Swedish gothic doom band Draconian return with eighth album ‘In Somnolent Ruin’
Draconian (Photo by Therés Stephansdotter Björk)
Swedish gothic doom / death-doom band Draconian will release their eighth studio album, “In Somnolent Ruin,” on May 8, 2026 via Napalm Records. The new full-length features nine tracks and marks the studio return of vocalist Lisa Johansson alongside harsh vocalist Anders Jacobsson.
The album was written, recorded and arranged by guitarist Johan Ericson and was developed from material dating back to 2021, when the track “Misanthrope River” first took shape from an old working title carried over from the “Under a Godless Veil” sessions. “In Somnolent Ruin” introduces a recurring lyrical focus on Plato’s theory of the soul, emerging gradually as the band refined the material.
Johan Ericson comments: “The first idea – the embryo, really – of In Somnolent Ruin goes back to 2021. It began with the song “Misanthrope River,” a title that had already existed since the demo days of Under a Godless Veil, now finally finding music to accompany it. As small pieces and fragments slowly started to grow into actual songs, it only made me more inspired to keep writing. I drew a lot of inspiration from art and from other musical acts—everything from dark folk to eerie ambient music—which helped keep the creative spark alive. Early on, I had a clear sense of the overall vibe I wanted for the album: classic doom intertwined with ambient soundscapes. I also wanted a wide variety of songs across the record, but without losing that strong gothic thread that connects everything and gives it a shared atmosphere.”
Vocalist Anders Jacobsson adds about the long writing and recording process: “It took quite some time before the album began to feel whole. We didn’t settle on the final track list until very late in the process, as each piece slowly came together—vocals finding their place, ideas overlapping, and a real sense of collaboration allowing the songs to evolve toward an imagined destination. In the end, the music always seems to transform into something that once felt almost unimaginable.
For me personally, it was a fascinating but challenging experience. I struggled at times to see how everything would ultimately come together, and there were moments of doubt throughout the process. But it did come together in the end, and all the uncertainty and self-reflection somehow proved worthwhile. The creative journey for me is always deeply tied to introspection, and this record demanded a great deal of that. It was without question the most difficult album for me to fully grasp and work through—but perhaps that’s what makes the final result all the more compelling, and, I believe, quite remarkable. It’s been a long time coming…”
Jacobsson adds that working again with Lisa Johansson, and having Daniel Johansson handle drums, added new depth to the sessions.
Draconian’s eighth studio album ‘In Somnolent Ruin’
“In Somnolent Ruin” follows “Under a Godless Veil” (2020) as the band’s first studio album in six years. The material continues Draconian’s blend of gothic doom and death-doom, with alternating harsh and clean vocals.
“In Somnolent Ruin” is the first album to feature Daniel Arvidsson on bass following his move from rhythm guitar in 2022, and the first studio appearance of drummer Daniel Johansson after years of performing with the band as a live and session member.
Across the record, the band revisit philosophical and spiritual topics, with Plato’s theory of the soul functioning as a recurring motif. The songs were developed by a stable live lineup that has toured together since 2022: Anders Jacobsson (vocals), Lisa Johansson (vocals), Johan Ericson (guitar, backing vocals, keys), Daniel Arvidsson (bass), Niklas Nord (guitar) and Daniel Johansson (drums).
The album includes a guest appearance by Swedish musician Daniel Änghede (Hearts of Black Science, ex-Crippled Black Phoenix) on “Anima,” and features spoken narration from Simon Bibby on “Misanthrope River.”
Lyrically, the songs address alienation, self-examination and the search for direction, using mythological and metaphysical images such as the Lethe river of forgetfulness in closing track “Lethe.”
The album will be issued in multiple physical editions alongside a digital release:
- 2CD 36-page earbook including “In Somnolent Ruin” plus a bonus CD with two additional tracks, exclusive to Napalm Records mailorder.
- 2LP gatefold picture vinyl with 24-page 12″ booklet, available via Napalm Records Europe mailorder.
- 2LP gatefold splattered black smoke / white orange black vinyl with 24-page 12″ booklet, exclusive to Napalm Records mailorder.
- 2LP gatefold gold vinyl including printed lyric sheet, exclusive to Napalm Records mailorder.
- 1CD digipak edition.
- Digital album edition.
About Draconian
Draconian are a Swedish gothic metal / death-doom band formed in 1994 in Säffle, Sweden. The group originated when drummer and vocalist Johan Ericson, bassist and vocalist Jesper Stolpe and guitarist Andreas Hindenäs started a project named Kerberos, initially playing melodic death metal with black metal influences. Seven months later, vocalist and lyricist Anders Jacobsson joined and the band adopted the name Draconian.
The band released several demos in the 1990s, including “Shades of a Lost Moon” (1996), the unreleased “In Glorious Victory” (1997), “The Closed Eyes of Paradise” (1999), “Frozen Features” (2000) and “Dark Oceans We Cry” (2002). The latter featured early contributions from vocalist Susanne Arvidsson and introduced the atmospheric, slow-moving sound that would define their later work, leading to a deal with Napalm Records.
Draconian recorded their debut album “Where Lovers Mourn” in 2003 at Studio Mega with producer Chris Silver. Napalm Records released the album on 20 October 2003.
A second album, “Arcane Rain Fell”, followed on 24 January 2005 after sessions at Studio Underground in Västerås. In 2006 the band issued “The Burning Halo,” a hybrid release mixing newly written songs with reworked versions of older demo material, released on 29 September 2006. “Turning Season Within,” recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro with producers Jens Bogren and David Castillo, arrived on 29 February 2008.
The band’s fifth album “A Rose for the Apocalypse” was released on 24 June 2011, accompanied by a video for “The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight.” Shortly after, clean vocalist Lisa Johansson left the band for personal reasons and was replaced in 2012 by South African singer Heike Langhans.
Draconian’s sixth studio album “Sovran” appeared on 30 October 2015 via Napalm Records, again mixed and mastered by producer Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios. The record introduced Heike Langhans on vocals and featured a guest appearance from Daniel Änghede on “Rivers Between Us.” The seventh album “Under a Godless Veil” followed on 30 October 2020, again on Napalm Records, with Änghede contributing as session bassist.
In 2022 the band announced guitarist Niklas Nord as a new member and shifted long-standing rhythm guitarist Daniel Arvidsson to bass. In the same year, former vocalist Lisa Johansson officially returned, while Heike Langhans departed to focus on other projects; both singers appeared together at events such as Hellfest 2022.
By 2024 the band had marked their 30th anniversary with a 17-date European tour.
On 2 October 2025, Draconian reported that the drum recording for the follow-up to “Under a Godless Veil” had been completed and confirmed Daniel Johansson as the new full-time drummer, replacing long-serving drummer Jerry Torstensson.
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