TRUE NORWEGIAN STONER ROCK BAND DRAKEN ANNOUNCE 3RD SINGLE

True Norwegian Stoner Rock trio Draken is ready to release their 3rd album, “Here Be Draken”, on April the 17th.

While we await the upcoming hard hitting masterpiece, we can enjoy the 3rd single today which is the song “Of Demise and Men”, which can be heard here: https://orcd.co/of_demise_and_men

Draken’s guitarist and vocalist Even Hermansen has this to say about “Of Demise and Men”:
Think most people are crazy, and the world has gone to shit? Well, you're absolutely right! And we've written a catchy, little song about it...

Of Demise And Men is our humble, little tribute to our friends in Enslaved (poor man's Grutle-intro and everything...), to our heroes Abba, and to humanity's never ending ability to shoot itself in the foot, and ruin everything for everyone.

Are these the end times? God damn right! Is mankind alone to blame? God damn right again! But that doesn't mean that we can't sing and dance, and laugh and celebrate, as everything crumbles to dust around us! Because it's ok. Everything's fine. All will be well. We've had a good run. It was good while it lasted. So don't you worry, for as we die screaming, all will be well ...at last.

Here's to the end of the world everybody! Cheers!

Formed in 2019 by Even Hermansen (guitar/vocals), Hallvard Gaardløs (bass/vocals) and André Drage (drums), Draken has carved out a fierce sonic identity at the crossroads of heavy rock and metal. Drawing inspiration from bands like High on Fire, Motörhead and Entombed, their sound is defined by down-tuned guitars, massive riffs and raw energy.

Hallvard Gaardløs has this to say about the upcoming album:

For a long time, the main theme of “Here Be Draken” alluded me. But the more I think about it, this album is about new beginnings in so many ways.

Sonically, it’s a new beginning. After two albums with Vegard Liverød (a true gentleman and legend!), the time was right for a change of scenery. We went for Amper Tone, which, quite conveniently, is just a stones throw from where I live. I talked to Kim Lillestøl about engineering, we knew each other from music studies, and we all have heard great things about him the last couple of years. The result... well, hear for yourself!

As mentioned, the upcoming album “Here Be Draken” was recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo and produced by the band together with engineer Kim Lillestøl. With artwork by Per Spjøtvold, the track listing is as follows:

1. The Great Deceiver
2. Jólablót
3. Saturday Night Head Removal Extravaganza
4. Here Be Dragons
5. Crimson Sun
6. It Serves You Right
7. Wrath
8. Shirts of Black (F.O.A.D.)
9. Of Demise and Men
10. Endtyme
11. Shitshow

Their first two albums – Draken (2021) and Book of Black (2023) – were released on Swedish label Majestic Mountain Records and received strong reviews across Norwegian and European press. The upcoming album Here Be Dragons was recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo and produced by the band together with engineer Kim Lillestøl.

Draken has performed across Norway and Sweden and toured central Europe with Spidergawd. With a new label and a new album on the horizon, the band is ready to take things to the next level.

Set for a release on Dark Essence Records on April the 17th, “Here Be Draken” will be available on CD, Limited Edition Cream White Vinyl and digital formats, and can be pre-ordered from:

Webshop: https://shop.karismarecords.no/collections/preorder
Bandcamp: https://drakentheband.bandcamp.com/
US webshop: https://www.indiemerchstore.com/collections/draken

More information about DRAKEN can be found on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/drakentheband

DRAKEN Release New Song SYMBIOTE From Upcoming New Album Book Of Black via Majestic Mountain Records

Artist: Draken

Album: Book of Black

Release: Early 2023

To be released on digital and vinyl

Based in Oslo, Norway

Here's the new single Symbiote from DRAKEN's upcoming brilliant new album Book Of Black

Hallvard from DRAKEN says this about about Symbiote:

“Symbiote is the second single for our upcoming sophomore album, I hope you guys enjoy it! Anita Kaasbøl from Bladed  (awesome band, check it out!) added some nice vocals that blends with my own on the chorus of this song. I think it fits really well,  as well as complimenting the lyrics in a nice way. I have to say that I’m really proud of this track, and it all came together quite easily. I had developed the basic riff-verse-chorus idea, and later on we added on a couple of Even’s ideas as well. I really like that it is quite brass and to-the-point, but still has this whole solo/middle section with a lot of different passages. Even plays his socks off on his guitar solo as well, it absolutely blew my mind in the studio and it still does! Enjoy, folks!” 

