Russian Circles – Nine
Release Date: 28th August 2026
Label: Sargent House
Russian Circles are set to leave another dent in the metal world with their latest album Nine. Drawing on an array of inspirations which span across midwestern prog rock and motorik rhythm from West Germany, Russian Circles show absolutely no signs of slowing in their creativity and musical precision. Despite being spread out across the US, the band have retained a shared core focus on itself and its members, writing the latest record as a reflection on themselves as individuals and a collective. Working once more with renowned producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, Mastodon), who strikes again with his ability to bring power and thrust to a metal album, cutting through the layers of distortion without losing the album’s edge.
‘Borehole’, with its motorik marching drum rhythm, leering guitar riff and rumbling bass crashes into a gloomy spectrum of doom metal. Its monotonous rhythm contrasts the crashing breakdowns and is immediately replaced by passages of malicious black metal delivered in ‘Empath’. Nine proves to be a demonstration of Russian Circles’ mastery of their craft. Crunching and thunderous fuzzed guitar and bass riffs carries the listener through the anthemic album.
All great instrumental pieces require imagery created by the music. Nine achieves this with aplomb. The album creates a feeling of urgency, like an ensuing battle scene or mad escape in a sci-fi film from evil forces. There’s a sense of impending doom, with room to breathe briefly given by ‘Arletta’. They create a flow to the album that takes the listener on a guided tour to an arena of your choice. Eclectic and at points ethereal with tracks like ‘Eluvial’ and ‘E2’ broadening the horizon of the album, Russian Circles showcase why they have stood the test of time and remain an influential component of the metal scene.
Destructive and well considered breakdowns define this album. This band have produced another captivating listen to add to their ever impressive catalogue, marking their 22 year history with another great record. Finishing strongly with ‘Seventh Seal’, this album goes beyond being defined as instrumental but rather a post-metal experience at its finest. Nine is an album that will entertain listeners for hours, allowing room for personal creativity to add to the experience as anthem after anthem flows into an odyssey by Russian Circles.