Draconian
Where Lovers Mourn

Anyone who listens to doom metal knows well which bands are the cornerstones of the genre. The likes of My Dying Bride, Anathema, Tristania, Theatre Of Tragedy, and others I won't mention now undoubtedly form the dark and twisted roots from which this genre developed, a genre that now boasts many performers, unfortunately not all at the same level. Add to this the influences from another highly developed genre, Gothic Metal, particularly in its "beauty and the beast" variant, which features the alternating vocals of a female and a male (often growling) voice. This vocal scheme was long the trademark of the already mentioned Tristania and Theatre Of Tragedy, for example, who canonized it and perhaps brought it to its peak. It is natural that listening today to a newly released album by a band that plays with those sounds so popular in the mid-'90s (when doom had just blossomed) inevitably comes with some prejudice, as if one is preparing to tread already well-worn ground. But in 2003, the Swedish band Draconian packaged a debut, this "Where Lovers Mourn", which pleasantly surprises. It is true that the elements used are somewhat derived from various groups: the angelic and ethereal female voice (Tristania, Theatre Of Tragedy and others), the alternating male voice between growl and clean/spoken voice (a bit of all bands), the use of strings (Tristania and My Dying Bride), the sudden tempo changes (Anathema and My Dying Bride)... Yet the amalgamation sounds perfect, each piece fits into place and contributes to creating a decadent and sick atmosphere that heavily relies on a certain romanticism in art and literature (typical features of English doom). The eight tracks composing this album are not all of equal beauty and depth (the group's creative peak will come later with "Arcane Rain Fell"), but there are truly exceptional songs and ideas.

The opening "The Cry Of Silence" already sketches with its keyboards and weeping guitars an overcast and grey atmosphere, enveloping and dark. Soon after, the male voice comes in with a recited verse, immediately contrasted by the subdued and distant female voice, which then gives way to the desperate and hoarse growl. The rhythm already starts to become more pressing and intense, rising in tone until halfway, where a break with the drums and a guitar in a slow crescendo is reminiscent of Anathema's "The Silent Enigma" and introduces a more angry part with almost death-like tones, splendidly dominated by singer Anders Jacobsson who vents all his repressed fury here. He thrashes like a fallen angel who, from the depths of his hell, looks up towards the bright clouds, where a heavenly voice banishes him from paradise forever. The track is very long and epic, yet not boring, thanks to the already mentioned tempo changes and the sublime pathos it manages to create.

Another beautiful track is "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal", with lyrics borrowed from Romantic poet William Wordsworth. The song benefits from a skillful use of strings, giving it an almost more folk sound, and sees the prevalence of Lisa Johansson's female voice over the male one. A pressing and tense drumming serves as the backbone to the entire composition, illuminated by a less dark light than the previously described track, to the benefit of general melancholy and resignation.

Even the subsequent "The Solitude" features the use of violins to outline what is the main riff of the entire track, which at times can be a bit monotonous (and certainly inferior to the others in terms of emotion), but it has some really intense and moving moments.

Where the tones instead become harsher and more aggressive is with "The Amaranth", a beautiful and adrenaline-pumping piece introduced by the angelic Lisa who almost immediately gives way to the angry Anders, who strings together a series of intense and dramatic verses, then interrupted by a keyboard part underlined by the stunning guitar riff, present and sharp like a winter storm, incisive and feral. Truly a great piece, complex and articulate enough, lively and with excellent changes in atmosphere linked to the two voices, with continual shifts in time and rhythm changes.

Passing through the medieval-like "Akherousia", a female lament by candlelight, you arrive at the final stunning "It Grieves My Heart". In part, this track closes the circle opened by "The Cry Of Silence", repeating a similar yet equally intense and dramatic structure. The two voices, at least in the first part, are well balanced, with a slow and pachyderm-like rhythm typical of doom, revitalized by more acoustic and recited parts. Then suddenly the rhythm changes, one holds their breath and immerses themselves in a rapid spiral of suffering and pain, characterized by the triptych of growl - pulsing drums - swirling guitars. The break is short, about a minute, but it serves to give a precise shake to the track, which then promptly returns to the tracks from which it started, and concludes there, with an emotionally intense recited part.

The album is a great debut, definitely a must-have if you love gothic and doom and especially if you are already familiar with Draconian. It contains certain elements that will later be presented with greater mastery and command in "Arcane Rain Fell": at times it may seem raw and monotonous, but certain tracks, at least the ones I've mentioned, will certainly be able to lift the overall tone of the entire work. An excellent debut, keep going like this.