Citizen
Everybody Is Going To Heaven

"Everybody Is Going To Heaven" is an album by the American group Citizen, composed of Matt Kerekes (vocals), brothers Nick and Eric Hamm (guitar and bass, respectively), Ryland Oehlers (guitar), and Jake Dunhaime (drums). The release date is marked 2015, via Run For Cover Records.

All five members of the group met in 2009, at a Midwest high school and formed a band that would be considered, just a few years later, one of the most promising in the alternative underground scene. The five guys started playing an easycore/pop-punk that, over time, quickly evolved into a more mature and elaborate sound, influenced by Brand New and the contemporary emo revival scene. Today, their sound blends emo revival elements typical of bands like Title Fight and Turnover with post-hardcore, post-grunge, and indie-rock elements; all obviously enhanced by a unique and entirely personal appeal.

Nonetheless, three years after their meeting, they signed with Run For Cover, a leading label in emo revival, and released an EP ("Young States") and a split with the aforementioned Turnover. At the beginning of 2013, they entered the studio again, where they worked with producer Will Yip on their first full-length, "Youth", which featured the previously mentioned characteristics embellished with pop-punk elements not yet entirely abandoned.

After several tours around the USA and Europe and the release of the "Silo" single in 7", they arrived in 2015 with the release of their second full-length "Everybody Is Going To Heaven", again produced by Will Yip. The album was announced around May with the release of the first track from the album ("Cement") and a release date set for June 23rd. Initial reactions were tinged with skepticism due to the marked stylistic difference present between this track and those of the previous album. In hindsight, the release of "Cement" was a very bold choice, considering they could have released one of the tracks closer to the style of "Youth," like the excellent "Numb Yourself."

However, just weeks after the album's release, it can definitely be stated that "Everybody Is Going To Heaven" has deservedly received excellent feedback from both the public and critics, thanks to its dark yet very warm soundscapes, as if within the darkness we glimpse a ray of light, as suggested, among other things, by the image on the cover.

Observing all the tracks on the album, the incredible atmospheres of stunning songs such as "Heavyside," "Weave Me (Into Yr Sin)," "Yellow Love," and "Ring Of Chain" stand out, along with the post-hardcore-rooted outbursts of "My Favourite Color," "Stain," and "Ten," the alternation between acidic atmospheres and sweet yet simultaneously painful choruses of "Cement" and "Dive Into My Sun," and finally the aforementioned "Numb Yourself," dedicated to the nostalgics of "Youth." Despite these small differences, all the tracks are deeply connected, united by that element that ties them together and makes each of them an integral part of this work.

In conclusion, we can affirm that these five guys from Ohio have successfully inherited the imposing legacy left by Brand New, creating an album worthy of remaining in the history of this scene. A majestic work, complete and without any flaw. And this last aspect should not be overlooked, considering that while the group is still in their youth, they exhibit a compositional maturity almost unheard of among bands in the field. A maturity that, moreover, culminates in the perfect achievement of combining elements not so close to each other, which is definitely no small feat.

In short, an album that for fans of the genre, cannot and should not go unnoticed.