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Russian Circles
Posted by Rob Ortenzi on 07-Jul-08 @ 11:34 AM
HQ: Chicago, ILNOW PLAYING: Station (SUICIDE SQUEEZE; suicidesqueeze.net) WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Russian Circles are providing the soundtrack to that inspirational sports movie in your head. You know, the one that stars members of Slayer? YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: Tool / Sigur Rós / Explosions In The Sky STORY: Sam Sutherland PHOTO: Evan Hunt "When we're at a gas stop in the middle of nowhere and someone asks what kind of band we are, I just say 'rock band' because when you say 'instrumental rock band,' they wonder what the fuck is wrong with you," says Russian Circles drummer Dave Turncrantz, laughing. About a year ago, though, things were a little less jovial for Turncrantz & Co.; when you're a three-piece with no vocalist, having a bassist with writer's block can be a serious liability. "After a year of writing, we only had one song and all these parts that someone couldn't contribute to," Turncrantz explains. "Having fun writing music was gone." Looking to follow the success of Enter, the band's full-length debut, Turncrantz had reached a stalemate with guitarist Mike Sullivan and bassist Colin DeKuiper. The result was DeKuiper's departure. When the founding member and one-third of the band's epic instrumental assault decided to move on, parting ways wasn't easy. "It sucked, but it was best for all of us," says Turncrantz, looking back. "It happened for a reason." That reason is Station, the band's enormously powerful second full-length, and a vital statement of musical individuality in an overly crowded scene. While 2006's Enter was a well-received mixture of gorgeously grandiose instrumental passages and astonishingly heavy breakdowns, it suffered somewhat from the band's tendency to write short, unconnected parts. Station, however, is the near-perfect answer to Enter's shortcomings; the heavy parts are heavier, and the pretty parts are drop-dead gorgeous. "I think we're maturing," insists Turncrantz. "We don't need to do part-to-part-to-part really quickly. [Instead], we can lay back and write something that's catchy." Atypical hooks abound on Station, from the gradual, swelling subtlety of "Xavii" to the outright brutality of "Youngblood." Throughout it all, Russian Circles pack a powerful emotional punch, aided by the presence of new bassist Brian Cook (Botch, These Arms Are Snakes), who played a crucial role in crafting the equally sweet and bombastic atmosphere of songs like "Harper Lewis." "We actually intended to make Station the heaviest record we possibly could. But anytime we tried to write a heavy song, we would write the exact opposite--every time," remembers Turncrantz. "It's like, 'Let's write a shredder!'. Of course then we'd write the prettiest thing we could possibly think of. I guess we can do anything next time around. Our third record could be heavy, pretty, slow or depressing. We can do whatever we want to do now." |
