Russian Circles

High On Fire, Russian Circles at London Camden Underworld, Thu 06 Sep

Review by Raziq Rauf

High On Fire? We leave the Underworld high on bloody everything. This is what heavy music was made for...»

Camden Underworld

Beneath the Worlds End Pub, right opposite Camden Town tube.

Home of such Drowned in Sound shows as Span + Winnebago Deal + Colour of Fire (March 3rd 2003) Biffy Clyro + Redjetson (March 2003), Kinesis + Reuben + Miss Black America (February 2003) and many more.»

Russian Circles

InstruMETAL two-piece.

Russian Circles are:
Mike Sullivan (guitar)
Colin DeKupier (bass, left 2007)
Dave Turncrantz (drums, ex-Riddle Of Steel).

WEBSITE
MySpace

Some official blurb:

The band only formed in late 2004, after the break-up of Dakota/Dakota, the math-rock band in which guitarist Mike Sullivan and bassist Colin DeKuiper played. When drummer Dave Turncrantz moved to Chicago after he quit his old band, Riddle Of Steel, Russian Circles cohered into something formidable. When the band started playing out, word of mouth spread quickly and continues to do so. Russian Circles habitually steal the show from headliners, even though they don't play the most accessible music. First, they're instrumental, which for many people is an instant strike against them. Second, they play an intense amalgam of punk, metal, indie rock and even prog -- not exactly the kind of stuff aired on your local alt-rock station, or college station for that matter. But people who don't even like instrumental bands still rush Russian Circles' merch table after their sets, buying an average of 40 demos per show.

Watch 'Death Rides A Horse':

High On Fire

"The apocalypse's doomy, amp-destroying fifth horseman... galloping mammoth metal" ­
SPIN

High On Fire (Matt Pike: Guitar, Vocals, Des Kensel: Drums, Joe Preston: Bass) are a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume. Equal parts molten metal and earthquake panic, their Motorhead-meets-Slayer roar is outrageously loud and absolutely punishing.»