Draconic is a

progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

band from

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. Formed in 2003, Draconic was initially a

symphonic black metal Symphonic black metal is a subgenre of black metal that emerged in the 1990s and incorporates symphonic and orchestral elements. History One of the earliest forerunners in what would come to be the sound of symphonic metal was Celtic Frost ...

band, and with the release of the second studio album, '' From the Wrong Side of the Aperture'' the band moved towards more progressive-oriented sound.

History

The band started out in 2003 as a solo project of

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...

Branislav Stanković, who, with the help of members of the progressive/

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band AlogiA, recorded an album entitled '' Conflux''. The album was released in 2004 by Rock Express Records. With intentions of turning the Draconic studio project into an actual working band, Stanković enlisted several metal musicians from

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, two of which were Vanja Dušan Andrijašević (

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

) and David Lazar Galić (

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

). When the promotional tour of ''Conflux'' ended, the band began working on new material. In the following years, the band recorded demos that marked their shift from the symphonic black metal sound and was looking for new members that would complete the lineup. After the lineup has been established, the culmination of the writing process of new material came in the fall of 2008, with the completion of the band's second album called '' From the Wrong Side of the Aperture'', that was generally well-received critically. The album featured different sound from the first one, being more progressive-oriented. The album was released in April 2009. Soon after, the band performed at the

EXIT Festival Exit (stylized in all caps; ) is a summer music festival which is held at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. Founded in 2000, it has twice won the Best Major Festival award at the European Festivals Awards, for 2013 and 2017. EXIT has ...

in Novi Sad in 2009. Meanwhile, Marjan Mijić left the band soon after the release of ''From the Wrong Side of the Aperture'' for personal reasons. The band had found a new lead vocalist Jelena Stanićević, who performed a couple of live shows with the band (including the EXIT Festival), but also left the band. The band is currently writing material for the third album.

Influences

Draconic is mainly influenced by metal bands that the members grew up listening to during the 1990s, with

Strapping Young Lad Strapping Young Lad (SYL) was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, '' Heavy as a Really Heavy ...

Soilwork Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They have released twelve studio albums. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, the band was originally known as ''Inferior Breed''. In late 1996, they changed t ...

and

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...

being some of the band's main influences. Other influences include

Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...

In Flames In Flames is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990 out of the Swedish death metal, Swedish death metal scene. Their lineup has changed several times, with vocalist Anders Frid ...

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...

and

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards). Dream Theat ...

, among many other underground metal acts of the 1980s and 1990s.

Band members

Current Members: * Jovan Dorkin - vocals * David Lazar Galić - bass guitar, vocals * Branislav Stanković - keyboards * Vanja Dušan Andrijašević - guitar * Milan Jejina - drums and percussion Former: * Marjan Mijić - lead vocals * Uroš Andrijašević - guitar * Miloš "MC Mike" Kovačević - drums and percussion * Jelena Stanićević - lead vocals * Matija Dagović - drums

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Conflux'' (2004) * '' From the Wrong Side of the Aperture'' (2009)

Singles

* ''Hospitals'' (2011)

References

External links

Draconic Official MySpace

Interview with David Lazar Galić on Popboks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Draconic (Band) Musical groups from Belgrade Serbian black metal musical groups Serbian progressive metal musical groups Industrial metal musical groups Symphonic black metal musical groups