Alcatraz Line up: 2023

In these turbulent times the band name Russian circles may raise some questions but that doesn’t bother this instrumental band from Chicago in the slightest. Growing up in St. Louis, Mike Sullivan and Dave Turncrantz were avid ice hockey players and a ‘Russian circle’ is a term from that popular sport. The trio first came to the fore in 2006 and has meanwhile released eight studio albums of which their latest slab, the fantastic ‘Gnosis’ (2022), is the best one yet. Russian Circles are hard to label but if you like atmospheric post metal/post rock then you should stake your place in the front rows.