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Hey! Listen to Draconian!

I’m no doom metal aficionado, so I like to think that if I find a doom metal record I enjoy it must be one of the better doom releases

8 years ago

I’m no doom metal aficionado, so I like to think that if I find a doom metal record I enjoy it must be one of the better doom releases out there. Proving me right today is Draconian, who last year released their sixth album Sovran. Honestly, I’m surprised we’ve never covered these guys before so head on over after the jump to hear what I’m talking about.

The standard doom metal tropes are all here: the slow tempo, thick growls, huge emotional riffs and longish songs. If that’s where it ended then I wouldn’t have been as interested in this, more due to genre preferences than because any of these aspects were lacking. But that’s not where it ends. On top of this we add emotional and melodic clean female vocals; the harsh and clean vocals trading off beautifully against one another. We also add synthesisers, violin and gorgeous harmonies into the mix, bringing some interestingly different elements to the table as the band keep their listeners engaged.

Now lets not kid ourselves here, this is not the first doom album to incorporate the aforementioned elements. Contrasting female cleans against male screams is hardly an original concept, but what helps make this work is simply how well Draconian execute their ideas. At no stage does this feel cliché as they transition from one song to the next, though having nine songs each clocking in at over six minutes can make the album drag out a bit, and they perhaps could have benefited from some further editing. In saying that, musically speaking I have no complaints. If you like well written and well executed doom metal tracks, then make sure to follow them on Facebook and look into their back catalogue. I for one definitely shall.

Karlo Doroc

Published 8 years ago