Draconian Release Final Single “Anima” Ahead of New Album In Somnolent Ruin

Swedish gothic doom band Draconian have released “Anima,” the third and final single from their upcoming album In Somnolent Ruin, due out this Friday, May 8 via Napalm Records. The track features guest vocals from Swedish artist Daniel Änghede and arrives alongside a new lyric video.

According to the band, “Anima” explores themes of duality, self-reflection, and confronting darker parts of the human psyche. Vocalist Anders Jacobsson explained that the song began as a poem written in 2019 and was inspired by the Jungian concept of the anima. Musically, the track leans further into gothic influences while pairing Änghede’s vocals with returning vocalist Lisa Johansson, whose comeback marks one of the major shifts surrounding the new album cycle.

Blondie Says

Editor's Take

✦ Opinion

If you haven't followed this band for long, this song very much continues the atmospheric theme that was seen in their 2020 album “Under A Godless Veil”. I know the ‘gothic’ themes have been getting more praise within pop culture recently- to a degree that it’s almost a gothic revival (heavy on movie media on this). I keep saying when I listen to metal it’s always Metalcore, Thrash, and Death. However I keep that ambient streak going consistently and this is a pleasant bridge of the melodic aspects I enjoy, especially in female vocals in the Doom Metal genre, and a very Atmospheric Doom vibe (well, duh, it’s the genre) that keeps it very chill, but in that diving on a gorgeously high-ceilinged cloudy day. Ifykyk.

In Somnolent Ruin will be Draconian’s first full-length release in six years, following 2020’s Under a Godless Veil. Since then, the lineup has undergone several changes, including the addition of guitarist Niklas Nord and drummer Daniel Johansson as an official member after previously serving as the band’s session drummer. The album also marks longtime member Daniel Arvidsson’s first release on bass after switching from guitar in 2022.

Active since the mid-1990s, Draconian have remained one of the defining names in gothic doom metal, known for blending heavy instrumentation with atmospheric melodies and poetic songwriting. Their upcoming album continues that direction through themes of alienation, emotional conflict, and existential reflection across tracks like “The Face of God,” “Cold Heavens,” and the closing song “Lethe.”

The album will be available in multiple physical formats including limited vinyl editions, a deluxe earbook, CD digipak, and digital release. Draconian are also scheduled to tour throughout Latin America, Europe, and Japan across 2026 and early 2027 in support of the record.