Russian Circle’s third release, Geneva, starts out as such a damned promising record, coming out of the chute with three of their thickest, heaviest, and most memorable tunes yet. But through poor pacing and scatter shot stylistic changes the album ultimately feels like a disappointment and a missed opportunity. Past albums have worked by gradually ratcheting down the pace such as Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, but Geneva’s diminishing returns don’t pack much of a dramatic punch.

Is it kosher to admit that one, as a reviewer, is rooting for a band? Well, whether it is or isn’t, the fact is that I want nothing more than for Russian Circles to succeed. As the perceived underdog to Pelican in Chicago’s post-metal instrumental scene, a league of 2, this desire for Russian Circles to succeed stems from A) a need for as many good post-metal instrumental bands as possible, and B) a soft spot for the underdogs.

Of course the definition of success in this case is completely subjective. I want them to be what I want them to be meaning bombastic and heavy. Others, including the band themselves, may not see things the same way. Fair enough. But on Geneva, Russian Circles come tantalizingly close to delivering the sound I hear in my head, yet too often, seem to get in their own way. Ultimately, it still feels as if they aren’t quite sure where they want to go or how to get there. That’s not to say they sure as hell didn’t try.

Opening track “Fathom” rides in on a wave of feedback and three simple, down tuned notes. It’s merely the prelude to “Geneva,” easily the finest Russian Circles tune yet. Drummer Dave Turncrantz and bassist Brian Cook play the crap out of their instruments while Mike Sullivan twists and contorts all kinds of menacing sounds from his guitar. It’s five minutes and 30 seconds of straight intensity and a rhythm sections wet dream as Cook’s bass completely takes over in the middle and Turncrantz ends things with a huge, rollicking out-tro. “Geneva” is the epitome of what Russian Circles can be: larger than life, heavy, and totally memorable. And the musicianship simply outclasses anything Pelican has done.

“Melee” then slows things down yet loses none of the momentum. Once again, the band work their instruments for all they are worth. Tensions build naturally to the staple of post-rock, the wall of sound crescendo. But they earn it by weaving their way there organically. Often times (and more on this later) bands employ these tricks out of a sort of laziness or obligation. But when done right, as in “Melee,” it still feels surprising and epic.

So, at this point Russian Circles seem well on their way to fulfilling their promise. “Hexed In,” heavy on strings, then feels like the perfect mood shifter after the assault of the first three songs. One can’t begrudge a little indulgence on the prettier side, and that’s all it would have been if the album would have come back from it. Unfortunately, in context with the rest of the album, “Hexed In” feels less like a breather and begins to represent the end of the album’s continuity and muscle.

“Malko” starts with a guitar line that’s essentially a more interesting version of the opening riff from AC/DC’s Thunderstruck (White Sox fans know what I’m talking about). But despite its driving beat, the song feels much slighter and poppier than the songs preceding it. When it devolves into a noisy, aimless middle, its previous lack of darkness makes it feel unearned. Whereas two songs earlier, what might have come across as a completely natural post-rock convention , on “Malko” it just feels conventional. It’s not the fault of Turncrantz, who has the ability to make lesser material feel bigger than it is. Unfortunately, he can’t quite save “Malko,” and the album ultimately chooses to end without utilizing Turncrantz or Cook enough.

Individually, the last two songs are not throw a ways in the least. “When the Mountain Comes To Muhammad” employs and tweaks the slow/fast template well. It is actually quite beautiful with trumpet and trombone fleshing out the band’s sound nicely. Closer “Philos” would make Mogwai proud. But the problem is that after such a strong start, Russian Circles choose too many routes to follow. It’s hard to find fault in any particular song, but it’s another case of the parts not equalling a perfect whole.

It’s hard to say Geneva is a bad album. It’s not. Not one song is a failure unto itself, but an album like this needs to be more than just a collection of songs. It needs a common thread or theme and the lack of that is Geneva’s biggest flaw. A lot of albums are a journey, complete with peaks and valleys. A well constructed one will bring the listener back to the start. Geneva rushes you out the door and takes you to some amazing sites early, but ultimately leaves you wandering a bit aimlessly.
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Catch Russian Circles Saturday, December 12, at the Lincoln Hall. Tickets are available on Lincolnhallchicago.com right now for only $12!
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