I awaited this third record of the Doom artists DRACONIAN with enormous tension. The two precursors Where Lovers Mourn and Arcane Rain Fell convinced me already with their gloom and fragility. With the make it or break it album The Burning Halo the Swedish band offers three brand new, three rerecorded tracks and two cover versions. Anyone thinking of a random assembled album? Not at all!

The contrasts the band works with show to advantage better than ever before. I personally appreciate that female singer Lisa Johansson takes over more vocal parts than on the previous record. Fortunately this happens without dominating the whole playtime. The unbelievable sad and slow moments harmonize in fantastic manner with the following powerful chords. DRACONIAN proves that they are not shy of heaviness. Thus I can claim in all conscience the development to real Doom masters because they found the perfect mixing ratio for their sound cosmos.

The most precious pearl on this album is The Gothic Embrace. This represents the absolute fulfillment for a Doom addict like me. A simple but beautiful piano melody leaves an everlasting trace in my auditory canals. This is the perfect example of an outstanding composition whose build-up can’t be topped. In my opinion this is one of the rare sidereal hours in Doom Metal. For all other songs on The Burning Halo there is no reason to hide – all of them inhere a certain allure and abduct me to a world of wonderful sadness.

It took some time to contract friendship with the final song Forever My Queen, because this track does not sound typical for DRACONIAN - but at the latest this Pentagram cover version explodes hefty after the second listening.

DRACONIAN managed to ascend toward the Premier League of the Doom Metal genre. Not a single note on The Burning Halo is unnecessary and there’s nothing left to say then: excellent!