Style: Melodic doom/death, beauty and the beast
Primary Emotions/Themes: Sorrow turned to rage in musical form
Thoughts: When it comes to slow brooding doom/death metal it's hard to beat Draconian. Even though their debut album wasn't really to my liking, Arcane Rain Fell is one of the finest entries into the entire genre.
Draconian combines mournful melodies, slow brooding atmospheres, deep growls mixed with angelic female vocals. This is prototypical "beauty and the beast" metal, but it is done so incredibly well that instead of sounding like the stereotype it's one of the pillars that I use to compare all other entries into this genre with.
Over the course of these eight tracks these Swede's create some of the most oppressive, depressed, and outright devoid of hope music that I have in my collection. It's the type of music you would hear as the final moments of your life flash before your eyes. A dirge one would play for the loss of a loved one. The chorus to a life better off not lived.
The song structure for Arcane Rain Fell is largely linear, but the melodies and atmosphere that the band has keeps the songs engaging. Even the incredible epic Death, Come Near Me feels much shorter than its actual runtime due to the skill that the song is put together and how well it flows. In many ways this song is a miniature version of the album itself. Full of melody, regret, and above all else - sorrow.
Arcane Rain Fell is a beautiful entry into the doom/death genre. The sheer amount of melody that is shoved at the listener at any given time makes the music incredibly easy to digest. The insidious part though is that these melodies work their way into my mind and threaten to dampen my mood on even the brightest of days. It proves once again that there is beauty in sorrow and tragedy.
Written August 6th 2024
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