Swedish doom metal maestros Draconian recently headlined Metal Over Malta. Mark Debono caught up with vocalists Anders Jacobsson and Heike Langhans.

When I realised that Draconian were taking to the stage in Malta, alongside an impressive roster of local and international bands, as part of Metal Over Malta, I took the opportunity to speak to Anders Jacobsson, vocalist and erstwhile keyboardist, who has been with the band since 1994, and Heike Langhans, Draconian’s female singer, who joined in 2012.

We start by covering the history. How does Jacobsson see the band’s evolution and progress in the two decades he’s been a member?

“Very slow and pebbled with hardships, but it has empowered us as well. The firmament of the band is strong, as we know what kind of band we are.

“Furthering and developing the sound has helped to reform Draconian over the years, and though some members have come and gone, the firmament is robust and as long we have that the flame will burn and songs will get written.”

What about the band’s inspir-ations? Have those stayed the same throughout the years?

“There is a number of bands which inspired us over the years. My Dying Bride, early Celestial Season and Anathema, early Theatre of Tragedy and other goth-oriented bands are worth a mention. All the members of Draconian listen to progressive music, which surely leaves its mark. However, personally, these days nothing inspires me as much as my own consciousness.”

How do Draconian songs get written? Is there a dominant song writer, or do they happen more in a collaborative way?

The main music writer, guitarist Johan Ericson, usually sends Jacobsson rough drafts he’s composed and then the singer just takes it from there.

“I come up with words I find suitable to the general aura of the song, so I’ll write a lyric and we go through it together, making rearrangements if possible, moving stuff around so it will resonate well.

“I think the last song we came up with as a band just jamming during practice is The Dying. I miss those days. However, we do all have a say in the band.”

At this point Langhans interjects, saying that in the case of the upcoming album there has been much more collaboration between herself, Jacobsson and Jonas. “I prefer to be involved beyond just singing, so I got to contribute with lyrics and vocal melodies.

“It’s the first time I had the opportunity to be a part of a collaborative trinity (instead of being a lone wolf) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

In fact, it has been a number of years since we saw a Draconian album being released. What are the plans in that regard?

Jacobsson replies with genuine enthusiasm: “Oh yes! Our first album in four years and with this new line-up will see the light of day this fall. We recorded the drums at Top Floor studios with Jakob Herrman, the vocals with David Castillo and Karl Daniel Lidén under the Fascination Street banner.

“The guitars, bass and keyboards we’re doing in our very own Dead Dog Farm studios. The mix and mastering will be handled by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street as well.”

Nothing inspires me as much as my own consciousness

Although the band members are still trying to come up with an actual name for the album, they were happy to share some song titles, among which we find Dishearten, Heavy Lies the Crown, Dusk Mariner and The Marriage of Attaris.

Langhans continues: “Four years is a gruelling wait for Draconian fans, and it’s no wonder they keep asking when the new album is coming. I’ve been receiving these messages in my inbox every day for two years now.

“Nearly an entire year was wasted jumping through bureaucratic hoops to obtain my residence permit for Sweden, and I grew somewhat impatient at times for slowing things down. But I can say without a doubt that the most beautiful parts of the album bloomed in the latter part of its creation, through inner awakenings that would not have occurred earlier in time. So, in a way, I’m thankful that we were forced to take our time with it.”

I switch to more local concerns. How did the band feel about taking part in Metal Over Malta?

“This gig is kind of big for us as it was our first headliner gig in years and the first with Langhans,” says Jacobsson.

Langhans adds that given the fact that Draconian was headlining the festival and this was only her second live show as new member, she was understandably a little nervous.

“That said, I had no doubt we’d have a ton of fun. The line-up was great and we enjoyed seeing the other bands as well. Personally I was also ecstatic about just being able to visit Malta – an energy-rich place with interesting history. The ancestor in me knows this is a highlight of 2015.“

And lastly, bridging the past and the future, what is the band thankful for in these two decades that Draconian has been around, loud and proud?

Jacobsson takes the helm: “I’d love to make a list of great achievements in these 20 years, but the fact is that it has been quite rough. It was the year 2000, with our promo Frozen Features, when things really started happening.

“We owe many thanks to an awesome site called mp3.com which promoted unsigned artistes, though it would take two more years until we finally got signed.

“Fortunately our fans have been with us through the number of albums released over the years, some more than others … but it’s amazing to me how patient the average Draconian fan is.

“The love and the camaraderie are out of this world. It truly keeps us going.”