After the successful record Empros the three instrumentalists from Russian Circles return with the equally impressive new album Memorial. To support their new effort they’re currently in Europe for a headlining tour. As a support they brought with them Chelsea Wolfe. This singer-songwriter is also featured on the title track of Russen Circles’ Memorial. We from Metalrage went to Tivoli in Utrecht to see whether this concert could top the 2012 show in that same venue.

Entering the sold out venue Chelsea Wolfe just entered the stage. The singer-songwriter ravished the audience with her specific folk/rock/drone sound. I must say I’m not really familiar with her music, but her voice impressed a lot. Especially when the other band members left the stage to leave her alone with her acoustic guitar she stole some hearts. Maybe a bit too soft for some of the Russian Circles fans, but music wise it was an impressive and flawless performance.
 

Last year’s show of Russian Circles in this venue was one of the best I saw in 2012, so I was really looking forward to their 2013 performance. They opened with the strong Empros opener ‘309’ and continued with a great mixture of old and new material. The focus tonight mostly lay on their latest two albums, but also the older songs weren’t forgotten. Besides their impeccable performance also the atmosphere was great. It all just sounded like the perfect continuous jam that should never end. Unfortunately it did end, but not before an encore featuring Chelsea Wolfe to perform to great ‘Memorial’. This collaboration definitely screams for more in the future!