Formed in through a cryptic newspaper advertisement by the Slovenian-born Mr Doctor, Devil Doll have left behind a legacy of polished symphonic prog, with releases often only available in limited quantities only one copy was made of debut Mark Of The Beast. The shadowy figure behind them, Mr Doctor, is a master mythmaker, and as such it's impossible to entangle the true history of the band from the tapestry of bizarre anecdotes surrounding them.
Take, for instance the story behind Dies Irae. According to Mr Doctor, the original Dies Irae was lost in a fire that nearly killed the man himself, eerily paralleling the plot of a film of the same title Mr Doctor had viewed, dealing with a composer working on a piece entitled, funnily enough, The Day Of Wrath The English translation of Dies Irae, if you weren't aware.
I've yet to find any proof that this film actually exists, mind. Believing the work to be cursed, Dies Irae was initially only available as 20 books of sheet music passed around close associates of the band. Until eventually, in , the band regrouped to record an amended version of Dies Irae. Still, it adds to the sense of campy horror that makes Devil Doll one of the more interesting bands of our time. The music of Devil Doll is akin to that of an old 30s horror film, one where you can see the strings on the skeletons.
Yet it's part of their charm, and it's difficult to believe tongues aren't wedged firmly in cheeks when listening to Dies Irae. It may not be their most ambitious work that honour goes to the minute long Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms but it's certainly their most accomplished, the band working with musicians from the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. As with every other Devil Doll release bar Eliogabalus it's comprised of one lengthy track, a brew of sweeping gothic symphonics and bursts of progressive metal.
This stuff is actually good. And I mean like, mad genius good. The orchestrations and musical arrangements are absolutely gorgeous, or when they need to be - downright terrifying. He has the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra playing here adding some delicious layered richness to the sound. Different ideas are fired at you like an automatic pitching machine. The mood is changing constantly, from epic, to tranquil, to horrific, to urgent, while showcasing a broad spectrum of heaviness to softness.
Somehow with all this chaos going on, each part of each song makes perfect coherent sense, as does the album as a whole. By the end, it feels like a complete film. Despite being ridiculously obscure, Devil Doll has a very dedicated following, although I'm not sure what there is to follow anymore, since he has released nothing since I never pursued a Devil Doll collection beyond this and "Eliogabalus.
I'm lucky I got my hands on them at all. While quite possibly being some of the most challenging and uncanny music ever made, giving it an honest chance will be extremely rewarding. At the risk of sounding pretentious, in music and all media really, there is a spectrum ranging from "entertainment" to "art". It's hard to say what makes a work one or the other, as entertainment is nonetheless a product of someone's artistic vision and art isn't necessarily devoid of entertainment value.
Both can be rewarding in different ways, though art has more potential for long term emotional impact. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this isn't really an album you'd throw on at a party, you know? But it IS an extremely rewarding listen, it may change you, and hell, I guess it's kind of entertaining, too.
Of course, like most of the best art, Devil Doll is very obscure and what allows composer "Mr. Doctor" to reach these massive artistic heights is that he doesn't care. If the lore is to be believed, he has never accepted payment for any of his works. There is complete and total separation between the music and the business surrounding it, which is surely best for the material.
Anyway, don't expect easy listening. This music takes effort. It's not made to be catchy, and it's pretty damn long. Make time and bear with it. The dedicated listener will be rewarded.
Musically, the predominant sound here is baroque or classical era with ss horror movie influences, but also an epic soundtrack feel, and some metal.
Somewhat unique and hard to explain, except that it is dark as hell. There's not a lot of metal instrumentation to be found, not really any "riffs" per se. The guitar solos are not technical at all, yet they're some of the most amazing and expressive ones I know. It's all about creating a huge atmosphere At their best, Devil Doll are the most majestic and epic band around. In the end, you don't care about the sparseness of the metal parts, because the orchestra is just as well-done for once.
