siLLy puPPy
DEATH DIARIES is only one of many extremely depressive black metal bands to emerge from the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan. I guess a region of perpetual war and poverty has created some extreme hopelessness and that is reflected in a larger than average number of bands delivering suicidal black metal in the vein of Sweden’s Shining, Silencer, Leviathan, Gris and Bethlehem. The band consisted of Azmo Lozmodial (bass, guitar), Noa Nymphia (keyboards, piano) and Akhmaedoroth (vocals)
This trio from the city of Zarqa, Jordan only released this sole EP in 2010 before splitting up in 2011 due to Akmaedoroth’s psychological issues but Azmo Lozmodial continued with various similar projects including Al Lat, Chalice of Doom, Forgive Me, Lord Azmo and Now Everything Fades. The original EP limited to 200 CDs originally featured four tracks at over 24 minutes but “Sterile Nails And Thunderbowels (Piano Tribute to Silencer)” was added onto the Bandcamp digital download in 2018.
This is true depressive black metal with heavily distorted guitars existing somewhere between doom metal and lackadaisical second wave black metal. Also painfully compelling are the anguished vocals of Akmaedoroth that showcase a true troubled soul on the verge of total breakdown. The musical procession is melodic and not musically challenging in the least but effective in the frigid cold atmosphere generated by the detached procession of the instrumentation and the psychotic vocal meandering.
There are really only two originals here: “Loveless” and “Lifeless” which are the longest tracks. The other two are covers. The first is the Bethlehem tune “Tagebuch Einer Totgeburt” and the second is a Silencer cover of “Sterile Nails and Thunderbowels.” The EP is about as tortured sounding as a downer depressive black metal album can get. Everything just reeks torment, despair and total life sucking destitution. The repetition is hypnotic while the unhinged screams from the abyss are designed to scar your soul.
This is about of a musical downer as you can get really. It’s actually a stellar depressive black metal release but with only two original tracks not exactly an essential one however it is an interesting glimpse into the underground musical bleakness of the nation of Jordan which apparently agonizes in constant pains. A pretty slow EP overall but the Silencer cover offers some more aggressive heavier moments. A pretty decent EP but too reliant on the Swedish mode of depressive musical motifs.