Nine [Digipak], Russian Circles, CD

On their new album Nine, Russian Circles hone their unique trajectory of crafting seismic long-form, album-oriented soundtracks to tragedy and redemption. While the trio insist that their music is a confluence of broad-ranging influences, it's fair to say that Russian Circles' adventurous diversity has developed into a distinct and singular sound. For Nine, Russian Circles adhered to the strategy established on Blood Year (2019) and Gnosis (2022) by teaming up with engineer Kurt Ballou (Converge, Mastodon, High on Fire), conducting basic tracking at Electrical Audio in Chicago. The result is an album that continues their unhurried evolution and disciplined refinement, leaning into their collective strengths while pushing at the boundaries of their sound. Whereas earlier albums were almost playful in their traversing of territories, Nine is a document of a band that knows the lay of the land and is fortifying their dominion over the varied terrain.