Written By: Noam Asulin
"Draconian" Second album "Arcane Rain Fall", was released on January 24, 2005.
This Doom album is considered one of the best albums in the genre, even today about two decades after its release.
"Draconian" comes from Sweden and was founded in 1994 by drummer and vocalist Johan Ericson, bassist and vocalist Jesper Stolpe, and guitarist Andy Hindenäs. At first, they called themselves "Kerberos" and played melodic death metal with black metal influences. Shortly afterward, vocalist Anders Jacobsson joined them and the band's name was changed to "Draconian".
Since its inception "Draconian" has been in a search for their identity, but things seemed to start connecting for them as soon as they added singer Lisa Johansson. Together with Anders Jacobsson, they managed to appeal to a gothic audience with a perfect combination of the "Beauty and the Beast" concept. This move allowed them to "hit two birds with one stone" when on the one hand they did not lose the audience of Doom fans and on the other hand, they brought in a new audience with a gothic tendency and in doing so they shaped the niche DNA that would define them.
"Arcane Rain Fell", as mentioned, is their second album. It is a concept album that describes the fall of Lucifer from heaven and the creation of hell.
The album begins with the intro "A Scenery of Loss" which leaves no room for doubt. This is a gloomy and melancholy album, even by its name. Raindrops and thunder are heard, preparing us for what is going to happen next.
"Daylight Misery" begins with guitars that do not pity the listener. The lead singer, Anders Jacobsson, presents his clean voice, although he is usually in charge of the growls, while the clean vocals are in charge of Lisa Johansson, the second lead singer in the band, who does a wonderful job throughout the album. In the chorus, Anders expresses the power of the song with the help of grunts that penetrate deep into the soul.
(Photo: HD Wallpapers und Hintergründe - Wallpaper Abyss)
In the fourth track "Expostulation" a surprise awaits us in the form of the Holy Hebrew Language. Anders begins with the words "Lord God Almighty" (In Hebrew) and this section builds drama for the next song.
Every song /on this album expresses sadness and it can be heard both in the melody of the songs and in the slow tempo. Keyboards and guitars produce a sound that, in my opinion, causes the emotion of sadness to rise. The words of course are sad and speak of all that is wrong in this world.
"Arcane Rain Fall" is one of my favorite albums, mainly because of the last song, "Death, Come Near Me". A 15-minute piece that is actually a remake of the band's song from a demo called "Dark Oceans We Cry". This piece is very versatile and amazing to me. This song is so exciting in my opinion, precisely because it penetrates deeply into emotion and touches on personal things we experience in our lives, difficulties, and sadness. Towards the end of the song begins a wonderful keyboard solo that only increases the melancholy that this album conveys.
In conclusion, in my opinion, this is the ultimate doom album and not in vain. Doom Metal aims to convey sadness and melancholy and this album does it amazingly from every aspect.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music