Brisbane prog-metalcore outfit Citadel are back with their immersive new single Nightmare Frontier. Merging metalcore and progressive genres, Citadel deliver a heavy and haunting number complete with aggressive breakdowns and infectious melodies.
Kicking off with syncopated grooves and cascading synths, Nightmare Frontier pendulums between ambient passages, savage riffs and a harrowing crescendo reminiscent of heavyweights like Make Them Suffer and Ice Nine Kills.
Exploring self-doubt and the deep-rooted fear of being misunderstood, vocalist Russell Miller grapples with the stigma associated with mental health and neurodiversity. “Over the last 2 years I’ve spent a lot of time learning about ADHD as I’ve become more and more aware that I have very similar symptoms,” tells Miller.
“Learning about why I’ve struggled with some things and why my brain might function in certain ways has been enlightening, but also really frustrating. Occasionally it makes my anxieties worse because being aware doesn’t make me overcome it.”
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Gareth Hargreaves (Polaris, Young Lions, The Brave), Nightmare Frontier showcases a band that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of heavy music through their meritorious songwriting skills and overarching heavy, technical and metalcore influences.
Though relatively new to the scene, Citadel pull years of combined experience from members previous placement in Osaka Punch, Wildheart and Bayharbour. Since the release of their debut single Sundered Souls, the group have developed a strong following which has seen them perform alongside Voyager, Redhook, The Dead Love, Reliqa and become finalists in the Brisbane legs of 2022’s Good Things Festival heat.
Their debut album ‘Decompose’ amassed worldwide coverage with features on triple j, Maniacs, Wall of Sound, The AU Review, Music Feeds, AAA Backstage, saw an add to Spotify’s Homegrown + Heavy editorial playlist and more. Citadel also became finalists in the Queensland Music Awards for their single Malignant taken from the aforementioned debut ‘Decompose’.
Nightmare Frontier sees Citadel step in a new direction, marking the start of a fresh new era. The new single is a testament to the quintet’s versatile craftsmanship and their affinity for high quality audio visual production.
