In May of 1994, drummer and vocalist Johan Ericson, bassist and vocalist Jesper Stolpe and guitarist Andy Hindenäs assembled the band Kerberos, initially playing melodic death metal with black metal influences. Seven months later, lead vocalist and lyrics composer Anders Jacobsson joined the band, and its name changed to Draconian.
Their first demo — Shades of a Lost Moon — was recorded in October 1995, a week subsequent to their first live concert. The demo counted with flutist and vocalist Jessica Eriksson, keyboardist and vocalist Susanne Arvidsson and with a special participation of Andreas Haag on the introductory section of "My Nemesis". The album was released in February, 1996. The band was then joined by guitatist Magnus Bergström.
No recording contract was obtained with Shades of a Lost Moon, so in early 1997 the band proceeded to record their second demo, entitled In Glorious Victory. The band, however, became discontent with the quality of the recording and discontinued the release.
In the following months, two members of Draconian had to complete their military service, slowing down the progress of the band. Their rehearsals, however, continued to some degree. Susanne Arvidsson left the band due to personal reasons and was replaced by Andreas Karlsson.
Both in 1998 and 1999, the band made concerts. After receiving positive reactions, they decided to enter the studio once more. In August of 1999, Draconian recorded The Closed Eyes of Paradise, an album dealing mostly with the theme of Lucifer and his fallen angels. Susanne Arvidsson made guest vocal appearances on this release. The album was, however, badly produced, and the band decided to spend time polishing it before a release was attempted. Between May and June of 2000, Andreas Karlsson, Anders Jacobsson, and Johan Ericson worked on the recorded material, improving the mix of the instruments and correcting effects. The demo was then released in the face of further lineup changes - Andy Hindenäs left the band, replaced by Johan Ericson who switched to guitars; drums were then left to Jerry Torstensson, who joined the band.
Dark Oceans We Cry was recorded in the summer of 2002 featuring the vocal talents of Lisa Johansson for the first time. The EP was made available on the internet, as well as in CD format. In spite of the recent line-up changes, the demo received outstanding reviews and the band signed a long-awaited record deal with Napalm Records.
The band recorded their debut album, Where Lovers Mourn in Studio Mega under the supervision of Chris Silver (former member of Sundown and Cemetary) in July 2003.
Just two years later, under the direction of Pelle Saether, Draconian entered Studio Underground in Västerås to record Arcane Rain Fell in 2005.
In 2006 they began working on their third release. But due to myriad fan requests, the band decided to first deliver a bonus album to include remakes of old tracks from The Closed Eyes of Paradise demo. The Burning Halo would also include three new tracks and two covers. Plagued by numerous problems throughout the production phases, the album was delayed and finally completed in June and released in September 2006.
Produced by Andreas Karlsson and Johan Ericson, and mixed in „Anders Ljudbild” by Anders Bergström, The Burning Halo is a majestic blend of Draconian's previous two releases, which shows the Swedish doom metal masters in perfect form, having developed into one of the scene's top acts.
In September 2007, Draconian started to record their 4th album Turning Season Within at the Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, with producers Jens Bogren and David Castillo (Opeth, Katatonia), who completed Draconian's vision of a extensive, weighty and dark sound. The album was released in February, 2008.
Their fifth studio album A Rose for the Apocalypse was released in June 2011 through Napalm Records.
Clean female vocalist Lisa Johansson left the band in late 2011. Heike Langhans was confirmed as her replacement.
Official site: www.draconian.se
2) Draconian is a German power metal band.
Official site: www.draconian.de
3) Draconian is a Spanish band.
4) Draconian was a Colombian gothic metal band formed in Medellin, Colombia.
Daylight Misery
Draconian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My peace of mind after sunset's occurrence
Away I walk to ye doleful masquerade;
My ravening and my words becometh aghast
The sun rises high, my feelings they die
Daylight misery... (leave me be)
Another tear in this life so grey
If you ever saw me smile
You should know I felt sick inside
O, death, with thy ebony cloak sublime,
How abstract thy harvest rose doth fall
Consigned to the flames of woe in sweet modesty...
I renounce myself from the everdawn
No god is as cruel as god himself
It's time to show the true face
No life is as dead as life itself;
This earthly realm imprisons my soul
Innocence raped in the sunrise,
And I watch how the beauty dies
Another day will go astray...
Another tear in this life so grey
If you ever saw me smile
You should know I felt sick inside
Another day will go astray...
Another tear in this life so grey
If you ever saw me smile
You should know I felt sick inside
In "Daylight Misery," Draconian explores themes of despair, hopelessness, and the emptiness of life. The song begins with the singer feeling deprived of all the things that make life meaningful - his "treasure," or the things he values most, and his "peace of mind." He walks towards a "doleful masquerade," which is presumably a metaphor for the everyday ritual or facade that people put up to hide their inner struggle and pain. The singer's hunger for something more meaningful, his "ravening," becomes "aghast," as he confronts the reality of his existence.
The next verse reflects on the passing of time and the loss of emotions. The singer's feelings die as the day progresses, bringing with it a sense of hopelessness and misery that he wants to be left alone with. The refrain repeats the words "Daylight Misery" as a mantra, driving home the overwhelming sense of despair that the singer feels. The second half of the song explores the concept of death and the singer's acceptance of it as a release from the pain of life. However, he recognizes the cruelty of the world, of "god himself," and the fact that life is a prison for the soul. The final lines return to the theme of innocence and beauty being destroyed, leaving the singer to live in a colorless world of tears.
Line by Line Meaning
Deprived of my treasure, my "aye" to life;
I have lost something that I considered precious and now I feel empty inside
My peace of mind after sunset's occurrence
I used to find solace during the night, but now I can't even do that
Away I walk to ye doleful masquerade;
I am going to a place where people pretend to be happy, but I know that they are not
My ravening and my words becometh aghast
My hunger and my words become fearful and anxious
The sun rises high, my feelings they die
The morning light takes away all my emotions
Daylight misery... (leave me be)
I am miserable during the day and I just want to be left alone
Another day will go astray...
This day is going to be just like any other wasted day
Another tear in this life so grey
I will shed another tear in this dull and colorless existence
If you ever saw me smile
If you ever saw me smile, it was just a façade
You should know I felt sick inside
Inside I was feeling terrible and hollow
O, death, with thy ebony cloak sublime,
Death is powerful and mysterious, like a beautiful black cloak
How abstract thy harvest rose doth fall
Nobody knows how death chooses its victims
Consigned to the flames of woe in sweet modesty...
Death brings suffering, but there is a certain beauty in it
I renounce myself from the everdawn
I don't want another day to begin, I want to escape the never-ending cycle of sorrow
No god is as cruel as god himself
Life is so painful that it makes me doubt the existence of a merciful deity
It's time to show the true face
I can't hide my sadness anymore, it's time to face reality
No life is as dead as life itself;
Life can be so bleak and hopeless that it feels like it is dead
This earthly realm imprisons my soul
I feel trapped in this world, unable to escape the torment
Innocence raped in the sunrise,
Every day, something pure and innocent is destroyed by the dawn
And I watch how the beauty dies
I can't help but witness the death of all that is beautiful and good in this world
Another day will go astray...
Once again, this day is going to be just like any other wasted day
Another tear in this life so grey
Once again, I will shed another tear in this dull and colorless existence
If you ever saw me smile
If you ever saw me smile, it was just a façade
You should know I felt sick inside
Inside I was feeling terrible and hollow
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDERS JACOBSSON, JOHAN ERICSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind