Australian heavy music continues to rise to new heights, and 2022 has been no exception, particularly via the introduction of the Brisbane "supergroup" Citadel who stormed onto the scene earlier this year with their debut single Sundered Souls, and debut live shows alongside RedHook and The Dead Love to introduce them to audiences in searing fashion.
Comprising ex and current members of various Brisbane heavy luminaries, including Osaka Punch, Wildheart and Bayharbour, Citadel deal in immersive arrangements, djenty flavours, post-metal and hard rock influences alongside ambient intimacy; a fact seen most prolifically on their latest track Parasyte, which officially drops tomorrow.
Opening with haunting keys and crystalline vocals, Parasyte swells into a driving anthem, complete with cascading drums, soaring riffage and emphatic vocals. Recorded with Gareth Hargreaves (Polaris, Young Lions, The Brave), who also took on mixing and mastering duties for the track, Parasyte is an emotive journey that barrels you between sadness, frustration and everything in between, packed full of show-stopping moments that echo long after the track's final ethereal moments.
Of the track, guitarist Nat Patterson shares: “Parasyte was written at a very dark time in my life, following the end of an engagement and the death of a close family member as well, and is one of the only songs we have where I also wrote the lyrics. Parasyte tackles the complex and harrowing feelings I felt directly after my fiance and I broke it off. I had moved back to my parent’s house to kind of “start over”, and was enduring feelings ranging from deep sadness to burning frustration and anger at how things had turned out". As to the single's impact both internally and beyond, drummer Dane Pulvirenti elaborates: "Parasyte immediately jumped out to me as the most vulnerable and honest songs the band has put together. It boasts the most mature composition, and immediately commands an intimate connection between the listener and the band.”
Accompanying the moving new single is an equally gripping music video, filmed in a traditional stained-glass church. Channeling Patterson's own harrowing experiences he faced during the writing of Parasyte, Citadel worked alongside Nick Hargans (Dregg, Stepson, Columbus) to conjure a clip that both embodied Patterson's nightmares and notions of death, separation and grief throughout. Beginning with vocalist Russell Miller serenading an empty church behind a solitary piano, the clip ebbs and flows with the overarching song, bringing Patterson's intimate happenings vividly to life and featuring the full band together to coincide with the addition of heavier instrumentation.
“The music video for Parasyte depicts a nightmare scenario of a wedding," Patterson explains. "I had similar dreams and nightmares around the time the song was written, so being able to bring that into a visual medium has been very cathartic for me". And the catharsis for Patterson also meant both the band and their collaborators equally pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones, resulting in a collective journey of growth, as Miller concludes: “We came to Nick with a fully collaborated idea for the video which in all honesty was probably outside of his comfort zone, but he really took it onboard and turned it into something he enjoyed creating. This style of video was new for everyone involved and was a great learning experience. We’re really looking forward to seeing how it communicates to fans.”
Check out the new music video for Parasyte below before it officially releases tomorrow, Thursday 30 June.
CITADEL'S BRAND NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO PARASYTE IS OUT RIGHT NOW, WITH THE BAND ALSO SET TO SHARE STAGES WITH VOYAGER, SEMANTICS AND MORE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
CITADEL ‘PARASYTE’ RELEASE SHOWS
Sat July 2nd Greaser Bar Brisbane
With Semantics, Bad Neighbour, Drastic Park & more
Tickets Thurs July 14th The Zoo Brisbane
With Glass Tides, Shangrila & Grizzlyshark
Sun Aug 21st The Triffid Brisbane
With Voyager, Acolyte, The Stranger & more
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BY TIANA SPETER