Band upheavals hardly are a new thing, and even the greatest bands in history have dealt with revolving doors. Maiden have navigated alterations that have either worked tremendously or very much haven’t. Same with Priest. Slayer never were the same again. It’s the nature of doing business, and it’s nothing new for Draconian.

The Swedish gothic doom band returns with “In Somnolent Ruin,” their eight and first in six years, and with it comes a shifted lineup. The biggest one is the return of vocalist Lisa Johansson, who left after 2011’s “A Rose for the Apocalypse”  and now replaces departed Heike Langhans, who more than held her own in the spot. The reunion feels seamless when she complements or tussles with Anders Jacobsson, both of them at the top of their game. The rest of the roster is rounded out by long-time members Johan Ericson (guitar, vocals, keys), new guitarist Niklas Nord, bassist Daniel Arvidsson (who shifted from guitar), and drummer Daniel Johansson (moving from session player to full member). It makes for a very complete, engaging form of Draconian, who are glimmering gold here.

“I Welcome Thy Arrow” opens in murk, Johansson calling, “You’re the hunter, I’m the haunted,” the pace tearing open as the melodies soak with melancholy, growls engorging as the gothic tones increase. Guitars glimmer, the soloing sweeping with power, Johansson singing, “I overcome the unwinnable war,” as everything fades. “The Monochrome Blade” has doom lurching and growls digging, the punchy tempo making water rockier, the singing adding beauty to the bruising. Blood surges as guitars burn, growls rippling through muscle, strings gliding as the melodies gush, the vocals later intertwining as the last notes freeze.  “Anima” starts cold, guest vocalist Daniel Änghede (Astroqueen, ex-Crippled Black Phoenix) urging, “Break me, defend me from the storm.” The atmosphere is moody, both voices paying the price, a shadowy chill increasing as the leads begin to scorch. Harsh wails sting as the energy pulses, the chorus bathing in darkness and blurring vision. “The Face of God” is intense and striking, Johansson warning of the subject, “It was weeping, the spirit of man.” Doomy fires lash as the intensity builds, spiking with lathering guitars and smeary emotions with Johansson calling, “Life is for the living, so don’t waste it on me,” as echoes fully consume.

“I Gave You Wings” has Johansson bellowing, a sinister spirit rising, the leads swelling before cooling, pianos dripping in the dark. Morbid speaking teases nerves as the bottom drops, the growls wrench, and the leads ache, Johansson singing, “For if you approach me, it is because I have approached you.” “Asteria Beneath the Tranquil Sea” is a shorter track, quivering beneath synth beams, the tension building as heavy mist obscures vision, Johansson guiding, “Breathe in, breathe out, and breathe no more.” “Cold Heavens” has a quaking pace and vocals that tear through nervous systems, howls erupting as the playing trudges, the pace eventually pulling back a bit. The fires explode again, growls crushing as Johansson’s singing absolutely explodes in the atmosphere, lashing and demanding your attention. “Misanthrope River” is eerie and chilling, the verses feeling adventurous and rich, the chorus dropping the hammers and disrupting serenity. “Where shall I go if one of us dies?” Johansson wonders, growls lashing anew, emotional leads digging deep into your chest, keys drizzling toward oblivion. Closer “Lethe” opens with breathy singing, hypnosis encircling, solemnity meeting with power jolts. Growls claw as the guitars melt, strings glaze over congealing wounds, mesmerizing passages illuminate with wonder, Jacobsson howling, “Oh restless soul, drown in me, drink, forget, repeat.”

Draconian’s doom can be overly dramatic and emotional for some who only seek the thorns, but “In Somnolent Ruin” is another masterful turn for their band that holds their style and approach in an iron grip. Johansson returning not only branches this album with their rich past, but she also adds even more regality to their morose, captivating sound. This is a new chapter for the band that keeps intact their long-forged spirit and rushes headlong into triumph and tragedy, life and death, and everything else in between.

For more on the band, go here: https://draconian.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://napalmrecords.us/collections/draconian

Or here (Europe): https://napalmrecords.com/english/draconian?product_list_dir=desc&product_list_order=release_date

For more on the label, go here: https://napalmrecords.com/english

I, too, love to put music on and just sink into the atmosphere and emotion, taking a well-deserved trip somewhere else of just getting an artistic reinvigoration. Taking on German power Junon, helmed by a single artist of the same moniker, is something altogether different. This is a mind fuck, a journey into the most bizarre sections of your psyche from which you stay away on purpose.

“The Golden Citadel of the Astral Sphere” is the project’s debut album, a four-track, 42-minute excursion that uses black metal as a base and then warps it into all kinds of strange configurations that could make you feel uneasy and anxious. All in good ways, actually. Junon’s vocals go from guttural shrieks to calls that reach up to the heavens with designs to poison them, and the end result of taking on this creation is a mental challenge that reshapes what you think of these dark arts. I’m not even sure these words do this thing justice.

“Propheten der blauen Flamme” attacks, but it’s noticeably lopsided melodically, in a really enticing way, warped fury burning through eerie strangeness, haunting as static spits. The playing bursts into agonized wails and pathways that’ll scramble your thinking, whispers swirling, moans falling like blood drops, weird warbles making skin crawl. The heat engulfs as screams torment and tear, the drama exploding before burning out. “Unterm Glutmond” brings melodic tidal waves, the vocals ravaging, eventually turning into an acidic rant, the tempo storming. The singing turns into a bellow, the pace mesmerizing and chilling, ugliness rushing through the seams, the energy tingling before expiration.

