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.
Earthbound
Draconian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The tide will never turn
I've been dead for years, drowned in all my tears
Have you forsaken me?
Frequent days of loss, crawling to the cross
The silence screams so loud
Conquered by the sun, my fate is done
Blazing through my eyes, your tender disguise
So far our of reach
A life of dismay turns into grey
Will you abandon me?
Here in the light it's pitch black night
A fever on the rise
Dying from within, reborn into sin
I'm tearing up the sky
Feel the world inside;
The ghost of me calling you
Feel the world inside;
The ghost of me haunting you
This sentient cage,
Cutting through time with a blunt smile
Would you help me slit my wrists?
See me cry, help me... Die!
So frail the veil of life-so beautiful the face of death
Suddenly reveries bloom into night's heavy drenching
And life leaves you cold, weary and old...
It's hard just to breathe
You know me so well, I'm going through hell
Won't you please, follow me?
Feel the world inside;
The ghost of me calling you
Feel the world inside;
The ghost of me haunting you
You cracked the ice, and I wept
You covered the sun, and I slept
You whispered the truth, and I smiled
You kissed my soul, and I died
The lyrics of Draconian's song Earthbound have a deeply sorrowful and existential tone, as it explores the concept of being lost and abandoned. The opening lines "The sorrow of my soul, earthbound and cold // The tide will never turn" evoke a sense of despair and hopelessness, as if the singer is resigned to an eternal state of suffering. The line "Have you forsaken me?" adds a poignant question that highlights the feeling of being abandoned by some greater power or by someone close to the singer.
The second verse continues with similar imagery of loss and suffering, as the singer crawls to the cross and feels conquered by the sun, suggesting a sense of surrender to a higher power or fate. The line "A life of dismay turns into grey // Will you abandon me?" echoes the previous question and emphasizes the singer's fear of being left alone. The chorus repeats the haunting line "Feel the world inside; The ghost of me calling you // Feel the world inside; The ghost of me haunting you" which reinforces the idea of the singer's presence lingering on despite physical death.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become increasingly visceral and desperate, as the singer begs for release from their misery. The lines "This sentient cage, Cutting through time with a blunt smile // Would you help me slit my wrists? See me cry, help me... Die!" present a disturbing image of self-harm and suicidal ideation. The following verse continues with a sense of resignation and longing for death, as the singer describes being "cold, weary and old" and begs someone to follow him into the unknown.
Overall, the lyrics of Earthbound paint a vivid picture of despair and existential crisis, with each line adding to a sense of hopelessness and abandonment. The imagery of drowning, crawling, and being conquered suggests a feeling of powerlessness and surrender to fate, while the repeated chorus emphasizes the idea of the singer's presence lingering on despite physical death.
Line by Line Meaning
The sorrow of my soul, earthbound and cold
My soul is filled with sadness and feels stuck in this world, unable to move forward.
The tide will never turn
I feel hopeless that things will never get better or change for the better.
I've been dead for years, drowned in all my tears
My pain and sadness have become so overwhelming that I feel like I'm already dead and have been for years.
Have you forsaken me?
I feel abandoned and alone in my pain and sadness and wonder if anyone cares or understands.
Frequent days of loss, crawling to the cross
Every day feels like a new loss or battle, and I feel like I'm slowly losing my faith or hope in finding a way out of this sadness.
The silence screams so loud
The lack of response or understanding from those around me feels deafening and suffocating.
Conquered by the sun, my fate is done
I feel like my fate has already been decided, and I am just waiting for the end to come.
I'm pulling down the shroud
I am actively trying to end my suffering and let death take me.
Blazing through my eyes, your tender disguise
I can see through your attempts to hide your true feelings or intentions, and it only adds to my sense of isolation and despair.
So far our of reach
Any hope of finding comfort or understanding with another person feels unattainable and distant.
A life of dismay turns into grey
My despair and sadness have become so all-encompassing that everything in my life feels dull and grey.
Will you abandon me?
My fear of being left alone in my sadness and despair grows stronger with each passing day.
Here in the light it's pitch black night
Even when I try to find happiness or light in my life, I am still consumed by my sorrow and pain.
A fever on the rise
My emotional pain has become so intense that it feels like a physical fever in my body.
Dying from within, reborn into sin
My emotional suffering has caused me to feel like a part of me is dying, and the only way to feel alive again is to turn to self-destructive behavior.
I'm tearing up the sky
My pain and anger intensify to the point where I feel like I could destroy the world around me.
The ghost of me calling you
Even though I feel alone, a part of me still wants to be heard and understood by someone else.
The ghost of me haunting you
My pain and sadness may affect others and make them feel helpless or haunted by my suffering.
This sentient cage, Cutting through time with a blunt smile
I feel trapped in my own body and mind, and I see time passing with a sense of hopelessness and emptiness.
Would you help me slit my wrists?
I am so consumed by my sorrow that I am considering suicide as a way out of my pain.
See me cry, help me... Die!
My pain has become so unbearable that I feel like crying out for someone to help me end my life.
So frail the veil of life-so beautiful the face of death
Life feels temporary and fragile compared to the idea of death, which may seem beautiful or peaceful in comparison.
Suddenly reveries bloom into night's heavy drenching
My thoughts and dreams become overwhelming and suffocating, like a heavy rainfall at night that feels endless.
And life leaves you cold, weary and old...
Living with constant pain and sorrow can leave a person feeling drained, lifeless, and exhausted.
It's hard just to breathe
The weight of my pain feels suffocating and overwhelming, and even the simple act of breathing feels like a struggle.
You know me so well, I'm going through hell
Even though I feel alone in my pain, there may be someone who understands or knows me well enough to sense my pain and suffering.
Won't you please, follow me?
Even though I feel like giving up, a part of me still wants someone to follow me through my pain and help me find a way out of it.
You cracked the ice, and I wept
Someone may have finally found a way to break through my walls and reach me, and it has caused me to break down emotionally.
You covered the sun, and I slept
The comforting presence of another person may have helped me feel safe enough to finally rest and find some peace from my pain.
You whispered the truth, and I smiled
Someone may have finally helped me see through my pain and sadness, and it has brought a sense of relief and joy to my life.
You kissed my soul, and I died
The love and compassion of another person may have finally given me a sense of peace and healing, and it has helped me let go of some of my pain.
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.