Russian Circles have announced their ninth studio album, Nine, due out August 28 via Sargent House. Alongside the announcement, the Chicago instrumental metal trio have shared the album’s first single, “Empath,” accompanied by a new music video directed by Madeline Hampton.
The seven-track album follows 2022’s Gnosis and was once again recorded with engineer and producer Kurt Ballou. Basic tracking took place at Electrical Audio in Chicago, with additional work completed at GodCity Studio in Massachusetts.
Although the band’s members now live in different parts of the United States, guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz, and bassist/keyboardist Brian Cook continued their collaborative approach while creating Nine.
“The music we make is a collective process of reconciliation, navigation, and reflection upon aging both as individuals and as a creative entity,” the band said. “Life has created very real distances between us, but the band continues to be at the center, and this creative collaboration is a way of charting the passage of time while also giving us a reason to look to the future.”
According to the band, Nine continues the gradual evolution of their sound while maintaining the blend of post-metal, experimental rock, and heavy atmospheric music that has defined Russian Circles for nearly two decades.
To support the release, Russian Circles will embark on a North American tour this fall with support from Pelican on select September and October dates and Primitive Man on the November run.
Russian Circles Fall 2026 Tour Dates:
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With Pelican:
Sept. 25 — Whitefish Bay, WI — The Argo
Sept. 26 — Chicago, IL — Bohemian National Cemetery
Sept. 28 — Detroit, MI — El Club
Sept. 29 — Toronto, ON — The Opera House
Sept. 30 — Montreal, QC — Club Soda
Oct. 1 — Boston, MA — Royale
Oct. 3 — Queens, NY — Knockdown Center
Oct. 4 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer
Oct. 5 — Baltimore, MD — Soundstage
Oct. 7 — Carrboro, NC — Cat’s Cradle
Oct. 8 — Charleston, SC — The Music Farm
Oct. 9 — Orlando, FL — The Beacham Theater
Oct. 10 — Atlanta, GA — Variety Playhouse
Oct. 12 — Nashville, TN — The Basement East
Oct. 13 — Indianapolis, IN — The Hi-Fi
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With Primitive Man:
Nov. 4 — St. Louis, MO — Delmar Hall
Nov. 6 — Denton, TX — Rubber Gloves
Nov. 7 — Austin, TX — The Far Out Lounge
Nov. 9 — Phoenix, AZ — Walter Studios
Nov. 11 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco
Nov. 12 — San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall
Nov. 14 — Portland, OR — Crystal Ballroom
Nov. 15 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox
Nov. 16 — Boise, ID — Treefort Music Hall
Nov. 17 — Salt Lake City, UT — Metro Music Hall
Nov. 19 — Englewood, CO — The Gothic Theatre
Nov. 20 — Omaha, NE — Slowdown
Nov. 21 — Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater
Nine track listing:
1. Borehole
2. Empath
3. Eluvial
4. E2
5. Meridian
6. Arletta
7. Seventh Seal
Featured photo by Chris Strong
