Draconian at Rockhal

Draconian started in Säffle, Sweden, in May 1994 under another name, Kerberos. Over the years they slowed into gothic doom, where harsh vocals and clean singing answer each other over heavy, melancholic riffs.

Draconian play the Rockhal Club on Tuesday 2 March 2027, with Saturnus and Ann My Guard. Doors at 18:30.

Draconian are Swedish and play doom at its slowest and heaviest, with clean and harsh vocals set against each other. Saturnus, from Denmark, have been doing something similar since the mid-1990s. This is a bill with a very specific idea of an evening, and it does not involve hurrying.

Three bands on a Tuesday with early doors. Standing, in the Club, part of Rockhal’s Temple of Metal strand.

Who are Draconian?

Draconian come from Säffle, Sweden. Johan Ericson, Jesper Stolpe and Andreas Hindenäs started the band in May 1994 under the name Kerberos, and it became Draconian about seven months later. The early sound leaned towards melodic death metal with black metal touches, before settling into the gothic doom the band is known for: slow, heavy riffs and a melancholic atmosphere, with Anders Jacobsson’s harsh vocals answered by clean, expressive singing.

The turning point was the 2002 demo Dark Oceans We Cry, which introduced singer Lisa Johansson. Its good reviews led to a deal with Napalm Records, the label behind every Draconian album since. Heike Langhans took over the clean vocals in 2012. In 2022 Lisa Johansson returned, and both singers shared the stage for a farewell set at Hellfest that year. Guitarist Johan Ericson wrote, recorded and arranged the latest album.

Their records

• Where Lovers Mourn (2003): the first full album, on Napalm Records.
• Arcane Rain Fell (2005)
• The Burning Halo (2006)
• Turning Season Within (2008)
• A Rose for the Apocalypse (2011)
• Sovran (2015): mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren.
• Under a Godless Veil (2020)
• In Somnolent Ruin (2026): the eighth album, released on 8 May 2026, nine tracks exploring Plato’s theory of the soul.

Songs to know before the night: “No Greater Sorrow”, “The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight”, “Stellar Tombs”, “Lustrous Heart”, “Sorrow of Sophia”, “Cold Heavens”.

Milestones

• 2002: the demo Dark Oceans We Cry opens the door to Napalm Records.
• 2022: Lisa Johansson and Heike Langhans sing together at Hellfest.
• 2024: thirty years of Draconian, marked with a 17-date European tour.

The current line-up pairs Anders Jacobsson and Lisa Johansson on vocals with Johan Ericson and Niklas Nord on guitars, Daniel Arvidsson on bass and Daniel Johansson on drums. The night is part of Rockhal’s Temple of Metal series.