DIES IRAE

Been a wild ride through the Devil Doll rabbit hole, but we're finally here to the last record Mr. Doctor had ever made under the Devil Doll name. While technically the band isn't disbanded, at least according to some sources, it's safe to assume they aren't gonna really make any new music anytime soon. Though I could very well be wrong. Last year bands like Semiramis and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum came back. Guess it wouldn't be too far fetched for Devil Doll to wriggle their head back out into the modern prog landscape. But until then, this is their current last album, Dies Irae.

Honestly, if this is the cap to the Devil Doll train, I'd say it's a pretty great way to end things off. It does feel like a combination of all previous records, rolled into one complete operatic fashion. You get the more accessible sides of Eliogabalus, the avant-garde concepts rooted in Sacrilegium and The Sacrilege of Fatal Arms, and strong gothic infused progressive rock that started all the way back with The Girl Who Was...Death. Guess this is where Mr. Doctor really put in all the stops for his very unique sound, and I honestly love it. Feels like the peak of the story that Devil Doll woven. Not a literal story, but more like a metaphorical one in terms of musical progression.

However this album does do some pretty interesting things that are away from the rest of the Devil Doll discography. For example, this album isn't a 40+ minute epic!*

*Ok so, that's a lie. While it is true that this album is split into multiple parts acting as separate tracks, it's basically still one big song. Think of it as like Dark Side of the Moon where it's actually just one big epic that just so happens to be split into different tracks. I don't quite know why Devil Doll did this, but it does make for an arguably more accessible experience, while still giving the more older fans something to look forward to.

I think another reason why Dies Irae works really well for me is that the energy feels arguably more lively. There's more of a pronounced rock mood in it. Sure there are still those bits of Devil Doll classical and symphonic elements, but I feel like this has way more of that ROCK in prog rock than any of the previous albums combined, which I do enjoy. Makes this album pretty unique in the grand scheme of things.

I do say though that the far more accessible aspects this album pulls does kinda lose the edge that made Devil Doll so compelling. Sure it still does have that sharp gothic and foreboding nature to it, but it does feel a lot softer, which is a shame. Though I guess it could always be worse, there's probably an alternate dimension where Devil Doll became a jangle pop band if they did continue to make music after this album...dang almost got the shivers thinking that.

But despite the lack of a more clear cut edge, the music still feels very strong and powerful, with moments like Part 4, Part 6, Part 14, Part 16, and Part 18 coming to mind. Funnily enough Part 18 technically is the only track to be over 20 minutes, though that is mostly the signature bouts of silence and a hidden track to accompany it. Realistically though it's just like 2 minutes long. Cannot be a Devil Doll album without a hidden track.

So while it arguably is a bit of a black sheep in comparison to the rest of the Devil Doll scores, Dies Irae is still a really great album that I say serves as a pretty amazing ending to this band's short, but meaningful career. I'd say it's a must listen if you want some strange, yet more readily accessible progressive rock.

Best tracks: Part 2, Part 4, Part 6, Part 14, Part 16, Part 18

Worst tracks: N/A

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