Since their debut Where Lovers Mourn in 2003, the Swedish Gothic Doom Metal act Draconian have been a mainstay within the scene, with their high water mark coming in 2005, and the release of Arcane Rain Fell.  A compilation in The Burning Halo and a decent full length in Turning Season Within have since followed, and neither has reached the success of the band’s first two albums.

Even with the lack of success in recent years, Draconian is not content to stay with the formula that garnered their early success.  Rather, they have incorporated more Gothic elements into their sound, which was most evident in Turning Season Within.  That trend continues with their latest release A Rose for the Apocalypse, where some of the rough spots from the previous album seem to have been smoothed over to a degree.

Indeed, Draconian has taken time between albums to find ways to remain relevant, and while not always successful, they do know how to adapt, and A Rose for the Apocalypse is proof.  The male vocals of Anders Jacobsson haven’t changed much since the beginning, but the female vocals of Lisa Johansson are less operatic and more natural sounding.  There’s less emphasis on the doom metal side of their sound than on their first two albums, but as songs such as “The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight” and “Elysian Night” prove, there is still some doom to go along with the Gothic sound that Draconian has refined to fit their plans.  “Dead World Assembly” is the band’s attempt at providing some beauty into the music to go along with the misery, and though it isn’t always successful, it does provide a nice change of pace and allows for Draconian to branch out more.  This method is actually better on “A Phantom Dissonance,” which offers the best range between the male and female vocals, as well as the music ranges, which goes from the quiet, peaceful sounds to go with Johansson’s vocals to the harsher sounds that match Jacobsson’s vocals, particularly in the beginning of the song.  Those who are looking for a return to Draconian’s old style will be disappointed, though the band hasn’t truly overhauled their sound so much as they have just tweaked their sound in parts.  The length of the album may also play a role in keeping the listener’s attention, as all of the songs are over the five minute mark.

In the time since their beginning, Draconian has made strides to remain relevant while trying to keep their sound from becoming stale.  Though this hasn’t made some long time fans too happy, it does help in gaining new fans to the band.   A Rose for the Apocalypse is another step in the right direction for Draconian, one that won’t dramatically change the way people think about the band, but one that will help in establishing their ultimate goal.

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*Comments:

1.  The Drowning Age
2.  The Last Hour of
     Ancient Sunlight
3.  End of the Rope
4.  Elysian Night
5.  Deadlight
6.  Dead World Assembly
7.  A Phantom Dissonance
8.  The Quiet Storm
9.  The Death of Hours
10.  Wall of Sighs

Total playing time:  64:52

Release Date: June 23, 2011
Label: Napalm Records

Draconian - A Rose for the Apocalypse

Reviewer: Peter

June 20, 2011