Here's what the band say about the new album 'The Book of Black':

"We are really eager to share our sophomore album with you all! We think in many ways that “The Book of Black” is a very natural step forward for the band. It definitively takes our sound to the next level, both sonically and musically. "Bastards" has already been out for some time,  and now "Symbiote" is also out there. Those two songs are quite different from each other, but still we think it sounds inmistakably like Draken. We got some other surprises in store for you on the album as well, so don't worry. It’s harder, heavier and more brutal than ever before, we hope you dig it."

Book Of Black - Tracklisting

The Book of Black

Bastards

We Deserve to Suffer

House of Horrors

Symbiote

Devotees of the Faith

Relentless Sinners

Bloodguilt

Draken is:

Hallvard Gaardløs - Bass and lead vocals

Even Helte Hermansen - Guitar and background vocals

Andre Drage Haraldsen - Drums

Symbiote features Anita Kaasbøl on guest vocals

Album Credits:

Music by Draken

Lyrics by Hallvard Gaardløs & Even Helte Hermansen

Produced by Draken & Vegard Liverød

Recorded and mixed by Vegard Liverød at Røffsound Recordings

Mastered by Espen Høydalsvik at Oslo:Fuzz

Cover art & design by Per Spjøtvold

On Tour with Spidergawd in 2023

Germany 28/02/2023 Hamburg

Germany 01/03/2023 Rostock

Netherlands 02/03/2023 Groningen

Germany 04/03/2023 Essen

Germany 05/03/2023 Köln

Germany 06/03/2023 Wiesbaden

France 08/03/2023 Paris

Spain 10/03/2023 Bilbao

Spain 11/03/2023 Madrid

Spain 12/03/2023 Barcelona

Denmark 14/03/2023 Kolding

France 14/03/2023 Lyon

Switzerland 15/03/2023 Winterthur

Germany 16/03/2023 Stuttgart

Germany 17/03/2023 Nuremburg

Germany 18/03/2023 München

Austria 19/03/2023 Wien

Germany 21/03/2023 Leipzig

Germany 22/03/2023 Berlin

Germany 23/03/2023 Kiel

Denmark 24/03/2023 Kolding

Denmark 25/03/2023 Copenhagen

Book Of Black will be available to buy/pre-order from Majestic Mountain Records.

Thanks to Majestic Mountain Records for all of the details.

Socials

Draken on Facebook – facebook.com/drakentheband
Instagram – instagram.com/drakentheband
Twitter – twitter.com/drakentheband

Majestic Mountain on Facebook – facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
Instagram – instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
Twitter – twitter.com/Majestic_vinyl

Exclusive Song Premiere of DRAKEN New Song BASTARDS From Upcoming 2022 New Album Via MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS

Here's a cool bit of news for you all. A Premiere of the new single BASTARDS from the mighty DRAKEN who released their acclaimed self titled release back in March 2021. Fast forward 12 months later and the guys are coming back.

Photo by Frida Roland

First single Bastards is taken from the sophomore album "Book of Black" due out in March 2022 on Majestic Mountain records.

Here's what DRAKEN have said about the song. 

"Have we made our first love song? Yes, I think we have! “Bastards” is a 3 minute all killer, no filler banger that we hope will put a grin on your face as you raise your horns to the sky!

The lyrics are all about me declaring my undying love to my wife to be. The music is a shameless tribute to the three amigos we all know and love.

Especially, of course, the rider wearing black (who shoots you in the back, in the western movies)!"

