Merging metalcore and progressive genres, Citadel deliver a heavy and haunting number complete with aggressive breakdowns and infectious melodies.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Russell Miller - Vocals

Nat Patterson - Guitar

Liam Kelly - Guitar

Lewis Blakey - Bass

Dane Pulvirenti - Drums

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Citadel? How long has the band been around?

Nat: Citadel was formed in 2020, after a few of us left a previous project. That project itself was a bit of a mismatched group of guys who had all been around the Brisbane music scene for a few years. Before launching Citadel we had a few minor lineup changes, but the current lineup consists of members from Brisbane bands Osaka Punch, Wildheart, Bayharbour, What We’re Worth, and Grizzlyshark. 

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Nat: Honestly, the name Citadel was a reference to the video game series Mass Effect, which a few of us are big fans of. It's like this big intergalactic hub where all the different species come together, and in a way that is what the band’s inception sort of felt like; coming together from different bands and projects to start something new. 

It really was an off-hand suggestion that ended up sticking, as we were not confident at agreeing on a name for awhile there.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Nat: I write the bones of all the songs, and generally have a fully fleshed out demo before showing the rest of the band what I’m working on. From there we collaborate and edit, getting the songs to a place we’re all stoked on. 

On our debut album Decompose the music was heavily inspired by personal losses, mental health, and feeling lost. Once adding lyrics to the music, it culminated with the record ultimately being about death; the death of relationships, situations, and loved ones.

With the vision we have for the band and the direction we are taking the music, I do think the themes will evolve and change over time.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Liam: At the moment it would be Dayseeker, Bad Omens, Spiritbox and Sleep Token. I also take influence from Periphery and ERRA which can be pretty apparent in some of the leads I add.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Nat: The biggest one is definitely Sleep Token. As soon as I heard them it kind of opened my eyes to what I’d been trying to do in previous bands I was in; take crazy heavy and thick riffs, but make them pretty and sad. That set the scene for the first batch of demos I worked on, and I leant on my history of being in metalcore bands to try and bring a bit more aggression and overall heaviness to the project. 

Other artists we were initially inspired by were Spiritbox, The Naked and Famous, Dayseeker, and Loathe.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

Liam: I like to scream into the void and pray that I remember how to play the songs I probably haven’t practiced enough. Usually we’re too busy stressing that something might go wrong to have any set routine, but we definitely make sure to have a drink or two to calm the nerves.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Liam: Our single “Malignant” was a finalist for a Queensland Music Award, which felt like a pretty massive achievement for a band that hasn’t been around very long.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Liam: We might sound a bit repetitive, but Sleep Token, Dayseeker and Spiritbox would be pretty high on the list. They’ve been integral to our development as a band, and they’re all amazing live so getting the opportunity to play with them would be amazing.