope it never will. But we are in a period of devaluing art and creators, and the idea of machine-made music is abhorrent to me.

Long-running instrumental powerhouse Russian Circles say a lot of what inspired their new album “Nine,” obviously their ninth, is the idea of human beings creating something that comes from their heart and minds. From the Tony Tasset sculpture that adorns the cover to the seven tracks that electrify your brains, the band—guitarist Mike Sullivan, bassist/keyboard player Brian Cook, drummer Dave Turncrantz—ensures what you experience is genuine through and through, and you can just feel it. There also is the band’s stellar catalog—it has no weak spots—so know you’re in for an actual experience.

“Borehole” stings, the drums hammer your temples, and the guitars catch fire, the start/stop tempo jerking your stomach content back and forth. The leads snake and then trace a pathway, and everything rips open, electrifying the senses, chugging harder as the soundscape crests. “Empath” zaps as the bass pounces, guitars thrash and pummel, and the pace feels like it’s actively hunting you. The attack energizes and spews heat, the intensity mashes digits, and the guitars fry, pushing until the pressure bursts. “Eluvial” feels pastoral when it dawns, synth bubbling as guitars gather under the clouds, the pace plotting its course toward your veins. The playing circles the sky as cleaner tones haunt, guitars sail before bringing emotional tumult, engulfing your heart and adding force. Leads bask in gray overtones, the energy peaks, and the valve releases.

“E2” bathes in synth pulses, riffs gush, and the momentum kicks in, slide guitars bringing a weepy darkness to the scene. The pace drives harder as the guitars glaze, muscular pounding causes deep bruising, and the leads tingle before exiting into the clouds. “Meridian” makes your extremities feel numb, melodies bring the hammer, and the guitars rain more gently, all the light points gathering at the center. The playing mashes as the guitars soar into the darkness, the fog thickens, and drums encircle, blasting home.  “Arletta” is more of an interlude, quiet guitars exposing some tenderness, emotions slowly rising before resting on the shore. Closer “Seventh Seal” has drums rumbling and the band thrashing, riffs toughening and scraping, working toward combustion. The tension sizzles as mammoth tempos rupture, the burliness increasing and chewing on muscle, acting as a crashing force that brings a hammering end.

Russian Circles always find ways to adapt and survive, keeping their core musical ethos in tact but always pushing on their boundaries with each record. “Nine” hardly is a massive change of pace, but it has enough frigid rawness and ferocity to keep your mind engaged and your heart racing along with everything. This is music that is thoroughly human through and through, and considering where we appear to be heading, we need even more of this type of thing to get us through.  

For more on the band, go here: https://russiancircles.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/russian-circles

For more on the label, go here: https://sargenthouse.com/