Descension is the kind of album that reminds me of many, but punches with a weighty impact matched by so few. Highly reminiscent of olde Opeth in terms of structure and scale, Citadel’s songwriting attacks like Carnosus and emotes like An Abstract Illusion. As a result, these seven tracks—the shortest of which clocks in at seven-and-a-half minutes—are packed with vicious riffs, brimming with weepy melodies, and bursting with explosive energy. Thankfully, primary songwriter Ameer Aljallad had the foresight to allow each of his sprawling excursions their soft side as well. Buttery transitions from crushing riff-fests to delicate dalliances afford Descension a tangible dimensional depth and an inviting character.
Easily one of the strongest songs released this year, “Sorrow of the Thousandth Death” explores and expounds upon Citadel’s many virtues. At a mind-boggling nine minutes and change, the ravenous progressive death charge this track propels summons a spine-rending surge of momentum with an uncanny ease. Instantly memorable just for this indelible moment, it continues to impress with a fantastic assortment of riff variations and evolutions that carry the weight of the track’s runtime as I would a feather on my shoulder—almost as if it wasn’t even there. Other highlights like “Crescent Dissentient” and “Downwards Ever” accomplish the same feat, but with their own voice. The former shadows the soundscape with a blackened char and a bellowing cello refrain, mixed with an Aquilus-esque piano étude in its midsection, that exhibits Citadel’s versatility as songwriters and performers. In the latter’s case, boisterous bass plucking, multilayered tremolo sweeps, and a brassy trumpet bring in a swaggering sass to the affair; not strong enough to upend what Descension constructed up to that point but certainly enough to give it a noticeable and delightful twist.
Even without these particularly vivid highlights singled out, Descension is still a significant triumph of mood and movement. Every passing minute immerses me further into the wondrous worlds Citadel conjure along this journey. Each song ties to the last and begets the next, but owes neither its loyalty or dependence. “Under the Primrose,” for example, sets itself apart with eerie cleans against bright, airy melodies, evoking visions not unlike those penned by Lewis Carrol in his writing. Even so, its placement at the center of the runtime serves a critical role not just to its own success as the lightest offering, but also to the success of its neighbors and of the whole. Thunderous closer “As One” does the same for the second half, resolving the proggy lilt of “A Shadow in the Mist” and the tumultuous drama of “Downwards Ever” in a crushing campaign of highly melodic riffs, howling rasps, and pummeling rhythms that only make sense as the final destination for everything that came before.
Rare is the record of this style and structure that captures my undivided attention back to front, but Citadel is an unqualified success on that front. Dramatic, emotive, and energetic, Descension is easily their best work, and will be incredibly difficult to follow up. But it’s far too early to worry about that. For now, sit back and enjoy ov deep Descension!
Tracks to Check Out: “Sorrow of the Thousandth Death,” “Crescent Dissentient,”” “Downwards Ever,” “As One”
