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.
Death Come Near Me
Draconian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O Death, come near me!
Be the one for me, be the one who stays.
My rivers are frozen, and mischosen,
and the shadows around me sickens my heart.
O Death, come near me,
In sadness I'm veiled, to the cross I am nailed,
and the pain around me freezes my world.
My cold world...
In life I've failed,
for years I've wailed.
Frozen in time... left behind...
The rapture of grief is all to find...
The rapture of grief is all!
Behind the shadow of life the lost hopes are grieving.
I seek the night and hope to find love...
So I drown in the silence of lifes short eternity.
The tears fills the void in my heart astray...
Embrace me now, delightful ease!
Give me a world of wonderous peace!
Calm the desperate scream in my heart!
O Death, come near me,
save me from this empty, cold world!
O Life, you have killed me,
so spare me from this couldron of misery!
In life I cry, away I fly...
Chosen to fall within these walls.
The rapture...
The rapture of grief is all!
Oh, shed a tear for the loss of innocense,
for the forsaken spirits who aches... in us.
Cry for the heart who surrenders to pain,
for the solitude of those left behind!
Behold the pain and sorrow of the world,
dream of a place away from this nightmare.
Give us love and unity, under the heart of night.
O Death, come near us, and give us life!
I this world of pain I am better of dead!
Give me love, or give me... death!
O Death, come near me!
I have summoned you!
The lyrics of Draconian's song Death Come Near Me are a cry for release from a world of pain, sorrow, and misery. The song's narrator speaks of nights spent weeping and days spent in a frozen river of misery. The shadows and pain around them have sickened their heart and left them frozen in time, behind the shadow of life's lost hopes. The singer is consumed with grief and waits for death to come near and take them away from this empty world. They reject life and all the pain it has caused them and surrender themselves to the embrace of Death. In the end, the singer has summoned Death, calling for the ultimate release from their pain.
The song speaks to a universal human experience of grief, pain, loss, and suffering. It captures the feeling of hopelessness and despair that can come from a life filled with pain and sorrow. It is a reminder that death is not always the enemy, that it can bring release and peace for those who seek it. The song's emotive delivery and powerful lyrics offer comfort to those who are struggling with their own pain and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
By day I sleep, at night I weep!
I am so consumed by sadness that I can't even stay awake during the day, and at night my grief consumes me to the point where I cry all the time.
O Death, come near me!
I am in so much emotional pain that I am actually calling out for Death to take me away from this world.
Be the one for me, be the one who stays.
Death is the one thing that hasn't abandoned me, and I want Death to be the one to stay with me forever.
My rivers are frozen, and mischosen, and the shadows around me sickens my heart.
I am emotionally numb and have made wrong choices in my life that have left me feeling empty. Being surrounded by darkness only makes things worse.
and stay (by my side). Hear my silent cry!
I want Death to be close to me and hear my pain, even though I can't express it out loud.
In sadness I'm veiled, to the cross I am nailed, and the pain around me freezes my world. My cold world...
I am so consumed by sadness that it feels like a blanket covering me, and I feel trapped and unable to move forward.
In life I've failed, for years I've wailed. Frozen in time... left behind...
I feel like a failure and have been crying for years. In my sadness, I feel like time has stopped and I'm falling behind everyone else in life.
The rapture of grief is all to find... The rapture of grief is all!
The only thing that brings me any sort of release is my overwhelming grief. It's the only thing I have left.
Behind the shadow of life the lost hopes are grieving.
The hopes and dreams that I had for my life are now gone, and I'm grieving their loss.
I seek the night and hope to find love...
I look to the night as a time when I might find some sort of love or solace in my pain.
So I drown in the silence of life’s short eternity. The tears fills the void in my heart astray...
I feel like I'm drowning in my pain and that my life is full of emptiness. My tears are the only thing filling that void.
Embrace me now, delightful ease!
Whether it's Death or something else, I just want to be embraced and given some sort of ease or comfort from my pain.
Give me a world of wonderous peace!
I want to escape my pain and find a world that is filled with peace and wonder.
Calm the desperate scream in my heart!
There's a scream inside me that's desperate to get out, and I just want it to stop.
save me from this empty, cold world!
I feel like the world around me is empty and cold, and I want Death to save me from it.
O Life, you have killed me, so spare me from this couldron of misery!
I feel like life has destroyed me and left me in misery, and I'm asking for a way out.
Chosen to fall within these walls.
It feels like I've been put in a situation where I have no choice but to suffer and be trapped in my pain.
Oh, shed a tear for the loss of innocense, for the forsaken spirits who aches... in us.
I want others to recognize the pain and loss that we all feel and to mourn for those things together.
Cry for the heart who surrenders to pain, for the solitude of those left behind!
I want people to cry for those who are left in pain and alone, and to recognize the suffering and grief that comes with it.
Behold the pain and sorrow of the world, dream of a place away from this nightmare.
I want people to acknowledge the pain and sadness in the world, but also to hope for a better place where it doesn't exist.
Give us love and unity, under the heart of night.
I want there to be love and unity among people, just as there is in the darkness of the night.
O Death, come near us, and give us life!
I'm calling on Death to come near everyone so that they can find a way out of their pain and suffering.
Give me love, or give me... death!
I just want to feel some sort of love or connection, and if I can't have that, then I'd rather not be alive at all.
I have summoned you!
I am so overwhelmed by sadness and pain that I'm calling on Death to come for me and take me away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDERS JACOBSSON, ANDREAS KARLSSON, JOHAN ERICSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
snajamh
Draconian is truly a band for people with some class and artistic taste both in music and poetry Just love their music couldn't ask for better Gothic Doom Metal Band
Alfredo CA
One of the most sincere and beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. Thank the gods for Draconian.
Jim James Darwin Smith II
I have a shorter version on my mp3 player. I always play it over and over again. Never knew there was this much more to it. Thank you for making this. This song really has been something that has been there in my times of lonliness and despair. Amazing you really made such an amazing video such a great tribute!
Inaspectus
Songs like this are truly beautiful. One of many masterpieces of Draconian
Eugene Stefanidis
This is an ABSOLUTELY epic song.This is what gothic metal means.Draconian really really are magnificent
Matthew Davenport
I've never heard a song that more appropriately captures true grief and sorrow...this song is tough to get through.
Skullzi TV
I am so addicted to the last three minutes of thing song... This whole song just resonates within me at such a level that I thought only was possible through being in love... It, makes my sadness no longer a burden, but a trophy, of what all I have endured, and all I can continue to endure. I am not the broken man, but the immovable wall of will power, because yet after all I have been though, all I have lost, and all I have seen, I still set one foot in front of the other, with a head held up high. And that means so can all of you. Please, from one shattered soul to another, do not give up hope, because even after we piece the pieces of our souls back together, they may not be the same, but the image portrayed will be one of art and beauty; Like a artist setting a brushstroke to canvas, one must bare scars in order for the entire portrait to start to form.
Trevor Selbee
Well said. Your words inspire me to be a whole man, not broken by my loss, but instead stronger. These headaches make us stronger.
Paradoxx
i hope that you found your person to calm you,because i was shattered until 2006/2007,and then i found my spirit because i NEVER GAVED UP and with every scar that one love made to me i healed with another. We live to love and die from it. But we live so beautifull
vedran juric
This song is breathtaking,pure and so dark.I really love it.