Thanks to Marco at Majestic Mountain Records for the promo details

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Draken - S/T (Album Review)

Release Date: 26th March 2021. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Draken - S/T - Tracklisting

Realm Of Silence

Way Down Low
Grand General
(We Walk) In Circles
The Master
Strange Love
Mountain In An Endless Ocean

Members

Hallvard Gaardløs - Bass and lead vocals
Even Helte Hermansen - Guitar and background vocals
Andre Drage Haraldsen - Drums

Additional Musicians:

Per Spjutvøld (guest vocals on Way Down low)

Review

Draken's debut full-length album is one “bad-ass” record of different styles which veers into Hard Rock and Heavy Metal territory. The album manages to find a real creative “niche” by blending elements of Doom Metal, Psych Rock, Stoner Metal, Hard Rock, Prog Rock and even NWOBHM lurking in the darker corners of the album.

This album won’t be for everyone but if you’re in the mood for a challenging and hard-rocking experience then Draken will offer a different style of album with lots of different grooves to impress you with. All of the songs are quite different to each other and you would expect the rest of the album to follow the same structure as the excellent opening song Realm Of Silence. 

Realm Of Silence has a trippy nature before venturing into the darker corners of Heavy Metal spliced with modern-day Doom Metal attitude and when the band bring a progressive atmosphere to the album then all bets are off at how this album ends up. Draken revel in the fact of trying something different with the different musical aspects they have at their disposal. The vocals have a classical and modern feel at the same time that can be quite bombastic and OTT in all the right places.

Draken carry on with their Doom/Stoner/Progressive hybrid style of music across 6 more interesting songs where the band focus on trying different things but still retaining a cool classic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal style of grooves. There is a lot of Thin Lizzy or Twin Guitar riff-loving worship going on within this album and it’s quite exciting to hear at times especially on songs such as: Way Down Low, (We Walk) In Circles, The Master and Mountain In An Endless Ocean.

The album in sense should really lose steam with the many different ideas that Draken adapts for this record but it never does. As the band plays to their creative and musical strengths with a lot of cool surprises along the way.

Another highlight of the album is how Draken operates effortlessly between the many different styles of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal over the last 60 years. The progressive nature of the album offers a darker and gloomy path for Draken to show their impressive musical skills throughout the entire album.

Overall, Draken's debut album is a delightfully dark and different album to entertain yourself with.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo. The album is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Album Premiere of DRAKEN New Self Titled Album due out on Majestic Mountain Records

Majestic Mountain Records is psyched to announce the official release of Draken, the self-titled debut album from Norway’s most exciting and new prog rock power trio.

Formed in 2018 by Spidergawd/Orango bassist Hallvard Gaardløs and close friend Andre Drage, Draken is a rock band with an appetite for reinvention. Recently becoming a fully-fledged power triumvirate with the addition of jazz/progressive virtuoso, Even Hermansen of Bushman’s Revenge on guitar, the trio dig on the Metals and Hard Rocks of old, and in doing so channel the inspiration they unearth into something truly unique.

Recorded during the cold winter months with producer Vegard Liverød at Røffsound Studios on the northern outskirts of Oslo, the energy and synergy shared between the band shines through. One room, three musicians, every scrap of equipment and gear jammed tightly together. Spirited and raw in form, Draken is a testament to the very sessions and talents that spawned this intriguing collective. As Hallvard explains, “We were really excited and eager to prove ourselves. All three of us are very passionate about the music and very vocal about our opinions, so the heat was definitely on!”

Draken’s self-titled debut album will be released worldwide on 26th March 2021 through Majestic Mountain Records. Pre-order the album here.

Thanks to the good folks over at Majestic Mountain Records and Sheltered Life PR you can listen to the album in full with this cool premiere:

 

Members

Hallvard Gaardløs – Bass, Vocals
Even Hermansen – Guitar
Andre Drage – Drums

Tracklisting

1. Realm of Silence
2. Way Down Low 
3. Grand General
4. (We Walk In) Circles
5. The Master
6. Strange Love
7. Mountain in An Endless Ocean 

Socials

Draken on Facebook – facebook.com/drakentheband
Instagram – instagram.com/drakentheband
Twitter – twitter.com/drakentheband

Majestic Mountain on Facebook – facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
Instagram – instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
Twitter – twitter.com/Majestic_vinyl