Dense, moody, epic instrumental rock that strikes a masterful balance between stark beauty and gripping heaviness. Russian Circles take a number of melodic departures here that keep the record enchanting and not weighed down by post-rock cliches. The album cover shows a photo of a man being led to his execution—something that the band received out of context and resonated with as they strove to create art marching towards fate with a similar honor and nobility. Play any/all. RIYL Mogwai, Godspeed You, Deafheaven

1. (4:00) ** Asa—Melancholy, atmospheric solo guitar from some lonesome plain. Soft arpeggiated guitar in the background.
2. (5:29) *** Vorel—Intense. Heavy drums and guitars, total instrumental metallic savagery.
3. (6:33) **** Mota—Mid-tempo. Wide-eyed and hopeful with a really entrancing sense of forward motion. Watery arpeggiated lead guitar, doomier and more driving instrumentation in the second half.
4. (6:31) ** Afrika—Mercurial. Starts of as this incredibly grand, outsized post-rock anthem shaped by all the emotions cresting and canvassing human existence. Second half gets more metal yet still retains an understated glimmer.
5. (5:32) ** Overboard—Somber, gleaming, with a standard post-rock build.
6. (6:23) * Calla—Sludgy, doomy, metallic. Briefly changes halfway in to something lighter and more melodic before returning to the original form.
7. (6:32) **** Lisboa—Skyward, throbbing, resolute, all-encompassing array of guitar textures and emotional longings. “Seismic Americana noir”