Russian Circles made Empros to test extremes against each other. The record swings from quiet, slow passages to full-on force in seconds, and it mostly earns that ambition. The goal is extremes set against each other, and the record delivers on that idea again and again, switching modes without warning.
Track by Track
309 (8:49) opens the record with a slow, steady build that sets the terms for everything else. It is patient without being dull, and it earns its length.
Mlàdek (7:39) is the standout of the early stretch. It moves from calm to full force with real force behind it, and Pitchfork singled it out as one of the record’s best moments.
Schiphol (6:15) follows with a passage of soft, drifting sound that turns into something darker. The snowdrift strings that blow across the end of the track and into the next one are some of the record’s most striking sounds.
Atackla (7:27) carries the momentum from Schiphol into something heavier, and it is another track Pitchfork flagged as essential. It shows the record at its most punishing.
Batu (10:06) is the longest track here, and it earns its length through patches of static and full force that open the song. Pitchfork pointed to the patch cord static and drums that start the track as highlights.
Praise Be Man (4:26) closes the record on a tighter, more controlled note. It is the shortest track here and a sharp contrast to what came before it.
What Works
The record’s strength is its willingness to switch modes without warning. “Mlàdek,” “Schiphol,” “Atackla,” “Batu,” and “Praise Be Man” all show the band at their best, moving between soft passages and full force with real skill. That patience pays off across the record, from the opening build of 309 through the punishing stretch of Atackla and Batu.
Where It Falls Short
Not every track hits the same heights. The middle portion of the record does not have the same standout moments as the singles, though nothing drags either.
Final Word
Empros is a grand, ambitious record that mostly delivers on its promises. It takes risks and lands most of them.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| 309 | 8:49 |
| Mlàdek | 7:39 |
| Schiphol | 6:15 |
| Atackla | 7:27 |
| Batu | 10:06 |
| Praise Be Man | 4:26 |
| Reviewer | Quote |
|---|---|
| Pitchfork | “swings from the exceedingly beautiful to the punishingly physical in seconds flat” |
| Pitchfork | “a rousing, almost Broken Social Scene-style guitar chug careening headlong into a patch of black metal-inspired ballast” |
| Pitchfork | “the snowdrift strings that blow across the end of ‘Schiphol’ and into ‘Atackla’, the patch cord static and drums that open ‘Batu,’ the aforementioned ‘Mlàdek’ assault” |
The record’s highs are high enough to carry the whole project, even where the middle stretches don’t quite match them. Empros is a strong, often thrilling record from Russian Circles, and it stands among their best work.
- 3098:49
- Mlàdek7:39
- Schiphol6:15
- Atackla7:27
- Batu10:06
- Praise Be Man4:26
