Russian Circles-Guidance
My girlfriend is a punk rocker. We have endless discussions (arguments?) regarding which genre is mightier: Metal or punk rock? Russian Circles is one of the rare bands in which she and I find common ground. She went as far as to say the other day that this release might be her favorite to come out this year. I don’t have it that high on my list, but it is still worthy of inclusion on the best of list.
I dig instrumental bands. I dig that some bands just say, “Fuck it. We don’t need the headache of dealing with a diva with a set of lungs fronting the band.” It just goes against the grain of the traditional format for popular music. To have the chops to compose a song that still has enough heft to connect with the listener on an emotional level without the use of words is an impressive feat. Russian Circles has been nothing but consistent throughout their career and are, by far, one of the best instrumental bands in the metal field. The latest album, Guidance, was released on August 5th. This album is a melodic ride through melancholy terrain. It’s a great album to have while taking a long road trip because it just adds a nice soundtrack to watching the landscape go speeding by.
We were lucky to get to see them perform the new album in full when they stopped by to play at Barracuda earlier this year. These guys are all business. Not only are there no vocals in their songs, but during the show, their is no cutesy in between song banter. They come out. They start playing. They leave the stage.
Attached is a sample song from the album. It should go without saying that if you like an album that I post on here, go out and buy it. Support the artists you enjoy. They aren’t doing this shit for free.
The list so far:
20(a). Metallica-Hardwired…To Self Destruct
20. The Dillinger Escape Plan-Dissociation
19. Russian Circles-Guidance
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 