THE CITADEL - A Passage Through Eternity (MCD 5tr)

Semi-proggish Swedish band The Citadel now follow up their debut The Brothers Of Grief with a five track MCD. The debut was a pleasant treat, but this little follow-up actually fits my musical taste buds even better. Opener A Voice Beyond gives me pretty strong Evergrey vibrations, but with a more uplifting melodic chorus than what the Gothenburg quintet offers. A really nice one, dark and heavy but with a slight streak of hope in the chorus. The mix is really fat and heavy adding the right elements to the overall audio experience. Next up is Demon’s Eye (nope, not a Deep Purple cover), which actually sounds even more like Evergrey, with singer Jonas Radehorn taking on a very suitable Tom Englund touch in phrasing and vocal tone. A killer track indeed! In Heaven you however hear more of Radehorn’s own voicing. This song also showcases a slightly more symphonic but yet melodic side, but still maintaining a heavy staccato base. Nice chorus that really sticks. When The Storm Begins is another killer, crushingly heavy thing with an oriental touch in some of the vocal phrases. Also hear you’ll find a more symphonic touch shining through in the chorus. I really dig the long lost classic “fire”-falsetto, which I had expected from bands like Enforcer or Steelwing. The MCS closes with the track 7, which follows nicely in the same tradition as the previous tracks, also here with a pretty dark and melancholic aura hovering over the audio delivery. I guess that is one of the things that makes me think of Evergrey. Five tracks is quite a good move, considering the heaviness and musical richness, yet it leaves me wanting more. A really great and interesting release.

Janne Stark

Label: GMR

Country: Sweden

Year: 2011