Russian Circles w/ KEN Mode, Inter Arma
Gabe’s – Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. ($12 Adv., $14 Day of Show)
If you ask fans of indie rock what they think of when they think of music in Chicago, there is a good chance that the genre post-rock will come to mind — the city has long been a hotspot for this kind of music. While it did not start there, the seminal bands Tortoise, Gastr Del Sol, The Sea and Cake and Don Caballero are based in the Windy City. Russian Circles add to this long history with their own take on post-rock.
Russian Circles’ take on post-rock is more metal-influenced than the jazz-influenced music of their predecessors. Additionally, the trio of Mike Sullivan, Dave Turnkrantz and Brian Cook do not lean heavily on the electronic elements that define many post-rock bands. Using the core rock elements of guitar, bass and drums, Russian Circles make music that has the epic sweep of bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky, while having the pummeling force of bands like Boris, Pelican and Earth.
Russian Circles’ most recent album, Memorial, has been hailed by critics as a masterstroke of the new post-metal genre. A brief album—it runs less than 40 minutes—that is able to balance the heavy and the gentle, Memorial has garnered Russian Circles considerable attention. Added to the power and dynamism of their live shows—the band is well-known for playing remixed versions of their songs during concerts—Russian Circles has established itself as a major player on the metal scene.
