Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin - review
Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin - review
Tracklist
01. I Welcome Thy Arrow02. The Monochrome Blade
03. Anima [feat. Daniel Änghede]
04. The Face Of God
05. I Gave You Wings
06. Asteria Beneath The Tranquil Sea
07. Cold Heavens
08. Misanthrope River
09. Lethe
A review by
AndyMetalFreak June 24, 2026
You simply can't ignore the influence Draconian have had on the gothic doom genre. They have been, and continue to be one, of the most prolific and prominent bands in the scene, and from their mighty impressive debut Where Lovers Mourn (2003) and legendary sophomore Arcane Rain Fell (2005) through to the exceptional Under A Godless Veil (2020), they have an incredibly consistent discography to show for it. Now they turn their attention towards their eighth studio album In Somnolent Ruin, this being their first album in 6 years following the highly praised Under A Godless Veil.
In Somnolent Ruin marks a return for original vocalist Lisa Johansson, who rejoined following the departure of Heike Langhans. With her beautifully distinctive ethereal cleans, Lisa once again coincides with the aggressive growls of Anders Jacobsson, bringing back the band's original "beauty and the beast" vocal duo. Musically the album also takes a step back from the haunting gothic leanings of Under A Godless Veil and reignites their heavier traditional death doom roots. This is particularly noticeable in the crushing slow-to-moderate tempos, death doom slogging riffs, and weeping melancholic leads; there's a general darker tone and more mournful atmosphere that holds close similarities to the classic Arcane Rain Fell era.
The primary theme focuses on Plato's theory of the soul, which through deeply emotive, philosophical, and thought-provoking lyrics covers existential alienation, isolation, and the tragedy of human consciousness. The opener "I Welcome Thy Arrow" explores the burden of human consciousness in a hostile and confusing world, whereas "Cold Heavens" deals with the grim reality of how there is no relief in life nor death, instead the soul is trapped in an infinite starless prison. "Misanthrope River" then touches on the painful subject of doubt, and how being separated from the truth can accidentally shut out our loved ones. "Lethe" then cumulates together the album's theme through philosophies tied to Plato's soul theory by tragically highlighting the soul being caught in an endless loop of reincarnation, repeating the cycle of human struggle and suffering over and over again.
The powerful themes are brought vividly to life through mature and sophisticated songwriting, and a richly cinematic yet organic sounding production that contains huge atmospheric depth and supports the emotionally-charged performances. The highlight of this performance is undoubtedly the vocals, the band are renowned for their "beauty and the beast" vocal style, and here it's as heartfelt, passionate, and effective as ever. The chemistry between Lisa Johansson's theatrical, angelical singing and Anders Jacobsson's viciously deep death growls is amongst their highest standard to date. I wouldn't say for a moment that Lisa is a better fit for the band than Heike, but neither would I say Heike is a missed asset to the bands line-up. Both vocalists are exceptional in their own right, both amongst the best female singers in metal. However, they have both brought their own distinctive styles that coincide specifically with the musical direction the band chose to take. For instance, Heike was always the better fit for the haunting gothic sound, whereas Lisa has always been a better fit for the heavier death doom approach. Whatever your preference, you can't deny the quality that each vocalist has brought to the band over the years. Draconian are undeniable masters in both gothic and death doom, and that's what makes this such an exceptional band.
Draconian's gothic era with Heike at the helm may have only been short-lived but it left a great lasting legacy on the band's discography. Still, even if I don't believe they'll ever again reach the standards of the great Arcane Rain Fell era, I welcome their decision to go back to their heavy and sorrowful death doom roots. The performance (particularly from both vocalists) fully justifies the sorrowful theme surrounding this album, which itself carries huge emotional weight, and the dark, brooding, melancholic soundscapes are captured in irresistible detail. Many bands have tried to replicate this over the years, but rarely has any other band managed to capture the listeners imagination quite like Draconian have here.
As to whether I prefer In Somnolent Ruin to Under A Godless Veil, I can't say that I personally do. In Somnolent Ruin doesn't take many bold risks, and I often find the song structures fairly predictable and generally lacking instant hooks, and I find the moderate death doom slogs tend to drag out longer than I believe necessary. This means I find dwelling in its atmosphere quite difficult and exhaustive at times when compared to their earlier material, particularly during the latter stages of the album. On the other hand, it certainly benefits from repeat listening and more time and patience than most of their later works. It seems to me that we've gotten to the stage where Draconian can do very little wrong in my eyes, and even though I find this to be one of their less memorable albums, it still overshadows the quality of many other bands in the genre today. They're masters in their craft, and they don't seem capable of releasing anything below subpar quality.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written on 24.06.2026 by
Written on 24.06.2026 by
An honest review that you don't necessarily have to agree with. Comments
Comments:
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Umm, was enjoying the review till you got to the song titles... even with the titles you got right it seems you are talking about a different song.
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I changed the titles to the one's they are supposed to be now. Somehow I managed to get the titles confused with one's from a previous album by them, I was listening back through their discography during writing this review which wasn't the best idea really. It's a shocking error for me to make, so thanks for pointed it out to me 
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Posts: 103 Written by AndyMetalFreak on 24.06.2026 at 15:46 I'm still curious what previous album it could be, as I don't know any Draconian songs with these titles (not even in all the demos listed on MS). 
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