01	Part1						02:50
	02	Part2						02:18
	03	Part3						02:49
	04	Part4						03:12
	05	Part5						02:00
	06	Part6						01:42
	07	Part7						02:01
	08	Part8						01:23
	09	Part9						02:38
	10	Part10						04:24
	11	Part11						03:09
	12	Part12						05:21
	13	Part13						03:09
	14	Part14						01:10
	15	Part15						01:18
	16	Part16						02:36
	17	Part17						01:23
	18	Part18						28:26

Devil Doll "dies irae" 1996


Members:

LYRICS BY MR. DOCTOR
MUSIC BY MR. DOCTOR & FRANCESCO CARTA

music arranged by MR. DOCTOR & FRANCESCO CARTA

orchestrations by MR. DOCTOR, FRANCESCO CARTA, SASHA OLENJUK

MR. DOCTOR - MAN OF THOUSAND VOICES
FRANCESCO CARTA - PIANO
SASHA OLENJUK - VIOLIN
ROMAN RATEJ - DRUMS
BOR ZULJAN - GUITAR
JANI HACE - BASS
DAVOR KLARIC - KEYBOARDS
MICHEL FANTINI JESURUM - PIPE ORGAN



Tracks:
DIES IRAE 45'53"
Lyrics:



OYEZ! OYEZ!

THIS IS A GALA EVENING!

VEILED ANGELS
CROWD THE THEATRE
TO SEE A PLAY
OF HOPES AND FEARS.

MOTLEY MIMES
TOSS ABOUT THE SCENE
HELD UP BY THREADS
SINKING IN THE DEEP.

ONSTAGE
IN A CORNER
HIDDEN BEHIND MYSELF
I HOLD MY BREATH:
IN THE AIRLESS AIR
SHARDS OF CRUSHED RAINBOWS
FILL MY LIMBO,
PLACED SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN WORLD AND TOYS.

"DO YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH ME?"

IN THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY SURVIVAL
THE FURIOUS SMALL HAMMERS
FULLY UPROOTED
FROM THEIR KEY-SHAPED
SKELETON
CRUELLY EXPLORE
EVERY CRANIAL PATH
ALWAYS CLOSER...
ALWAYS MORE PAINFUL!

THE SHARKS' FIN
IS SIGHTING STRAIGHT FOR ME:
CREATURES OR SPIRITS
I BEG YOU!

MAYBE IT'S THE DELIRIUM
OF MY MORBID RATIO
OR THAT VOICE THAT LIES
DEEP IN MY INTIMATE SELF
TO ALLOW THIS SWIMMING
THROUGH THE LYMPHS OF VICTIMS
WHILE DARK REIGNS OVER
THE SONS OF PUTREFACTION!

FATHER OF SONS ALL DEFORMED
THAT LIKE A GHASTLY STREAM
SURGE OUT
THROUGH THE RUSTED GATES OF TIME
-A DEAF DUMB EYELESS THRONG
LAUGHING FOREVER
BUT SMILING NO MORE
THE GOD ABSENT.
OR STILL.

"HAEC VERBA AUDI: VITAM AETERNAM!"

LIKE THE SHAMAN
WHO INGRATIATES HIMSELF
WITH THE DEITY
OF THE ANIMAL HE HUNTS
SEEKING POSSESSION
WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE BEAST:
SO THE INNOCENTS,
PERVADED WITH THE SPIRIT
OF THE GREAT PREDATOR
-PRINCEPS HUIUS MUNDI-
THOUGH BURNT ON OUR PYRES
WILL TRANSCEND TIME
SOARING OVER
PHYSICAL EXTINCTION.

DOMINE TE VOCO
IUSTUM MIHI OSTENDE UNICUM
TALIS MONSTRIS OB SPECTACULUM
STUPEFACTUS EGO MORIAR...

...ON MEURT A MOINS!

HOOKED HANDS
STRETCHED OUT ABOVE
IN THE ULTIMATE ENDEAVOUR
TO CLUTCH AN ATOM
THAT DOES NOT SINK.

IN THE DAY OF WRATH
THE HUNGRY MARIONETTES
WAKE UP - COME ALIVE
WHILE BIRDS OF SOUL
USHER IN
THE RAYS OF CHAOS..

"FATAL INFECTION... FAR ALL!
EPIDEMY! EPIDEMY!"

DIES IRAE!

FEEDING ON FRAGMENTS OF GANGRENE
TEETH CRUMBLE
TOES FALL APART.
WE CRAWL LIKE EARTH-WORMS
THAT RATS AND BIRDS FIGHT OVER.

SCORED BY SILENCE
SPIRITS CREEP
OUT OF THE SECRET NOOKS:
SCATTER IN THE STREETS
EACH ONE
CHOOSING HIS OWN
BELOVED PREY.

