Russian Circles is a three piece / band from . Russian Circles play instrumental, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal, to soft delicate passages. They are also known for their energetic live shows, which include tours with , , , , and as well as an appearance at the 2006 . They were also the opening band for while playing in the for their 2007 tour. Their name is taken from a drill exercise used in the game of .

History

Formed in late 2004 by Mike Sullivan and Colin DeKuiper (both formerly of instrumental band Dakota/Dakota), they quickly recruited Dave Turncrantz, formerly of band Riddle of Steel.

In the autumn of 2007, it was announced that the band had parted ways with Colin DeKuiper. As a result, the bass tracks on their second album, titled , were handled by ex-/ bass player . The group's third full-length, , was released on October 20, 2009 and reached #24 on the Heatseekers chart.

When performing , the band is noted for being able to replicate and even expand upon their recorded material through Sullivan and Cook's use of , extensive array of and to build layers of sound. The sound is reminiscent of later Kill Sadie albums.