DIES IRAE

Devil Doll was one of those acts I knew of forever, but never bothered with their CDs, because I wasn't sure if I'd like them or not. Well, I'm glad to start diving into this group, better late than never. Dies Irae was the final release from Mr. Doctor and company. Due to anonymity it's hard to tell why they disappeared, but you get the feeling they mined this strange dark gothic prog for what its worth, but at the same time, there isn't a bad release in the bunch. This is truly an acquired taste, you dig what they do, or you don't. This stuff is truly over the top, you can't help but imagine a cobweb-infested old mansion or castle with pipe organ occupied by a vampire, and the music truly captures that imagination. Make no doubt Mr. Doctor was a horror movie aficionado. Passages that go from one thing to the next, from Gregorian chant, sinister violin playing, pipe organ, evil sounding voices from Mr. Doctor, and rocking passages. There's no denying how much Jacula had an impact on Devil Doll. I sense a little Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson in the process, I guess because Mr. Doctor's voice can resemble a bit of Peter Hammill at time, and funny enough, the evil witch Scotia found on the 1990s PC game Lands of Lore: Throne of Chaos. The music is truly theatrical to the max, so you can imagine them performing this music live with a set that looks like the backlot of a horror movie set. Alice Cooper certainly did his horror rock theater performance, but he did it with a standard hard rock sound, but Devil Doll takes that horror theatrics to the next level with a far less accessible art rock approach. I really think that these guys really gave the sagging prog rock scene a boost, even before Änglagård appeared on the scene. What I really love is this isn't neo-prog at all. The group also tended to avoid synthesizers (although they'd sound great with a Mellotron), keyboards seem confined to piano and pipe organ, but there is no shortage of other instruments. Not an easy listen, this music truly demands your attention, but the payoff is well worth if, if this style appeals to you. If gothic theatrical art work sounds good, give this a try, in fact, give all their albums a try!