Even if you've gotten past the musical style of Devil Doll, Mr. Doctor's vocals can still be a stumbling block. They're more akin to acting than singing. The doctor slowly and purposefully makes his way through the lyrics with a dozen strange voices, sometimes melodic and sometimes harsh, though not in the style of conventional death or black metal vocals. It's a little hit-and-miss, but certain lines are REALLY well-done and will assure you that he does have technical skill.
The lyrics themselves are amazing Plug disconnected Some flowers in the first month Then just earth. It should be noted that he quotes other poets' work often, though. A special addition to this album is soprano singer Norina Radovan, who is clearly ridiculously talented. When she appears, she usually takes on a twisted tone to her voice, adding to the horror influence, but there's normal operatic lines too. She really lets loose on the end of the album - I'm convinced that the world is actually ending.
I wish Nightwish and some other pseudo-operatic hack bands would have singers this good. The only problem with Dies Irae, and Mr. Doctor's music in general, is that it's always so inaccessible. However, that problem is much less pronounced on this than the other albums. I had no trouble getting into it on the first listen - actually, this was the closest thing I probably had to a religious experience as a teenager.
You just need to give yourself over to it and pay attention. It's miles beyond the others in terms of flow and cohesion, with more prominent key themes and repetition to tie the hour of music together. Dies Irae is definitely the best album to start with, and I'm pretty sure it's the best overall, somewhat ahead of "The Girl Who Was Doctor hasn't released anything since then Once again Mr Doctor has masterminded another great recording, one to be appreciated by all kinds of music lovers.
Regardless of your taste, you can feel the emotion and vast imagery created by this work of, to say the least, art. With how rare art surfaces in the music world these days, Dies Irae is certainly a breath of fresh air. From the first minutes of the album, you can feel the Day of Wrath coming on, with a foreboding instrumental intro leading into what seems to be the beginning of this dark day.
As you listen you are dragged into a world of infinite imagination, an amazing soundscape to invoke the imagination. One factor that remains consant throughout the record is perfect use of dynamics, mixing different levels of intensity to capture a brilliant sound and feel. The whole record has palpable motion, and flows as would a perfectly writting story. View all trending tracks. Loading player…. Scrobble from Spotify?
Connect to Spotify Dismiss. Search Search. Join others and track this album Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last. Sign Up to Last. Add artwork View all artwork. Length 18 tracks, Release Date February During the production of this album, the studio caught fire and everything was lost.
Mr Doctor considered giving up, although did decide to start over and complete the album. View wiki. Mr Doctor considered giving up, although did decide to start ov… read more. Related Tags gothic symphonic rock art rock theatrical dark progressive rock Add tags View all tags. Tracklist Sorted by: Running order Running order Most popular. Buy Loading. More Love this track. Play album Buy Loading. Scrobble Stats? What is scrobbling? Artist images 25 more. Bands like Jacula can be pointed as an influence to this at least very different band.
Mario Panciera, the brains behind Devil Doll, was anonymously known as Mr Doctor for 20 years following the project's inception. His name was made public with the release of hi… read more. Similar Artists Play all. Trending Tracks 1. Play track. Love this track. More Love this track Set track as current obsession Get track Loading. Thursday 15 July Friday 16 July Saturday 17 July Sunday 18 July Monday 19 July Tuesday 20 July Wednesday 21 July Thursday 22 July Friday 23 July Saturday 24 July Sunday 25 July Monday 26 July Tuesday 27 July Wednesday 28 July Thursday 29 July Friday 30 July Saturday 31 July Sunday 1 August Monday 2 August Tuesday 3 August Wednesday 4 August Thursday 5 August Friday 6 August Saturday 7 August Sunday 8 August Monday 9 August Tuesday 10 August Wednesday 11 August Thursday 12 August Friday 13 August Saturday 14 August Sunday 15 August Monday 16 August Tuesday 17 August Wednesday 18 August Thursday 19 August Friday 20 August Saturday 21 August Sunday 22 August Monday 23 August Tuesday 24 August Wednesday 25 August Thursday 26 August Friday 27 August Saturday 28 August
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