Draconian
„Under A Godless Veil“
Limited Double black Vinyl. Gothic, Doom, Death, Metal. 2020.

I actually stumbled across Draconian while browsing the Napalm Records website. Founded in Sweden in 1994, "Under A Godless Veil" is their seventh album. Draconian has remained true to their style of melancholic, dark gothic death doom metal, despite changing lineups. I call the switch from delicate, bright female vocals to male growls "Beauty & The Beast Metal." I'm a fan of this rather elegiac, doomy gothic style and really appreciate being able to understand the lyrics even in growled vocals. A melodic, atmospheric album.

It's rare for me that the very first song is the heart of the album. But the opener, "Sorrow Of Sophia," immediately draws me into its melodic melancholy. Almost prog? Varied, not too short, with shifting tempos. Just the way I like it. Simply hauntingly beautiful. Heike Langhans' voice creates (beautifully!) pathos-laden, kitschy gothic. Anders Jacobsen's growls, in contrast, bring a certain aggression into play. It's wonderful how the lyrics and music blend seamlessly. The epic scope is, of course, also present. And I feel the same way about the other tracks. Sluggish drums, strings, fat guitars, and well-defined electric bass playing. Outstanding, melancholic vocals from Heike Langhans, which remain intelligible despite the relatively high reverb. The growls are also clear and simply well done. 

Compared to Tristan or Theatre of Tragedy (Beauty and the Beast Metal), the doom metal aspect is much more pronounced here. Furthermore, Draconian has remained true to their style and gradually expanded upon it. Comparisons to Within Temptation are inappropriate, but there is a vocal similarity to Sharon Den Adel. Sad albums have a magical attraction for me. I'm particularly drawn to the atmosphere they create, and doom and gothic metal excel at this. A word about the technical aspects: the vinyl version sounds less expansive, as if all the instruments are interwoven. I prefer listening to the CD or streaming.

What do I really think?

One of the best doom/gothic albums. Nothing more to say. 

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

No AI was used in the making of this Review.
©23.07.2026