Draconian's 'In Somnolent Ruin' - Album Review

My last handful of album reviews have covered quite a lot of ground within the metal genre. We covered primal melodic death metal with At the Gates, a modern taken on traditional heavy metal with Elegant Weapons, and scrappy proto-black/speed metal with Venom. Those who say that all metal sounds the same clearly are just not paying attention, then, and we are going to stick with metal today - and, true to form, this band take their metal in a different direction again. Today's subject, then, are the Swedish gothic, death/doom legends Draconian - a band that has been playing their majestic and sweeping brand of doom since the early 1990s. Whilst they did not release their first album until 2003, a number of well-respected demos by early line-ups of the band dropped in the 1990s - meaning that Draconian were really at the coalface when the death/doom genre was largely being pioneered in the UK by bands like Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema. Unlike those bands that largely focused on the doom, alongside a strong gothic atmosphere, Draconian are much more death-coded. Those UK bands all have releases that have plenty of death metal in them - but Draconian feel like much more of a genuine extreme metal band, albeit one that mixes in plenty of melody, atmosphere, and majesty into their oppressive, heavy, and melancholic sound. Led from the off by harsh vocalist and lyricist Anders Jacobsson and drummer-turned-lead guitarist Johan Ericson, Draconian have had a pretty consistent sound from the off - and were one of the bands in the gothic and death/doom spheres that pioneered the 'beauty and the beast' sound that was often popular during the 2000s - with harsh male vocals and clean ethereal female vocals mixing together to form a pleasing contrast and to ensure some light and shade. This trend is perhaps less popular than it once was, but Draconian have essentially stuck to this approach since launching properly in the 2000s - and they remain one of the best and most recognised exponents of such a sound. Despite this praise, though, this is my first time covering Draconian. I have been aware of the band for years, having picked up 2006's The Burning Halo over 15 years ago. It did not do much for me at the time, though, and it is easy to see why in hindsight. Given that the album was a mix of new songs, re-recorded songs from the band's demos, and covers, it was never going to be a good entry point - and I essentially did not listen to the band again until I picked up 2005's Arcane Rain Fell a few years ago. I enjoyed that album more, but it did not prompt me to go out and get the rest - although I have remained somewhat interested in the band since. A new album, then, seemed like a reason to give the band yet another go - so I pre-ordered eighth album In Somnolent Ruin when it was announced earlier this year after enjoying one of the pre-release singles. In Somnolent Ruin is the band's first album for six years, following 2020's Under a Godless Veil, and it marks quite a change line-up wise. In one sense, it is a reunion album - as it is the first since 2011's A Rose for the Apocalypse to feature co-lead vocalist Lisa Johansson, who returned to the band in 2022 following a decade away. It is also the first album since long-time rhythm guitarist Daniel Arvidsson switched to playing bass in 2022; as well as the first album to feature both his replacement on guitar Niklas Nord (Gallows End; DeathTrap) and drummer Daniel Johansson (Wormwood; Aspernamentum), who came on board in 2022 and 2025 respectively. As such, this is the band's first album without long-time drummer Jerry Torstensson.

