Citadel: Ne Obliviscaris

Australian prog metal finds a new and unique voice

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The Australian metal scene

The much-abused term ‘prog metal’ indubitably applies here, but this intrepid metallic voyage bears little resemblance to Dream Theater or Opeth. Instead, this is an authentic exercise in shoulder-barging boundaries. It begins with eeriness, suspense and art rock violins before veering off into a wild but elaborate storm of black metal skree, turning on a sixpence for a brief moment of melodic respite and then zooming off into the blastbeatosphere, replete with grandiose vocal refrains worthy of Borknagar. And that’s just the first eight minutes. A surfeit of ideas can often lead to a mess, but Ne Obliviscaris have crafted all their wild conceits into sprawling epics that flow with grace and fortitude. Citadel is a blind plunge well worth taking.

Via Season Of Mist

Dom Lawson
Writer

Dom Lawson has been writing for Metal Hammer and Prog for over 14 years and is extremely fond of heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee and snooker. He also contributes to The Guardian, Classic Rock, Bravewords and Blabbermouth and has previously written for Kerrang! magazine in the mid-2000s.