Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin (2026)

While most are waiting for the new Darkthrone album to come out on May 8th, we have been more curious about the return of Lisa Johansson on Draconian’s eight full-length release “In Somnolent Ruin”. Far from disappointing, this release brings back the band to their 2000’s form, creating a very sombre and enchanting nearly 60 minutes of music with this release. We loved the band’s era with Heike Langhans on vocals as she has her own awesomely unique voice, but with Lisa, the band just gives us the same goosebumps from us back in the day.

Opening with “I Welcome Thy Arrow”, the beauty-and-the-beast duet from Anders Jacobsson and Lisa Johansson is back in business. Setting a very dark and enveloping atmosphere for this release, the band masterfully transitions into the dreary “The Monochrome Blade”, and the somber “Anima”, which features Daniel Änghede as a guest vocalist. Despondent tracks like “The Face of God” are exactly what makes Draconian one of the premiere bands of the genre as the ooze melancholy and misery.

The weeping guitars of Johan Ericson elevate tracks like “I Gave You Wings”, to new levels, while unleashing a hefty dosage of slow and painful riffs. While the album’s flow is pretty uniform, songs like “Asteria Beneath The Tranquil Sea” and “Cold Heavens” nicely add some respite for the listener, and expectation for the next onslaught of misery and doom. Our favorite tracks are the dramatic “Misanthrope River” and its dreamy and yet punishing pace, alongside “Lethe” a more mellow and demoralizing piece that is slowly climbing as one of our top Draconian songs of all times thanks to the excellent guitar work and drumming.

Overall, “In Somnolent Ruin” showcases a band coming back to some of their roots with their original female vocalists and cranking out one of their best releases to date. Draconian has always been very consistent and always improving, with longer times between releases, their albums have gotten more grandiose and polished. If you are nostalgic for the good old days of Gothic Doom/Death Metal from the 90’s and early 2000’s, this release will bring back some great memories, alongside some modern polish.

Rating: 97/100