Despite all the changes, though, and as far as I am aware given my relative lack of knowledge, Draconian's core sound is very much intact here. Jacobsson and Ericson have always been the band's driving forces - and having Lisa back on board following two albums with Heike Langhans, and a passing-of-the-torch show which featured both ladies, gives In Somnolent Ruin homecoming vibes. As if to reinforce this homecoming, the opening track I Welcome Thy Arrow starts slowly - putting Lisa front and centre straight away. The tolling of a bell and swirling, cold synths set a spooky tone as the album creeps into view, but soon Lisa starts to sing in a gentle and ethereal manner - with occasional clean guitar melodies behind her. This first vocal section is brief and scene-setting, though, as as soon as she sings the song title the rest of the band crash in - and the first slow-moving riff kicks in, over which Ericson lays down a mournful guitar lead. There is a lot of melody throughout this album despite its heaviness - and this song is a really good mix of all of the band's sounds. After this initial riff, Jacobsson is introduced for the first time, his deep and heavy growls powerful against the heavy backing. His harsh vocals are pure death metal in tone, but the slow-moving riffing and the groovier approach to drumming removes the typical death metal attack from the band's sound. The fact that clean guitar-led sections are regularly included, too, ensures that the song has a real mix of light and shade - with Jacobsson dominating during the heavier section before Lisa returns to add her magical vocals over mournful clean guitars, keyboards, and percussive drumming. I really like how the song constantly moves back and forth between these two vibes, and further melody is latter added by Ericson via a soaring and heartfelt guitar solo. This solo marks something of a turning point, too, as what follows is a bit different with a hypnotic riff coming in and the two vocalists trading vocal lines as the song moves towards an atmospheric conclusion. The Monochrome Blade dispenses with the quiet opening of the previous number, kicking off instead with another slow-moving, yet melodic, guitar riff - which morphs into a typical metal chug when Jacobsson starts to growl. He dominates the early parts of the song, with an extended first verse seeing plenty of harsh vocals - against both the chugging background and then a repurpose version of the opening riff. Later verses are shorter, and largely focused around the opening riff, whilst Lisa takes over for a much more melancholic chorus - with delicate and low-volume clean vocals sitting against chiming guitar melodies. Later chorus renditions are more expansive, though, with Lisa pushing herself a bit more vocally, going for a more siren-like approach, whilst Jacobsson adds subtle backing growls to give them a real boost. Lisa generally sounds more full-bodied throughout this song, aside from during the initial parts of the chorus. She can rock out as well as be delicate - and a later section which features her vocals here is heavier, to allow for a more powerful delivery. Anima completes a trio of really strong opening cuts, and goes for a bit of a different vibe with regular collaborator Daniel Änghede (Astroqueen; Hearts of Black Science; Crippled Black Phoenix; Ison) adding clean vocals to the song. Änghede has sung for the band before, as well as played bass, both live and in the studio when they were without a permanent bass player, so is long a part of the Draconian family - and his slightly monotone, atmospheric clean vocals mesh really well with Lisa's early on. Jacobsson is featured much less here, although he does join in later on, but generally this song is a duet between Änghede and Lisa - with chiming clean guitars and monolithic riffs forming a dense soundscape for the two voices. The song is perhaps less heavy than is often the case for Draconian, but there is still plenty of weight here - as well as some excellent lead guitars from Ericson. Sound-wise, the song reminds me a little of late 1990s/early 2000s Anathema - but after Ericson's shredded solo and some double bass drums kick in some true death metal takes over and Jacobsson pushes the clean vocal dominance aside.

The Face of God gets back to something much more typical of Draconian's core sound, with a hooky early riff that sets off at a slow pace - over which Lisa starts to sing. I like it that Lisa's vocal spots on this album are not just relegated to atmospheric, clean guitar-led moments. She does sing over those at times, of course, and those moments are often great - but she is a powerful vocalist, and it is great that she is allowed to rise over some heavier riffing at times. This is largely what happens here, with the lengthy verses split pretty evenly between Lisa and Jacobsson - whilst that memorable riff dances away in the background and the synths add plenty of atmosphere. As such, this song feels a bit heavier overall more consistently. There is still plenty of atmosphere thanks to the keyboards, and a mournful overall sound, but there is little of the clean guitar approach that the band often utilise. There is one such moment later on, which actually features Jacobsson briefly delivering spoken word before it is then largely instrumental - but lead guitar breaks are generally utilised as respite instead this time. As such, there is a true doom feel here - especially later on when Jacobsson dominates over an even slower riff. I Gave You Wings returns to the I Welcome Thy Arrow style of opening slowly, with Lisa singing early on against a clean guitar backing. This early section later gets utilised as a chorus, but like the album's opening cut the rest of the band soon kick in - and a heaviness takes over with some rare double bass drumming and a bit more of a sense of urgency. That is not to say that this is a fast song, as it is not, but there are a few riff-led sections here that feel a bit more energetic thanks to the double bass drumming - but there are also plenty of moments which are much more typical with more of a swinging drum groove and a pounding backing. Jacobsson really dominates this track vocally. Lisa's chorus moments are the respite, with clean guitars and her ethereal vocals shining like a light in the dark, but the extended verses switch back and forth between the two drumming styles with Jacobsson's deep growls ever-present. Later on, he delivers some more spoken word, against some clean guitars, and there are also quite a few lead guitar moments to compensate for the relative lack of clean vocals this time. As such, this is one of the heaviest and truest death metal tracks here in my opinion - especially due to the relatively rare uses of extended double bass drumming. That being said, though, towards the end things to feel a bit more light - with Lisa's final vocal section feeling a bit more extended before she also delivers some spoken word to close things out with some distant clean guitar. As if to provide some respite and contrast following one of the album's heavier cuts, Asteria Beneath the Tranquil Sea is a short and very atmospheric piece that features no harsh vocals at all. As such, Lisa is the only voice heard this time - and she delivers the song's vocals in a surprisingly warm and breathy manner, which is a bit different from her usual approach. There really is no metal here at all, with Ericson's synths and string arrangements the only real backing for Lisa's voice. There are occasional percussive-like sounds in the background, but these are likely just synths, too, and the song acts as an interlude in the album - whilst delivering something a bit more substantial than a typical interlude would thanks to Lisa's excellent vocals.

