» Cdreviews  
« back

The Citadel - The Citadel


*
=Staff's pick

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Lost Horizon
Devil In Disguise
Call Of The Gods*
Nightwalker
Stormbringer*


Genre Heavy Metal
Jonas Radehorn
Vocals
Tracks 6
Kenneth Jonsson
Guitar
Runningtime 30 Min.
-
Guitar
Label  
Rickard Persson
Bass
Release Jan. 2004
Patrik Wernecrantz
Drums
Country Sweden
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Bronx Casket Co., Spiritual Beggars

Swedish band The Citadel provided me with a demo and I must say that this sounds good. The band was formed about two years ago with members hailing from the cities of Ånge and Sundsvall located about right in the middle of Sweden.

The Citadel play heavy metal with a speed that is not exactly of the highest pace as it barely moves beyond higher than mid-tempo. The track Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde starts with a Children Of The Grave riff but there ends the likenesses with Black Sabbath even if the riff is the thing that glues this song together. The Citadel continue with what is heavy metal, just as simple as that but that does not really give you any good picture on how it sounds. It is a mix of heavy metal with melodies, a lighter form of doom with serious groove and the attitude of thrash without the speed.

The track Devil In Disguise kind of follows in the doom vein of Candlemass, even the guitar solo seems to be collecting influence from the Swedish doomsters, not as dark or heavy but in a slow pace with both groove and flow and you could also draw similarities toward the band Trouble. Even if it's heavy and occasionally doomy it is easy to take in the music from The Citadel, they never get too dark and gloomy. All of the time it feels like a natural slow and heavy sound and what often tends to feel strained with bands that plays slow music, The Citadel is above that and despite the slow pace it is has a rather refreshing feel to it.

The Citadel strikes me as a very tight band with a rhythm section that gets a groove and float going perfectly as Jonas Radehorn gives it a soft and melodic touch with his clear and very powerful voice. Stormbringer is the track where the pace is picked up and I smell a touch of the eighties with a hint of Judas Priest, or perhaps it is the occasional high pitch vocals that fool me and they had me long before Kenneth Jonsson brings out a kick ass solo in this one.

It feels no matter what I write I can't really do The Citadel justice, since there is more to them than what I have been able to describe here. There are some riffs and harmonies that are absolutely wonderful within their music and I recommend you to check them out yourself. And why they are still on the demo stage I cannot understand. A band as good as this is talent wasted when they can't reach out to bigger audience.

Production
Vocals
Compositions

8

8

8

 
Summary



8 chalices of 10 - Thomas

Related links:

www.thecitadel.se