CitadelDecompose

Flourishing with modernity and hauntingly gripping arrangements, the debut album Decompose from Brisbane prog metal dynamos Citadel is a polished and riveting ride.

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Emerging earlier this year, Citadel draws together a plethora of local talent into an intriguing new sonic package. Previously showcasing their adoration of ambient melodics fused with sparkling drumwork and sharpened, oscillating heaviness via earlier singles, it’s at the tail end of 2022 that Citadel earnestly reveal their full might to the masses, with nine tracks ready to captivate on their first-ever full length release.

Kicking off with a serene and glossy sheen, Decompose unfurls via its album title track, complete with soft electronic hues, budding textures, and fluctuating djent moments alongside the smooth and powerful stylings of vocalist Russell Miller. Up next, Eons once again builds from crystalline sparsity into heavier fare, boasting some Caligula’s Horse-meets-Periphery-esque sharpness alongside ethereal backdrops. Hurling headfirst into more high octane territory, Carnivore vehemently boasts a formidable showing from Citadel drummer Dane Pulvirenti, with harsher tones dominantly on the menu alongside some futuristic-laden beauty at the song’s midway point.

Via effortless charm and undeniable dexterity, Citadel cement their place in the heavier genres as ones to continue to watch with gusto via their debut album release.

From cascading, syncopated anthems (Oolacile) to soaring, stirring epics (Malignant), melancholic odes (Parasyte, Our Sins), and the entire sonic kitchen sink (Sundered Souls), Decompose deftly flits between hypnotic elegance and stark ferocity seamlessly and in entirely measured fashion. Neither over or under-utilising their heavier strengths, instead Citadel showcase a firm grasp on balancing their sublime light and dizzying shade throughout the album; a fact witnessed in spades on Decompose’s final track Expire that cleaves in just enough guitar wizardry, growling vocals, and heightened arrangements before its tranquil conclusion. 

Via effortless charm and undeniable dexterity, Citadel cement their place in the heavier genres as ones to continue to watch with gusto via their debut album release. But there’s more on offer throughout Decompose than merely gratuitous soundscapes and guttural theatrics, with the album proving to be entirely capable of enticing even the most unlikely of metal listeners, while still ultimately satiating diehard fans of the metal, prog and djenty realms. Catchy yet clever and cohesively crafted, the occasional repetitive nature of the band’s craftsmanship doesn’t detract from repeated visits, and Decompose is a fortified foundation for wherever Citadel turn their heads to next. 

STANDOUT TRACKS: Decompose, Carnivore, Parasyte
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