Giallo, the third Djunah album, is out in full today. To celebrate, I’m highlighting the fifth track, “Dies Irae, Pt. 2.”
“Dies Irae, Pt. 2” is inspired by the Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath,” or Judgment Day), a medieval sequence traditionally used in the Catholic Requiem Mass. It’s a mainstay of Italian horror and film soundtracks more broadly — and probably the most iconic musical expression of cinematic dread.
There’s no way I could do an album about terror without drawing on it for inspiration. Smearing a heavy, sludgy riff over cinematic horns seemed like the perfect way to marry Djunah to the spirit of Judgment Day.
For me, the Dies Irae represents more than the end of the world; it’s a metaphor for the collapse of the belief structures that once made the world make sense. It goes to the heart of Giallo’s themes of complex trauma, religious terror, and the confrontation with meaninglessness.
Even with the album’s heavy subject matter, there’s a lot of joy and exuberance on this record. I chose giallo as insipration, in part, because gialli are more than horror and violence. Beauty and absurdity are central the filmmaking, and I don't see how anyone can cope with terror in life without those things.
If there’s any wisdom in giallo films, I think it’s that there’s joy in absurdity and freedom in lack of purpose. I don’t think you exit the trauma cycle by figuring out why; you exit when you embrace absurdity.
Thank you to everyone for listening, preordering, and sharing. Bringing this record to life has been a long journey, and I'm so proud to share it with you.
The full digital album is available via Bandcamp and streaming. CDs and the Lyrics and Photography Book begin shipping next week. Vinyl orders begin shipping January 5, 2027.
Metallic Bloodbath – 12” Vinyl LP
