Empros

Russian Circles | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sargent House
• ASIN: B005LZW94E
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,557 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Chicago trio Russian Circles return with not only their fourth and heaviest album to date -- but also with Empros they're poised to take the crown as innovators reinvigorating the staid trappings of genre. Empros picks up where the anthemic riffs and melodies of 2009's Geneva left off and injects evermore slithering rhythms amid skull-crushing heft with all the visceral intensity of Godflesh, Swans and Neurosis. Put simply, Empros is Russian Circles' Master of Reality: a radical revision of both heavy and melody that is monolithic in its clarity and perfection.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Russian Circles record October 30, 2011

By Virgil

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

While still keeping true to and incorporating their trademark post-rock sound, this new album infuses a new twist with some post-metal elements as well -- meaning some pretty epic buildups to heavier moments. All in all, this is another solid Russian Circles release. I'm a bit biased though, if you are new to Russian Circles, check out Geneva or Station first (those albums were my first exposure to the band), but I still love this one! Buy it!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Consistent Quality and Growth October 26, 2011

By Lance Goetz

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is at least on par with their prior releases Station and Geneva. I have not listened to their debut enough to compare objectively. While there are some recurring sonic themes from previous works, they do broaden their soundscape enough to keep things interesting. Overall, this feels a little harder than previous offerings but done in the typically creative and interesting Russian Circles way.

If there was one fault I have it's that the dubbed in vocals on the track `Praise Be Man' (at least I *suspect* they were dubbed in) felt jarring and took me out of the Russian Circles mood a bit. I appreciate the guys experimenting and not being too formulaic but I'm not convinced this was the best route to experiment with.

Overall, well worth the cost; I thoroughly enjoy 5 of 6 of the tracks and 1 is leaving me scratching my head a bit but I might yet come around. Looking forward to their show in Portland, OR in November!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album October 26, 2011

By Shared Gum

Format:Audio CD

My pre-order came early, so I have given this album a few spins. And what an album it is! I feel that it would be difficult to describe it song-by-song as in "there is a fast section, and then there is a slow section", but the way these guys accomplish this, shift moods and create and then release tension is awesome. There are vocals on the last track, but in a minimalistic kind of way, and this goes really well with their music. Not only are the songs themselves arranged well, but the way that they are placed on the record works really well and makes me want to go back to listen to the album constantly. Overall, if you are familiar with their earlier albums, I would say that this one is probably heavier than the rest, but still with a heavy emphasis on melodies and moods. Highly recommended!