She remains dominant early on during Cold Heavens, too, a heavier song that opens with one of the album's fastest riffs. This is certainly no thrash track, but the opening riff is fairly energetic with double bass drumming rumbling away beneath it - and there are also some hooky guitar leads which are established here and then used regularly elsewhere during the song. Compared to some of the songs here arrangement-wise, this one is a bit more straight forward - so it is unsurprising that the band also shot a video for it. Melodies are pushed to the fore here, and there is perhaps a bit more of a vocal dominance for Lisa here - as she sings in her usual manner during much of the verses before pushing herself and going for that more siren-like approach during the soaring chorus. Jacobsson is generally utilised as the counter this time, his growls filling parts of each verse as a break between Lisa's two vocal styles, before he takes over during the final part of the song for a crushing closing section - which is easily the heaviest and most doom-like the song feels given the faster riffing found elsewhere the soaring chorus. The song still very much feels like Draconian, though, despite the slightly different arrangement - it is just perhaps a bit more accessible than some of the band's more meandering moments. Penultimate number Misanthrope River opens with some narration by Simon Bibby (Seventh Angel; My Silent Wake; Thy Listless Heart), his English accent adding a Victorian gothic feel to the track - but generally the song is pretty typical of the band's core sound, albeit perhaps dialling up the melancholy with some even slower riffing and starker keyboard sounds. Lisa sings a lot early on, during some clean guitar-led sections, and the overall arrangement follows the pattern of Lisa singing during the sparser moments and Jacobsson coming in when things get heavier. Lisa does get a few more powerful moments, but overall that pattern is stuck to - and it works well given how contrasting the two main vibes of this song are. Some of Lisa's moments feel like the album at its most sparse, whilst there is a real lumbering feel to some of the riffs elsewhere. A mournful guitar solo is also utilised to somewhat bridge the two sounds, with the song being perhaps the starkest mix of the extreme ends of the band's core sound as a result. The album then comes to a close with Lethe, which opens very slowly with some distant synths - but these synths become more prominent as Lisa starts to sing, with some occasional clean guitars beneath her. Whilst the band do kick in later on, Lisa really dominates the song for quite a while and it takes a while for any real metal to appear. The clean guitar melodies and synths really form a dense tapestry as Lisa sings, her voice largely feeling more delicate here - although she does feel a little more powerful during what somewhat acts as a bit of a chorus. The song is very much a haunting, hypnotic number, then, and it is much less heavy than is typical of the album. The band does kick in later on, though, which allows Jacobsson to take over for a brief period - but his vocals are still backed by plenty of atmosphere despite the overall heaviness. This moment feels quite short lived, though, and the song soon returns to its atmospheric base for a lengthy instrumental section featuring percussive drumming and interweaving clean guitar melodies. Jacobsson kicks back in right back before the song fades out for one last vocal moment - but really much of the song's final moments are instrumental. Doom can sometimes feel a bit samey after a while, but despite a core sound I have really enjoyed my time with In Somnolent Ruin and it feels good to have finally properly dived into all things Draconian. I have quite a bit of catching up to do, but I fully intend to pick up the band's other albums - and I am considering seeing them live next year when they come to London in March.

The album was released on 8th May 2026 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Cold Heavens.