Comprised of former members of Osaka Punch, Wildheart and Bayharbour, Brisbane progressive-metal quartet Citadel introduced themselves earlier this year with 'Sundered Souls'.
They've followed up with another epic-sounding belter featuring a hectic barrage of pulsating post-metal, hard rock tones on 'Parasyte'.The four players of Citadel – Nat Patterson (guitarist), Russell Miller (vocals), Liam Kelly (guitarist) and Dane Pulvirenti (drums) – became close after touring, performing and recording while in their other band projects.
'Parasyte' was written by Patterson in the wake of the termination of his engagement that coincided with the death of a close family member.
"'Parasyte' was written at a very dark time in my life," Nat says. "It's 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 fiancee 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."
The band worked recorded 'Parasyte' with Gareth Hargreaves (Polaris, Young Lions, The Brave), who also handled the track's mixing and mastering.
"Working alongside Gareth was fantastic, particularly on 'Parasyte' where there is such a heavy emphasis on the piano parts," adds Liam.
"Having someone with the knowledge and skills to turn our rudimentary ideas into something massive – the layered vocals in the chorus being a perfect example – was excellent and we are stoked with the end product."
After a debut live show sharing the stage with RedHook and The Dead Love, Citadel tread the boards once again on Thursday (The Zoo in Brisbane) followed by another home-town performance supporting Voyager next month (The Triffid 21 August).
Here, Nat shares some of his favourite movie soundtracks of all time; popcorn not include sadly!
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Howard Shore is one of the most underrated film composers out there, and this film trilogy really has some iconic moments. The whimsical and fun melodies of The Shire, and the looming doom and gloom vibes of Morder and Isengard contrast really well against each other.It shares a lot of similarities to the video game soundtracks I love, like 'Final Fantasy' and 'Nier', so naturally it earns a place in the top 5.
Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049
You really can't go past '80s sci-fi for thick, buzzsaw-style synth soundtracks. 'Blade Runner''s score really sets the scene of a neo-noir future, and the follow up with 'Blade Runner 2049' builds upon this vibe perfectly.Both scores are drenched in neon synth and blocky electro-bass sounds that really vibe with me.
The Matrix
Most people would remember 'The Matrix' for featuring some iconic '90s nu-metal bangers in its licensed music catalogue ('Dragula' by Rob Zombie is a vibe).But the film also boasts some really top-notch original compositions. Tense and frantic string sections, and percussive elements that border on industrial metal blend really well with the orchestral brass section blasts.
I dare you to try and not get pumped up by the intro score that plays over the Warner Bros logo.
Interstellar
Thanks to TikTok, some of the 'Interstellar' tracks are really getting run into the ground ('Cornfield Chase' has 149 million streams. . . bruh).That aside, Hans Zimmer put together some really emotive and beautiful soundscapes in this score that takes his mastercraft-level orchestration and transports the listener into a science-fiction wonderland.
The use of synth layering and looping really drive the whole soundtrack home and make it one of the most beautiful and inspiring film scores I can think of.
The Social Network
Trent Reznor is a god. There, I said it. His move from the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails to one of the most innovative and creative film composers out there is truly incredible.His work is acclaimed across multiple films, but 'The Social Network' really is a standout. He shows so much restraint and balance in his compositions that really allow the emotion to sing through the melodies.
'Hands Cover Bruises' has one of the most defined and memorable melodies, and there are barely more than a handful of notes used. I find myself returning to this movie fairly often just to experience the marriage of sound and vision this film provides.
