Though relatively new to the heavy metal fold, they are a force to be reckoned with. Coming from Australia, this is a band that have only had two albums and a demo but have been around since the early 2000s. Falling under the category of either technical death metal or, to a much larger extend, progressive death metal and can combine elements, much like Steven Wilson, from pretty much anywhere. Trust me, you're going to love it.
Citadel is their sophomore album and is at a length of about 50 minutes. Containing supposedly six tracks, though it's really three, expect alot of epicness in this very album. The name Tim Charles is also vitally important if you must talk about this album as he is a multi-instrumentalist being able to play the piano/keyboard, violin and also does the clean vocals from this album. I find influences from early Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Emperor, and maybe some Dan Swanö works as well, all of which make this album just that much more diverse and interesting. The tracks are long, diverse and very interesting to say the least. One three track song, The Temptist of Our Stars, can take up almost half the album and despite its length, goes by very quickly. Though through this one song, expect to see many interesting things and emotions that leave you jaw-dropped. The next track, Pyyrich, is only ten minutes and the only one that isn't multiple parts as well making it's own stand-alone story in the process. Including some deviations from the last track and building soon it as much as it can in ten minutes or so. The last two tracks make another multi-part song that is close to around 15-17 in length. This is a bit more heavy and brutal when compared to the others but it contains as much as the others as well. The last track includes nothing but a melodic bass, piano, and a soft violin solo. Yep, I said it. There are violin solos in this album and they can send some almost Avant Garde diversity into the mix. Even if it ever plays, Timmy makes sure to send some sort emotion right to you whether it be scared, sadness, anger, or even positive emotions. Timmy can do so much with this instrument that it can boggle the minds of many including me who actually plays such a delicate instrument myself. With fluttering spicattos at the highest notes on violin to some almost fiddle or folky styled writing. I'm honestly suprised to say it adds to the massiveness of the music its self and tone of said music unlike anything you and I might've never experienced before. The bassline is also fast and sometimes hard to follow but very, very talented indeed. With what seems to be a cross between Iron Maiden and Animals As Leaders in terms of his style of play. Trust me, if you can combine those two styles and make it awesome you're a genius.
I think that's enough sugarcoating for now, right? You should know exactly what I'll give it. A 10/10. Pure brilliance and they seem to always to try something completely new and succeed. Bravo to them, and bravo to Australia for having some awesome underground metal. I can see these guys rising up to the metal gods of this generation now just you wait. I am the Grim Reaper, signing off.