A Dirty Dozen with JOHAN ERICSON from DRACONIAN – October 2020

According to a recent press release: “DRACONIAN, the sovereigns of melancholic Gothic Doom Metal and far-reaching lyrics, release their fourth single, “Moon Over Sabaoth”, cut from their upcoming studio album, Under A Godless Veil, out October 30, 2020 via Napalm Records. The seventh full-length of the Swedish five-piece and second one with talented Heike Langhans on vocal duties, appears exactly five years after DRACONIAN’s latest album, Sovran, and guarantees a complete immersion into the band’s essence. Starting off with a soft guitar intro, DRACONIAN’s new single “Moon Over Sabaoth” soon breaks off into Anders Jacobsson’s ghastly growls paired with a stomping doomy rhythm. Complemented by Heike’s angelic voice, the vocals will touch deep inside your soul and interweave with stunning melodies and bone-crushing riffs. An artful conceptualized lyric video underlines these atmospheric tunes of melancholic beauty.” We get Johan to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

This is by far the most diverse album we have done. But there are still the Draconian trademarks all over. I think we have covered some new ground with this release and it’s a much more subtle and perhaps darker album than the more heavy oriented Sovran was. I’m sure the diehard fans will recognize the way I write my melodies and put together musical ideas but with a somewhat different approach this time. Sone of the songs will of course grab you by the first listen but you will discover more and more the 2 and 3 time around. It’s also quite lyric heavy so that might need some more plays to understand the concept and ideas.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I must have been in 5th grade or something. Before that I was a bit obsessed with music but it wasn’t until I remember this substitute teacher making mixed tapes for us kids with a lot of 70’s hard rock on it. The year after my dad bought me a drumkit and the future was set.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I would say everything that was metal or punk in the early days. Absorbing everything like a sponge.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Music that influenced my song writing for Draconian are The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim, Anathema, Katatonia and Paradise Lost. Of course many more but that is the core influence I think.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Susanne Sundför would be interesting. Love her music. Also Carl McCoy, that would be epic.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Slow and heavy with a lot of atmosphere and melody. A bit cinematic sometimes. The one comparison I’ve heard several time is Nightwish, don’t understand that at all but we all perceive music differently. That’s the beauty of it.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

For me, to create music by myself locked away in the studio. It’s when that magic happen and you feel that you created something really good.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

We actually don’t hang that much outside the band anymore. But when occasion comes Anders likes to cook spicy food. No campfire singing either I’m afraid.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Can’t remember I’ve been.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

My dream job would be working full time in the studio, mixing records for other bands.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I have a hard time listening to our album The Burning Halo. To my ears it sounds awful and we could have done it better. After that I decided to only work with professionals for production. Never been unhappy with a record after that.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

There are many interesting albums but the first that comes to mind is Floodland by The Sisters of Mercy. Such an amazing album but I wonder to this day how Andrew Eldritch got that one together. Since what I have understood, almost by himself. That record means a lot and have been with me since I discovered it almost 30 years ago.

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Category: Interviews