Instrumental prog-metalers Russian Circles are back with a new album titled Empros.

The record is set to drop on Tuesday, October 25, via Sargent House records. Russian Circles kept Empros‘ recording a hometown affair as it was tracked at Chicago’s Phantom Manor studio with producer Brandon Curtis (The Secret Machines & Interpol), who also was producer of their last LP, 2009′s Geneva.

Speaking of Geneva, while we thought it lacked some punch, an Empros press release states that the record is Russian Circles’, “heaviest album to date,” and is, “poised to take the crown as innovators reinvigorating the staid trappings of genre.” So, yeah, go ahead and color us excited.

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According to Guitar World, Chicago instrumental post-metalers Russian Circles recently hit the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2009′s unfocused Geneva.

Guitarist Mike Sullivan told Guitar World that the band plans to release the new, and currently untitled new record, in October on Sargent House.

Regarding surprises on the upcoming release, Sullivan said:

“I don’t want to get too into it, but there are definitely things that are new to us, that we didn’t really put thought into but just started happening in the writing process.”

“We were more adventurous with our tones,” he added. “It’s a broader spectrum of tones.”

Beginning later this month, Russian Circles have a quite a few European dates this summer both solo and in support of Boris, but the article doesn’t state whether the band will be taking a break from the studio to tour or will record on the road.

Additionally, if you’re new to Russian Circles or just want to check out their previous releases, you can now download all three of their albums – Station, Enter and Geneva – for free at Russiancircles.tumblr.com.

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.

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Chicago’s progressive instrumental group Russian Circles are set to release their new album, Geneva, on October 20. But for you impatient folk, we got your hook up.

Suicide Squeeze Records is streaming Geneva in it’s entirety on their Web site, suicidesqueeze.net, right now. First listen impressions: Geneva is heavy, dark and blistering. Basically everything you’d hope for in a Russian Circles album.