“Inanitas Cedit Profundo (Die Leere weicht der Tiefe)” is a bizarre form crawling through cracks in the earth, deep chants enthralling as creaking voices prod nerves. Cryptic horrors continue to spread, the coldness rising and enveloping. Closer “Dolorosa” is a force, running 21:08 and quivering and confounding, setting a soundscape over the first several minutes. Finally the growls claw, the sound morphing in front of you, guitars tangling as the pace lurches. The blows then come harder, faster, a corrosive, hazy pall swallowing the energies, the riffs melting metallic soup over rock. Grisly savagery sinks in its teeth, and then hypnosis spreads, the drums erupting out of that, morbid tendencies having their way. Howls lash as mystical beams jolt, the playing exploding into volcanic terror, rushing as Junon’s operatic calls squeeze the cosmos, the intensity spiking, guitars scraping glass as the pressure decreases, fading into a buzzing void.

“The Golden Citadel of the Astral Fear” is a bizarre, disturbing debut, one that takes black metal and turns it into black magic, the music not leaving your cells. Junon’s approach to this style is deranged, unsettling, and exciting, something that feels conjured from another plane. This is an album that doesn’t fit neatly on a playlist or in a subgenre shelf and really lives to embody and then consume this music’s morbid spirit.  

For more on the band, go here: https://junonofficial.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/

Metal and rebellion have run hand in hand for decades now, which is why it always makes me laugh when bands suck up to fascist ideas. Where the fuck did you lose the plot? Anyway this music was meant for the outcasts, the downtrodden, those ground in the gears of the power structure as a means to give inspiration to fight back.

Every ounce of “Gone With the Devil” sounds like a spirited battle against oppressive structures (be it political, societal, artistic), and Hellenic force Yoth Iria are holding aloft the torches for the march. On their third record and first for Metal Blade, the band—vocalist HE, guitarists Nikolas Perlepe and Naberius, bassist Jim Mutilator (formerly of Rotting Christ and Varathron), drummer Bill “Vongaar” Stavrianidis—immediately energizes with their punishing spirits and feel like they’re lathering up the masses to refuse any further bullshit. The music also gives a sense of personal power and ambition reminding that your heart is alive, as is your mind, and there is no reason to give up for anyone or anything.

“Dare to Rebel” starts with sweeping chants, and then growls lurch, the leads slowly catch fire, and then everything bursts, the vocals crushing. Singing bellows and bleeds defiance, the call of, “No fear, no shame!” feeling personal, the playing surging and then going spacious, ending in a blur. “Woven Spells of a Demon” has a fantastical essence at first, howls wrenching as the melodies swirl, the bustling pace trudging into the ground. The spirited aura turns mystical, dust kicked up into lungs, the call of, “We dare to dream,” striking. “The Blind Eye of Antichrist” starts with choral calls that rouse hearts, the leads bubble, and the whole vibe just feels huge. The guitars blaze as the song’s center reveals itself, the calls bellowing as the choruses return, alerting your animal spirit. “I, Totem” bruises, raspy howls lashing flesh, the playing accelerating, ripping into glorious power that rains down hard. The repeated call of, “Nature’s sacred magic,” works into your nervous system, weathered strains paying homage to nature, guitars circling before fading. “3am” is dark and jolting, the singing gushing, HE howling, “The doors are open, our demons are here, our freedom is near.” Melodic leads melt as the vocals claw back, savage fluidity captivates, and whispered calls conjure mystical spirits.

“Give ‘Em My Beautiful Hell” is vibrant and defiant, strings quivering as the melodies cascade, the howls gutting as the guitars flood and reach over dusty shelves. Glorious melodies halt as the drums rupture, soaring through fiery keys and a door slammed shut. “Once in a Blue Moon” basks in eerie sounds before igniting, tortured growls punishing, the guitars blazing with cosmic force. Both atmospheric and grisly, the howls scrape your psyche as infectious energy courses through your veins. “Blessed Be He Who Enters” has the drums coming to life and spitting cinders, warm, calculated melodies setting a foundation, a great chorus landing hard. The wails decimate as leads rush through and pull you under the surface, illuminating long, dark secrets before fading. “The End of the Known Civilization” starts ominously, howls creaking and then the playing mashing, the melodies sprawling with ferocity and intensity. Soloing sprawls as the mood grows decidedly sinister, striking hard as colors blaze, the drums tapping and delivering a burly end. “Harut, Government, Fallen” ends the record, blistering and stimulating, making adrenaline rush through your body, the singing driving as harsher cries salt wounds. Then things turn guttural as the leads smoke with power, and warbled cries spell an end to this attack.

“Gone With the Devil” is a record that should draw more attention to this band, as they have figured out a way to harness everything special about themselves and spill that all over these 10 tracks. This is a record that immediately grabbed my attention, and I have revisited it many times since the music arrived. This is a memorable album that fires the heart and spirit and reminds you of just how moving and motivating metal can be.

For more on the band, go here: https://yothiria.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalblade.indiemerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://shop.metalblade.de/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.metalblade.com/us/