Russian Circles/ Minus the Bear

Chicago's Russian Circles may look like three unassuming indie rockers from the Midwest, but appearances can be deceiving. One spin of their debut disc, Enter, shows that they are, in fact, giants. Rising out of the ashes of celebrated math rockers Dakota/Dakota — and featuring ex-Riddle of Steel drummer Dave Turncrantz — the six-song, 44-minute debut is one of the most sonically expansive albums in recent memory: There are beautiful subdued parts, slow crescendos, the deceiving lull before the storm — and, of course, crushingly heavy riffs that will leave you begging for mercy. However, what separates Russian Circles from other instrumental monoliths such as Isis and Pelican is the group's indie-rock pedigree, making this week's pairing with Minus the Bear a match made in math-rock heaven.