In chaos, there is rest. Black Citadel is a US based black metal band and I usually spend my time here introducing the information related to the band or perhaps the lack there of. Black Citadel is one of those bands where the music takes up most of the talking points. Ancestral Shadows is the second release this year for the band which is strapped together with a two song EP released earlier this year. We are just going to assume this is the debut demo for a band that has a lot of mystery attached to its name.

There is much noise and chaos which inhabits the world of Black Citadel. Similar to its name, the band/artist strives for a dissonant world of grim contemplation. Sharp jagged guitars stab through veils of noise and horror as songs like the title track flay about like dying beasts. There is ugliness in this music and Black Citadel seems to revel in the spectacle.

I have mentioned many times about the aesthetics of raw black going beyond just a lack of production. Ancestral Shadows is transformed by the obscurity in its sound. The vocals are occulted and the blur of music is decorative. While I do not think Black Citadel will b e winning any prizes for accessibility, its music speaks to a very small population of fans that have traveled beyond the realms of consonance.