“Ein Sof,” Their New Album, Is Now Available | Diaconisa Challenges the Limits
We’ve talked about Diaconisa before. Quietly, keeping a low profile and without raising suspicion, they are becoming something very serious, and it’s time to start taking them into account. After a demo (“Omen”) and a first production (“Corona de Espinas”), “Ein Sof” arrives, an album that takes Diaconisa much further. It is a difficult task to label Diaconisa with a musical genre found in the manual, and with “Ein Sof,” the challenge becomes even more difficult. Always within the realm of metal, there are guttural vocals, operatic choirs, a lot of groove, a little metalcore here and there, now accompanied by Eastern influences. An explosive cocktail. So we set out to investigate the main suspect, the mysterious Ceb Theory, and in particular with regard to “Ein Sof,” he confessed to us that “Ein Sof is more compact and less experimental. I only worked with two singers (plus my voice), and I kept the same guitar sound, tunings, and distortion throughout the album, except for the bonus track (“Omen”). In Coronas de Espinas, on the other hand, I used a greater variety of guitars, tunings, and resources.”
The origin of “Ein Sof” seems to predate “Corona de Espinas,” and in that sense, Ceb Theory tells us the origin of it all. “Several years ago, while on vacation in San Luis (Argentina) and visiting my cousin Samuel Berlo—a drummer with whom I had already had several bands and projects—the chance arose to record some drums in the studio where he taught. The studio’s schedule was very tight, not ideal for something like this, but with that ‘hardcore spirit’ we did it anyway. Before traveling, I gave him five demos to listen to, but we never got to rehearse. As soon as I arrived in San Luis, the next day we were already in the studio: him recording drums and me doing the guitar references. I want to clarify that Samuel plays much better than what was recorded. The conditions were quite limited: six songs recorded in a single take, without prior practice and with little time. Even the instrumental for Ein Sof ended up being an improvisation. Back in Buenos Aires, I tried to work on those drums, but nothing worthwhile ever came out of it. In fact, those recordings existed before Coronas de Espinas, originally intended for another project. Then came a “musical slump” that was broken thanks to the making of Coronas de Espinas. After Diaconisa’s debut and with a renewed spirit, I decided to dust off those drums and give them new meaning. The challenge was that the project was taking a more conceptual and narrative direction, but with only six drums recorded, I had to find a less complex story than that of Coronas de Espinas. I considered several ideas (such as Hexameron), until “Ein Sof” came up.“
If there is one thing that characterizes Diaconisa, it is their narrative, their conceptual ideas, and their lyrics that distance them from overused and worn-out customs and traditions. “The idea of the album follows Diaconisa’s premise,” Ceb Theory told us, “something more narrative than religious. It could be interpreted as spiritual, but in reality Ein Sof is more metaphysical. It is a technical term from Kabbalah that describes a divinity that transcends all human understanding: a principle of “not being” that remains unmanifested. It is a free adaptation: I use concepts from Kabbalah, but it is not historically accurate; I rely on poetic license.”
Diaconisa has released one demo so far, and its previous production, “Corona de Espinas” (Crown of Thorns). The obvious question was what the differences would be between that work and “Ein Sof.” Ceb Theory left us intrigued with the answer. “Conceptually, Ein Sof is more abstract and indirect, because it is not as well known as the story of Jesus. There we follow a mystical rabbi who receives a vision of the Infinite God. The parts sung by Federico represent this character, while Mariela is like an angel of revelation. The rabbi struggles with what he sees in his dreams, until he accepts his destiny as a ‘prophet’. In contrast, in ‘Coronas de Espinas’ I tried to be much more faithful, at least from the Protestant perspective that I studied. Perhaps some themes (such as ‘Despojado de Toda Divinidad’) could be discussed theologically, but even so, I approached it from that perspective.”
Beyond the arduous task of finding a label for Diaconisa, the truth is that “Ein Sof” surpasses what we heard in “Corona de Espinas.” It has a little bit of everything. Loud guitars, orchestral music, angelic choirs, guttural vocals, and in the case of “Ein Sof,” there is that special flavor that comes from Eastern music and gives the album that special touch. Speaking of labels, influences, and other such things, Ceb Theory told us that “the closest label would be melodic metal, although sometimes I end up saying ‘whatever metal comes out.’” Originally, the idea was more defined, but things were added along the way: for example, the screams and growls in “Coronas de Espinas” came about almost at the end, and although they distorted the original plan a bit, they gave it a personal touch. Due to budget constraints, I also ended up recording the vocals myself on both albums. I know it’s not the same as having ‘real’ singers, but it was the way to move forward.”
Of course, as in all cases, there are influences in Diaconisa. Some seem to be clearer than others, but for Ceb Theory, “As a concept, the biggest influence was Ayreon (especially ‘The Human Equation’). Musically, bands like Tourniquet, Extol, and Living Sacrifice have influenced me, although I don’t know how much of that is directly perceived in Diaconisa.“ But that’s not all. The enigmatic guitarist and main man behind Diaconisa leaves us with something that really shocked us (especially after hearing ”Ein Sof”)… In my case, as I learned by ear, I never had the ability to imitate other musicians in detail. So, many times the composition comes from the imagination of the moment. There are influences, of course, but they come out more indirectly.”
So far, Diaconisa has released two albums (only digitally at the moment), but the inevitable question is, when will we be able to enjoy all this live? Once again, Ceb Theory clarifies that “…at first, Diaconisa emerged as an idea to form a band (with Omen, the demo), even with Mariela in the original plan. But for various reasons, it became complicated and ended up leading to these albums. I still hope to achieve a “Diaconisa Band” format. The fact that I had to coordinate, record, and produce everything was due to necessity and budget, not because it’s what I want.”
There is one detail that is not insignificant. Like any independent project, Diaconisa is a self-managed, underground band that has no support other than from media outlets like ours to promote its work. Somewhat related to this, and also regarding future plans, Ceb Theory told us that “…Looking ahead, I would love to make a third Diaconisa album. This time something more like Coronas de Espinas: with more guest singers and a less abstract, more concrete story. I’m torn between La Divina Comedia and El Apocalipsis (as a “second part” of Coronas de Espinas), or even a compilation of Christian historical events from the early church onwards. The challenge is financial: every Diaconisa album involves an investment that is not recouped (independent labels…phone!). I’ve come to terms with that, but I still need to raise capital. My idea would be to take more time to put it together, pay more attention to detail, improve the production, and delegate certain areas to specialized people. God willing, the next step will be that third album.”; So be it!!!
Finally, the main suspect behind Diaconisa clarifies the ultimate goal of this project: “…Diaconisa was always, above all, an attempt to unite the spiritual, the narrative, and the musical. If that manages to inspire or move someone, even for a moment, then the purpose is already fulfilled.”
To delve into the world of Diaconisa, here’s how to find their material, which is available in digital format, and of course, here’s how to find these people on social media and some video lyrics from their work.
https://diaconisa.bandcamp.com
