Post-metal Chicago band Russian Circles returned to Atlanta four years later to tour this year’s album *NINE*, playing at the Variety Playhouse in the Little 5 Points district on October 10, 2026. The perfectly fitting Pelican was the opener on this leg of the tour.
They kicked the show off with the last song off of *NINE*, “The Seventh Seal.” The drum-forward opening kicks off with a groove and reminds you that this band needs no introduction. Not that they would introduce themselves anyway, as there are no vocals, and they’re known for playing heavy, then leaving you high and dry, without even a goodbye.
The chuggy riffs, cosmic noises, dim lights and stoner rock elements take you on a sonic mind-body journey where you lose track of time. The crowd’s vibe was peaceful, immersive, musician-driven, and very polite. No circle pits, just a blissful wave of peacefulness.
The set returned to previous albums including *Gnosis*, *Station*, *Geneva* and *Memorial*, going back as far as 2008, playing fan favorites like “Harper Lewis” and “Youngblood.” Although it was hard to pick, every song seemed to be a crowd favorite. Mike Sullivan brought on nostalgia with instrumental math rock elements that begin with the tapping and end in a heavy fog of melancholy.
The crowd’s vibe was peaceful, immersive, musician-driven, and very polite.
Sullivan’s guitar tapping technique and his pedal looping mastery, Dave Turncrantz’s clean, in-the-pocket driving beats, and Brian Cook’s thick, distorted riffs created a suffocating wall of sound with melodic black metal tremolo picking and insane sound ambiance that takes you up high and eventually eases you back into the calm.
“Empath” is one of the more metal-forward songs, also from the new album. It starts off with blaring sirens from a ship, and it feels like you’re in danger and near the ocean. The rhythmic bass chugging and fast guitar picking with a distant drum stomp have elements of Carcass, Triptykon and Mastodon all back to back. The heavy grinding increases and continues as a menacing melody plays in the background. The tortuous riff cuts off suddenly, and you are free.
To close the set, “Gnosis” soothes the soul with progressive instrumental elements that echo Tool’s ambient songs. The beauty of the vocal-free, visual-free environment is that you can choose how to interpret what you hear. At the end of the set, the band got up and left as usual, no encore, no bowing, just a memory of a cathartic time for all.
Pelican also hails from Chicago and brings the instrumental, post-metal, sludge and hardcore sound.
Before getting far into the set, guitarist Trevor Shelley de Brauw explained that the Atlanta community means a lot to them and apologized for having Atlanta wait 13 years to see them again, citing a possibility that didn’t work out last year.
They have been touring since 2025 with the *Flickering Resonance* album, and a third of the Atlanta set was off this new album. They opened with “Gulch,” which is also the first track on the album, with a bright guitar droniness resembling “Rocket” by Smashing Pumpkins, also from Chicago. “Cascading Crescent” was the second song in the set and had very punchy drums and Black Sabbath-inspired riffs.
When Pelican played their top two songs, “The Creeper” and “Ephemeral” off the 2009 *Ephemeral* album, the crowd cheered each time. Those songs define the sound of Pelican, distorted stoner riffs with a distinctive Southern blues groove. They are a perfect fit for this Russian Circles tour, and on top of that, their set lighting was top-notch with circular patterns, star lighting, and just a beautiful ambiance.
Russian Circles Photo Gallery
Pelican Photo Gallery
Setlist
- Arletta
- Seventh Seal
- E2
- Conduit
- Deficit
- Harper Lewis
- Geneva
- Eluvial
- Youngblood
- Empath
- Gnosis
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Live photography by Olga Herndon for Atlanta Music Press. © 2026 Atlanta Music Press. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.
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For more coverage from this venue, check out our Variety Playhouse concert reviews page.
