GENEVA

After two quite impressive releases that showed clear growth from Russian Circles, the band decided to take a slightly different route with their third album. This decision has been met with mix reactions from both the fans and critics due to the album's lack of any real progression compared to the one acknowledged on Station.

Just like the previous release, Geneva continues the band's stray from the metal oriented approach of Enter, with the clear exception of the album's title track, while moving toward the atmospheric post-rock sound. I never considered this in itself to be the reason behind the album's failing. Instead it's the lack of progression mixed with too many directionless mellow parts that keep Geneva from being another excellent album from Russian Circles.

The album's opening track Fathom clearly sets up the mood while not actually being as effective as Station's Campaign, but that's just nitpicking on my part. The title track reminds me a lot of second album's highlight Youngblood while still making enough impact of it's own. Unfortunately this is pretty much where this album sinks into the realm of mellow and atmospheric music. Meele is chill-out moment but instead of functioning as a temporary breezed, the album continues in this same mellow direction with Hexed All, slightly more energetic and very indie rock sounding Malko and continuing the same low-key style throughout the remaining 18 minutes of the album.

The overall result is really not in any means a bad one but Geneva definitely lacks the energy and ambition of the previous releases. The addition of a few orchestrated sections don't really add the needed momentum to the material and instead only make it sound more like lounge music that loses it's post-rock roots. From what I've heard, this album actually brought in many new fans into the realm of Russian Circles but let's hope that the 2011 release Empros will spark a new flare within the band!

***** star songs: Geneva (5:49)

**** star songs: Fathom (4:55) Melee (7:39) Malko (4:43) Philos (10:26)

*** star songs: Hexed All (4:29) When The Mountain Comes To Muhammad (8:00)