In 2015, Citizen took a sharp left turn. After winning hearts with their emo-laced debut Youth, the Ohio band returned with Everybody Is Going to Heaven, an album that swapped soaring melodies for gritty textures, unsettling themes, and a fearless sense of experimentation. It was moody, it was heavy, and it most definitely wasn’t what anyone expected. But a decade later, it’s clear: that gamble paid off.
To mark ten years since its release, Citizen are celebrating with a deluxe anniversary edition of Everybody Is Going to Heaven, dropping June 27th via Run For Cover Records. More than just a reissue, it’s a full-on tribute to the album that made them impossible to pin down—and impossible to ignore.
This new edition is stacked with treats for longtime fans and curious newcomers alike. The highlight? A previously unreleased rarity called “Nail In Your Hand,” which has finally surfaced on streaming platforms. It’s raw, it’s brooding, and it fits right in with the era’s twisted emotional palette. There’s also a brand new version of “Heaviside” reimagined by shoegaze upstart Wisp, plus never-before-heard demos from the original sessions.
From the start, Everybody Is Going to Heaven was a curveball. It blended Citizen’s post-hardcore roots with sludgy grunge riffs, eerie ambiance, and lyrical themes that cut deeper than ever before—exploring mortality, depression, and self-identity without flinching. It wasn’t made to be a fan favorite. It was made to be honest.
“Everybody Is Going to Heaven was an interesting time in our lives,” says guitarist Nick Hamm. “Youth had caught on in a way that we didn’t expect nor were we prepared for… Looking back, I don’t think anything, even Youth, has bought us the longevity that Everybody Is Going to Heaven has.”
He’s not wrong. That album turned Citizen from promising newcomers into sonic shapeshifters—willing to alienate, evolve, and startle. Ten years later, that same energy is alive and well. Whether you’re revisiting it or hearing it for the first time, this reissue reminds us why Everybody Is Going to Heaven became a defining moment—not just for Citizen, but for alternative music as a whole.
And if you’re lucky enough to be in Detroit later this year, the band’s putting on a one-night-only performance of the album in full. Spooky, cathartic, unforgettable—just like the record itself.
Pre-order Everybody Is Going To Heaven 10 Year Anniversary Edition HERE.
