Draconian
The Closed Eyes Of Paradise

Some bands are lucky enough to be launched into the major market very early, often thanks to the right contacts at the right time, and very rarely with only the help of their own technical means. As a result, it can happen that the struggle to make it becomes very long and might never end, in the worst cases, but for Draconian this was not the case.

After years of demos (since '95), they finally found a contract with Napalm Records in 2003, to which they are still tied, to record their debut album "Where Lovers Mourn". After this introduction, I plunge into reviewing, paradoxically, one of their demos.
"The Closed Eyes Of Paradise" dates back to 1999 and is the third of four demos (the last one is from 2002) recorded by the Swedes before receiving a recording contract. It is a concept on Lucifer's descent to earth, which I personally find very captivating: the music is fundamentally doom, but the frequent acoustic inserts and a strong presence of Susanne Arvidsson's female vocals make me lean more towards gothic.

The album opens with a prologue: a very beautiful acoustic arpeggio, "Grace Fallen". One of the most beautiful songs on the album follows, "Serenade Of Sorrow": melancholic and very melodic. Another mini acoustic track enhances the concept's atmosphere, and we dive back into the dark "Storm Of Damnation". The organ accompanies the singer's sinuous voice in "Unfold Thine Hands" followed by the album's most vampiric song, the dark "The Morningstar".
We return to more doom rhythms with the subsequent "The Gothic Embrace". After a chilling intro, with the organ gradually building and the deep, effected voice reciting Luciferian verses, "Cauda Draconis" continues and proves to be the most malevolent of all. Eerie in title and music, the ninth track "The Armies Of Lucifer" brilliantly evokes swarms of damned angels led by the Rebel Archangel ready for battle against God.

The battle is narrated in the masterpiece song of the album "Storming Heaven": the grand organ melody rising above the guitar base creates a unique atmosphere in the genre. The triumphant march of "A New Paradise" is a fitting conclusion to a concept that manages never to lose focus or its essence.

An interesting band, unfortunately having recorded many good works without a label. In my opinion, it would be a great idea to re-release this album under the current record label with an operation similar to Novembre: they remastered their debut album and released it with a new title, and it was a success. On par with the latter and Katatonia.