Album Review : Russian Circles - Gnosis (2022)
Post-rock and post-metal have gone a long way with since the days of Sigur Ròs and semi-mainstream appreciation. They were always two sides of the same coin, but it's not rare for the two styles to coexist within the same record these days. Sometimes even within the same song. Anything goes for as long as it eschews the rules of their respective genres. Oddly named American post-metal band Russian Circles explore both ends of this sonic spectrum on their latest record Gnosis.
In a way, Gnosis is the post-metal record I always wanted to hear. Grounded, cinematic and power chord heavy. It bears very little resemblance with anything else of its genre. The opener Tupilak conjures right away images of longing and transcendence with its dreamy cello (maybe it's a synth, not sure?) and constant acceleration. Drummer Dave Turncrantz commands this song with great authority. Tupilak feels like climbing a never-ending staircase all the way to outer space.
It’s exhilarating.
The follow up Conduit is more of a conventional rock song for lack of a better term, but explore nonetheless so many moods and textures within the often restrictive power chord spectrum that it develops a vivid and fascinating identity. The title track is another cinematic masterpiece on this record, which reminded me of King Buffalo on their most tormented and inspired day. It’s the first song that dares exploring higher, more brittle sounds. It’s an atmospheric breather from the first two songs.
It's more on the what-you-would-expect side of post-rock and post-metal, but it occupies a strategic role of the record: preparing you for the crushing Vlastimil. Man, that song leans heavy on the downtuned bass of Brian Cook, which drags the song into the fucking earth like a zombie's hand shooting out of a grave. It’s a nasty, mean number that pulls you back on solid ground. It’s one of these songs that highlights the egalitarian songwriting philosophy of Russian Circles. Everybody shines.
The second half of Gnosis is a little more within the conventional scope of post-metal. The tranquil and subdued Ò Braonàin floats by like an interlude like the title song does and - while beautiful - is somewhat of a one trick pony. It doesn't really have a paradigm of its own. No reason to lead you back to it. Ò Braonàin works in duet with the following song Betrayal. It's another powerful, power-chord heavy song, but that fails to explore the textures ands nuances that Tupilak or Conduit did.
The closer Bloom is a seven minutes-long sendoff that is perhaps the most conventional post-metal song on the record. It has post-rock and shoegaze elements to it also. It’s both a logical song to have there and somewhat of a disappointment, like a happy ending to an existential novel that didn't really need a definite ending at all. I would say it's the only song on Gnosis I would qualify of being straight up disappointing. It's not bad, but you end up with an average song after starting so strong.
Gnosis is very much the tale of two halves, but it packs enough of a cinematic punch to leave a mark on anybody. It's powerful worship music for metal bros. Russian Circles can make you dream of another life with a song like Ò Braonàin and bring you back to who you are with Conduit or Vlastimil. Gnosis is a self-generating scaffolding of riffs and rhythms that attempts to transcend reality itself. It has insanely high ambitions. It just falls a little bit short of them.
*
Nonetheless, I really liked Gnosis. It has some of the most inspired and cinematic songwriting I’ve heard from 2022. The loud-quiet-loud dynamic is a little ill-fitting on the record, especially that it comes up after two ABSOLUTELY JACKED openers. It’s so different and refreshing, though. Post-metal is too often spiritually miserable experience (my apologies to Neurosis, but it’s true) and it felt great to explore different possibilities the genre can offer.
