Russian Circles are a perfect example of a Rock band who can harness transformational energy from an eternal source. There is no end. The beginning may as well be a Big Bang.
The over-arching term is Post Rock, but it fails to convey any depth or useful meaning to what these bands are about.
Playing Rock music in unconventional ways to accustomed classic riffs and rhythms. Emphasis on cinematic tones and soothing melodic overlays. The heavy stuff is also there in spades.
Russian Circles was formed in Chicago by Mike Sullivan guitar and Dave Turncrantz drums. A founding bass player did not last long, and Brian Cook takes that seat.
Their name comes from an exercise drill that ice-hockey players perform in training. Both guitarist and drummer are players.
Russian may not be a misdirection. It may imply the great Soviet-era film makers like Eisenstein and Tarkovsky. Also, the Japanese Kurosawa. All can harness the weather for their cinematic purposes in a seemingly magical fashion.
The movies Koyaanisqatsi (world out of balance in Hopi Indian) and Powaqqatsi are designed as magical movies in their structure. Both have soundtracks supplied by one of the famous American minimalists Philip Glass.
Composers like Glass, with Steve Reich and Brian Eno create ambient music which is cinematic in scope.
The idea is the maximalisation of minimalism.
Does Free Jazz get a look in here? Maybe if you regard John Coltrane and his experiments in spiritual energy like his masterwork A Love Supreme. Translated to Rock (or Folk Rock, at least) by the Byrd’s and Eight Miles High.
A good short cut is the magnificent Zen Arcade (1984) album from Husker Du. A lot of drone mantra guitar noise breaking free of any boundaries and culminating in spiritual orgasmic peaks like Hare Krsna.
That is what their music reminds me of when they commence.
The drum metronome set to medium pace. It has a marching rhythm. The guitar squalls kick in like the meshed waves of Husker Du. Kept earthbound by the heavy roller bass.
This could be Station and the next one is probably Harper Lewis.
Drums start with a military tattoo, and it sounds like Celtic Folk in origin, as it takes its own time to build slowly. The artillery finally unleashes, and we hear melodic modified Rock guitar sounds. Most reminiscent of Goblin and the music they supplied to Dario Argento movies like Phenomenon and the original Suspiria (1977).
Next song starts with the tinkles of wind chimes. The guitar is massive but structured. Incendiary and disciplined.
The pressure wave guitar can shatter into shards. Or Hackney Diamonds, and it can cut like glass.
I’m sure I hear Gnosis, title track from their last released album. The drums have merged with the high-toned guitar. There are shifts in tempo and dynamics. They close out with a heavy lumbering guitar rolling over everyone.
Myriad Drone are opening tonight. A Post Rock four-piece band based in Melbourne. I’m liking that descriptor less and less.
But there are two ex-pat New Zealanders here. Shane Shamus Maximus Mulholland, founder and principal writer, kicked it off in 2016. With Mikey Harland on guitar.
I think the female drummer is Hayley, and Simon, bass, from Tokyo completes them.
First three songs are lush and cinematic. Tempos are generally slow. The guitars well up and spark like a Tesla coil generator overflowing.
It can get dreamy, especially with the voices which are at a very high pitch. Probably treated to get that ghostly sound.
After the triple salvo, they launch a maelstrom in Wax Chattels style. A drone melody gives way to a guitar storm and an endlessly tumbling down riffs.
A song off their debut album, Arka Morgana (2019) is a high point. Starts with a sparkling melodic drone which echoes the Stone Roses I Wanna Be Adored. They push it towards the lush guitar sound of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir.
Forlorn Hope is their current single, and is symphonic in style.
Interesting audience tonight. A few of the guys with long hair do the Metal whiplash head twirl. Some Metal fans, but there is a far bigger female presence than usual for those shows.
The guitar plays Eastern melodic licks, and you get visions of Surf music and Hendrix’s homage to Dick Dale (You’ll never hear Surf music again) from his Third Stone from the Sun.
Russian Circles are worthy of musical obsessives. You know who you are.
Rev. Orange Peel
Photography by Leonie Moreland
Russian Circles
Myriad Drone
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