Citizen X – The End Of Fiction (Geenger Records)

Here’s another release that many punk rockers from a local scene awaited with anticipation. To be honest, I awaited this one with anticipation as well. It’s been a while since Citizen X put out some fresh music. Some would say a very long time, considering the last time they released something was approximately thirteen years ago. After recording their debut material, the band went through some lineup changes that led to indefinite hiatus until a couple of years ago, when the band returned with a fresh lineup. The band immediately started rehearsing, playing gigs, and working on some new songs, with a couple of teasing videos from rehearsing room popping up on social media from time to time. The hard work paid off in The End Of Fiction, which is out today via Geenger Records.

The End Of Fiction contains four compositions that differ in structure, arrangements, and execution. However, these songs coexist in harmony, and you’ll notice that after listening to the entire EP. The excellent production binds these numbers altogether, so each song stands out in its uniqueness but works with the rest of the material as well. I am talking about diversity now because these guys invested an impressive quantity of ideas while writing and composing these songs. Many things are going on in singular composition, but wait until you hear the entire material. The beforementioned number of ideas and their musicianship will blow you away. After all, some members of this band have decades of experience on their backs, so the quality is expected.

However, the music of Citizen X goes way beyond plain melodic punk rock sound. This band flirts with other subgenres of punk music, such as melodic hardcore, hardcore punk, and pop-punk. You’ll even notice how some properties of indie and rock lurking around in the mix, but these are just the vibes popping up at particular segments. It’s more than clear that many artists/bands affected their songwriting and composing, but Citizen X are all about signature moves. The band nurtures tendencies to sound as unique as possible, and they succeeded in their aims. These guys are profoundly inspired by the nineties melodic punk rock music, but the contemporary sound is unquestionably present in the mix, and you’ll also hear so many things in between. It also comes as a bit of refreshment to finally listen to a band that doesn’t sound repetitious, like many contemporary bands tend to do nowadays.

I adore how these guys combined thoughtfully arranged riffs with so many cleverly assembled themes. At some points, some segments sound like the guitars are dueling for dominance, but it’s progressive enough not to spoil the listening experience. Quite the contrary, they somehow get along with all those low-end tones and rhythmic maneuvers. The profoundly dynamic rhythmic section provides more than the necessary support to the remainder of the orchestrations, so everything sounds compact and balanced. The semi-distorted chants deliver meaningful messages with a dosage of abrasiveness that perfectly applies to all the beforementioned instrumentations. You’ll need to hear it to comprehend everything I just said. The End Of Fiction comes with an excellent visual identity, designed by Nikola Pegan, a talented illustrator, tattoo artist, and graphic designer. You can listen to The End Of The Fiction via all streaming services.