DRACONIAN releases second single SORROW OF SOPHIA and lyric video off the new album UNDER A GODLESS VEIL

DRACONIAN, the sovereigns of melancholic Gothic Doom Metal and colossal lyricism, have released their second single "Sorrow Of Sophia", off their upcoming album, Under A Godless Veil, out October 30, 2020 via Napalm Records.

[photo by Eleni Liverakou Eriksson]

The opening epos on DRACONIAN's new offer epitomizes the story behind the album and introduces the world of Gnosticism to the listener. Delicate guitar lines weave throughout "Sorrow Of Sophia" while the ethereal vocals of singer Heike Langhans accompany the melancholic vibe of the song. At the very latest, when the heavier guitar and drum parts start, the song will draw you into the world of DRACONIAN. Heavy growls underline the sudden change in the song and will make you remember the essence of the band. The beautiful conceptualized lyric video perfectly underlines the narrative and musical atmosphere of "Sorrow Of Sophia". Their stunning second single showcases another expressive facet off their upcoming full-length and shouldn't be missed in every well groomed Gothic/Doom Metal collection!

Vocalist Anders Jacobsson comments:
"Sorrow Of Sophia was the first lyric, and one of the first songs written for Under A Godless Veil. This was years ago now, and I remember I'd just finished a lecture on Gnostic cosmology by Terence McKenna. He'd been speaking of the goddess Sophia's ordeal and her story affected me on a very deep level. It's sad yet heart-wrenchingly majestic bringing all of existence into it. I knew I had to do something with it for DRACONIAN as I was already having a few of Johan's new song-ideas. This sparked what was later to become a whole album inspired by this story. It started here, with this song.

"Sorrow Of Sophia" is a complex song about a complex spiritual being. With it comes a diverse nature consisting of an initial minimalist soulful expression to feisty, heavy riffing with a harsh demonic formula to post-rock melancholia and symphonic soundscapes. Heike's pure and crystalline vocals are beautifully entrenched holding the very spirit of the song."

Almost five years after the release of their latest long-player, Sovran, DRACONIAN announce the release of their new epos, Under a Godless Veil, out October 30, 2020 via Napalm Records.

The upcoming full-length delivers a captivating mélange of dreary doom and contrasting vocals and is the second offering featuring stunning singer Heike Langhans. The first notes of the opener will immediately draw the listener into a void of interweaving beauty, coalescing with paralyzing depression that leaves nothing but the desire of total immersion in the whole record. Under a Godless Veil carries the legacy of gothic doom metal à la My Dying Bride into a new decade of the genre.

DRACONIAN states:
"To DRACONIAN, Under a Godless Veil is by far the most diverse album we have created. Inspired by some of the music closest to Johan's heart; everything from traditional Doom to scaled-down, Gothic rock-inspired pieces and more. Some will perhaps describe the songs as more refined and meditative. Some ambient elements have been added to the mix without overshadowing the traditional characteristics that are DRACONIAN.
Resonating with the compositions, Anders's lyrical direction is ambiguous and a progression of the first two-three albums, yet more subtle while embracing the Gnostic philosophy more directly. One could say Under a Godless Veil is an act of contemplation; About living and dying and remembering who we are in a strange, abrasive world far from home."

Under A Godless Veil tracklist:
1. Sorrow of Sophia
2. The Sacrificial Flame
3. Lustrous Heart
4. Sleepwalkers
5. Moon Over Sabaoth
6. Burial Fields
7. The Sethian
8. Claw Marks On The Throne
9. Night Visitor
10. Ascend Into Darkness

Under A Godless Veil will be available in the following formats:
- CD Jewelcase
- 2LP Gatefold Black vinyl
- 2LP Gatefold Gold vinyl
- Bundle: Covershirt + CD
- Digital Album
- 2LP Black + Shirt Bundle (Napalm North America Mailorder Only)
- 2LP Gold + Shirt Bundle (Napalm North America Mailorder Only)

DRACONIAN is:
Anders Jacobsson - vocals
Heike Langhans - vocals
Johan Ericsson - guitar
Daniel Arvidsson - guitar
Jerry Torstensson - drums

[cover artwork by Natalia Drepina]

Watch the video: