/ /    B L E E D i N G                       /     __\ _             \ \

:     Artist  :: SIG:AR:TYR                                          :
:     Album   :: Citadel of Stars                                    :
:     Year    :: 2024                                                :

:     Genre   :: Metal                       Source  :: WEB/MP3      :
:     Label   :: Hammerheart Records         R.date  :: 2024-05-30   :
:     Size    :: 144.12MB                    S.date  :: 2024-05-31   :

:     Bitrate :: CBR 320kbps                                         :
:     Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Full Stereo                                :
:     URL     :: http://deezer.com/album/561669942                   :

:     1.  Awaiting the Last Dawn                              10:22  :
:     2.  Beyond the Stars Unknown                             5:41  :
:     3.  The Blood that Came Before You                       5:44  :
:     4.  Citadel of Stars                                     3:49  :
:     5.  Ascending the Stellar Throne                         5:26  :
:     6.  I Sail on, Eternal                                   6:11  :
:     7.  Who Will Guide Me Now                                5:46  :
:     8.  From the Land of the North                           6:19  :
:     9.  Where the Sun Never Sets                            10:41  :

:                                                             59:59  :

:     This is the fifth album from Canadian black metal band         :
:     SIG:AR:TYR.                                                    :

:     The promo blurb tells us that Citadel of Stars is for fans of  :
:     Bathory, Primordial, Falkenbach, Emperor, and Agalloch. This   :
:     sets the scene nicely for what SIG:AR:TYR have to offer, and   :
:     should also hopefully speak to how accomplished this album is  :
:     too.                                                           :

:     Containing 60 minutes of music, Citadel of Stars is an         :
:     experience to be savoured as an absorbing whole. Even if       :
:     running times are equal, some albums just sound bigger than    :
:     others, and Citadel of stars is one such release. Vast,        :
:     expansive, and immersive, it’s a record that draws you in and  :
:     creates such immense blackened soundscapes that you just       :
:     won’t want to leave SIG:AR:TYR’s evocative world until you     :
:     absolutely have to.                                            :

:     Stylistically you can identify a number of subgenres on        :
:     Citadel of Stars – atmospheric black metal, folk black metal,  :
:     epic pagan metal, blackened heavy metal, etc. The key thing,   :
:     whatever you term it as, is that Citadel of Stars is quality   :
:     through and through.                                           :

:     Citadel of Stars is an album of atmosphere, first and          :
:     foremost. It’s a collection of songs to become lost in, to     :
:     immerse yourself in the hypnotic blackened ethereal waves      :
:     that carry you through the cosmos, visiting the sort of dark   :
:     sights you rarely get to see. This is not an album of instant  :
:     gratification, but one that you have to fell deeply into over  :
:     time. Once you give yourself over to its captivating charms    :
:     it’s hard to pull away.                                        :

:     As well as the bands mentioned at the start of this review, I  :
:     have to say that if you like acts such as Summoning, Midnight  :
:     Odyssey, Moonsorrow, Wolves in the Throne Room, and            :
:     Winterfylleth, I imagine you’ll find much to enjoy here too.   :