Draconian is a Swedish Gothic doom metal band formed in Säffle in 1994.
Biography
Early history (1994-2000)
Draconian was formed in 1994 in Säffle, Sweden. In May 1994, drummer and vocalist Johan Ericson, bassist and vocalist Jesper Stolpe and guitarist Andy Hindenäs assembled the band Kerberos, initially playing melodic death metal with black metal influences. Seven months later, lead vocalist and lyrics composer Anders Jacobsson joined the band, and its name changed to Draconian. Their first demo, Shades of a Lost Moon, was recorded in 1995. Guests were flutist and vocalist Jessica Eriksson, keyboardist and vocalist Susanne Arvidsson, and Andreas Haag on the introductory section of “My Nemesis”. It was released in February, 1996, however, no recording contract was obtained. In early 1997, the band proceeded to record their second demo, entitled In Glorious Victory. The band, however, became discontent with the quality of the recording and discontinued the release. In the following months, two members of Draconian had to complete their military service, slowing down the progress of the band. Susanne Arvidsson left the band due to personal reasons and was replaced in 2001 by Lisa Johansson. Both in 1998 and 1999, the band did some gigs. After receiving positive reactions, they decided to enter the studio once more. In August 1999, Draconian recorded The Closed Eyes of Paradise, an album dealing mostly with the theme of Lucifer and his fallen angels. Susanne Arvidsson made guest vocal appearances on this release. Between May and June 2000, Andreas Karlsson, Anders Jacobsson, and Johan Ericson worked on the mix, and the demo was released in the face of further line-up changes – Andy Hindenäs left the band, replaced by Johan Ericson who switched to guitars; drums were then left to Jerry Torstensson.
Record deal and debut album (2002-2003)
The demo Dark Oceans We Cry was recorded in 2002, the first release to feature Lisa Johansson's vocals. The demo was made available on the internet, as well as in CD format. It received good reviews and the band signed a long-awaited record deal with Napalm Records. The band recorded their debut album, Where Lovers Mourn in Studio Mega under the supervision of Chris Silver in July 2003. The album was released October 20th, 2003.
''Arcane Rain Fell'' (2005)
In September 2004, under the direction of Pelle Saether, Draconian entered Studio Underground in Västerås to record their second studio album, Arcane Rain Fell. The album was released January 24th, 2005.
''The Burning Halo'' (2006)
In 2006 they began working on their third release. However, due to myriad fan requests, the band decided to first deliver a bonus album to include remakes of old tracks from The Closed Eyes of Paradise demo. The Burning Halo would also include three new tracks and two covers. Plagued by numerous problems throughout the production phases, the album was delayed and finally completed in June and released September 29th, 2006.
''Turning Season Within'' (2008)
In September 2007, Draconian started to record their fourth album, Turning Season Within, at the Fascination Street Studios in Örebro with producers Jens Bogren and David Castillo. The album was released February 29th, 2008.
''A Rose for the Apocalypse'' (2011)
On June 24, 2011, Draconian released their fifth album A Rose for the Apocalypse. On June 25, 2011, the band released an official music video from the album A Rose for the Apocalypse for the song "The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight."
Lineup changes and ''Sovran'' (2011-2016)
On November 15, 2011, vocalist Lisa Johansson left the band due to personal reasons, mainly spending time home with her family. On September 19, 2012 the band officially announced their new vocalist: Heike Langhans. On October 30, 2015, Sovran, the band's sixth studio album, was released via Napalm Records. It was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, with whom they'd previously worked, at. Sovran is the first album of Draconian with Heike Langhans, who also co-wrote some of the lyrics. On February 10th, the band announced on its Facebook page that bassist Fredrik Johansson was leaving the band to spend more time with his family and due to his inability to tour with the band.
''Under a Godless Veil'' (2020-present)
On April 23rd, 2020, Draconian announced their seventh studio album, Under a Godless Veil, to be released October 30th, 2020. On May 5th, Draconian released a lyric video for their first single called Lustrous Heart on Youtube.
