Draconian - Under A Godless Veil (2020)

Oozing an incredible amount of melancholy and misery, today we have Draconian and their latest opus “Under A Godless Veil”. In what is one of the band’s strongest releases to date, over 62 minutes of music create a lush and apocalyptic atmosphere filled with punishing growls, weeping guitars and the enchanting and at times demoralizing vocals of Heike Langhans. If you like the punishing atmosphere of bands like Shape of Despair and the harrowing vocal dynamics of My Dying Bride, this is the perfect release for you.

The band wastes no time in setting a very depressive mood with the haunting “Sorrow Of Sophia”, a track that beautifully combines fragile female vocals and dreamy guitars that even take a certain Post-Rock-ish vibe. Anders Jacobsson growls continue to be some of the best in the game, as they perfectly create those ‘beauty and the beast’ duets on songs like "The Sacrificial Lame" or the masterful "Sleepwalkers".

While retaining their signature style, Draconian continues to expand their sound with more effective atmospherics, as “Lustrous Heart” delivers one heartbreaking song, the dreamy “Burial Fields”, with its electronic elements, and the ritualistic drumming of “The Sethian” and its crafty bass guitar line. One of our favorite tracks is the majestic “Claw Marks On The Throne”, thanks to its sweeping weeping guitars, the male clean vocal monologues and the songs highly emotive progression, feeling very cathartic.

Closing with the crushing “Ascend Into Darkness”, we are left quite impressed by how the band continues their musical evolution while keeping their roots intact. There are plenty of new and interesting elements, like plenty of non-traditional guitars and lush vocal arrangements which make this release sound very different than previous ones, particularly when paying close attention. However, for those that like the dark and somber Draconian, the band also delivers on that aspect of their sound, making “Under A Godless Veil” one hell of a soul crushing release.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: October 30th, 2020

Genre: Gothic Death/Doom Metal

Country: Austria