AMONG THE TREES,
HOLDING HER OUT MY HANDS
"WHAT ABOUT A WALK?"
I AVOID THE SHARP SPLINTERS
OF HER SWEET SHATTERED GAZE.
STEP BY STEP
INTO THE LABYRINTHS OF DOUBT
EVERY SHELTER: A TRAP.
WHILE DISTRESSES I WITNESS
THE TWILIGHT OF MY HEART
YOU SPREAD AROUND DROPS OF LIGHT
UNAWARE OF THE RUSTLE
OF INVISIBLE SYLLABLES:
"YOU WILL NOT GET OUT
OF ETERNAL PEACE!"
AND THE VIRGIN BLADE KISSES,
-FREEING-
YOUR WHITE THROAT.

NO PAIN
I'M QUITE SURE
SHE FEELS NO PAIN!
THE VOICE
STILL THROBS:
"EACH MAN
KILLS
THE THING
HE LOVES!"
(INCUBUS)

IN THE PURPLE FLASHES
OF THE BLAZING BLOOD
SLOWLY WE VANISH
IN AND AROUND OURSELVES.
CELLS OF SPIRIT DISSOLVE
BIT BY BIT...

"YOU WILL NOT GET OUT OF ETERNAL PEACE!
YOU WILL NOT GET OUT OF ETERNAL PEACE!"

SUDDENLY THE VOlD
FILLS YOUR FIRST BORN
VIBRATION.
JUST THE STILL SPLENDOUR
OF YOUR ICY WARDS ENDURES.
I SEE YOU THROUGH MY TEARS,
TEARS THAT NOBODY EVER WILL DRY...

"YOU WILL NOT GET OUT OF ETERNAL PEACE!
YOU WILL NOT GET OUT OF ETERNAL
PEACE/KILL/SLEEP/MURDER/DEATH.

THE LAST WORD OF MY SCRIPT
IS NOW DECLAIMED.
TIME IS OVER,
AND THERE'S NO WHISPERING PROMPTER
TO EASE MY SCENIC SOLITUDE.
THE CRAWLING SHAPE INTRUDES
AND WHILE I OPEN MY ARMS
IT SEIZES ME IN ITS JAWS!
"THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH IS SACRIFICED FOR YOU!"

("INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT...")
OUT. OUT ARE THE LIGHTS. OUT ALL.
AND OVER EACH QUIVERING FORM
THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN
LIKE A FUNERAL PALL.
WITH A RUSH OF STORM,
WHILE ANGELS
-PALE AND SILENT-
RISING AND UNVEILING
AFFIRM
THAT WE ARE WITNESSING
THE TRAGEDY
"MAN"
AND ITS HERO IS....

THE CONQUEROR WORM.

YET I WOULD LOSE NO STING
WOULD WISH NO TORTURE LESS;
THE MORE THAT ANGUISH RACKS
THE EARLIER IT WILL BLESS.
AND ROBED IN FIRES OF HELL
OR BRIGHT IN HEAVENLY SHINE,
IF IT BUT HERALD DEATH
THE VISION IS DIVINE.

THE STILL LOOK
CURLED UP IN THE STRAIT-JACKET.
FADING OF TEARS.
BEHIND EVERY KISS:
A POTENTIAL JUDAS.
DESIRE OF BITING
THE VITAL ARTERY
MINE
OR OF THE FIRST PASSER-BY
INSECTS WITH LEGS
TORN OFF
MY NAILS ONE BY ONE
SHARDS OF GLASS
IN EYES OF CAT
SMILE. OR SIMPLY: IVORY.
GOOD NIGHT.
PLUG DISCONNECTED.
SOME FLOWERS
IN THE FIRST MONTH
THEN JUST:
EARTH.




Devil Doll [Italy/Slovenia]
Updated 2/2/01
Discography
The Girl Who Was Death (88)
Eliogabalus (90)
Sacrilegium (92)
Sacriledge of Fatal Arms (92, re-make of Sacreligium)
Dies Irae (96)

Reviews
Devil Doll are an Italian band who sound nothing like the archetypal Italian progressive music at all. No fusion or lush symphonics here! What they offer is a very unique blend of gothic imagery and Victorian "Jekyll and Hyde" ambience, spun over a collage of piano, tortured vocals, sinister accordion folk music interludes, choirs, violin and waltz themes. The dynamics of the music is outstanding and never clumsy ... it moves between diverse elements with skill and power. The vocals may not be to the liking of some as there is a lot of them and they are more whispered/screamed than sung, in general. They fit the music perfectly though. The Girl Who Was ... Death is a conceptual work based on the cult UK series "The Prisoner" and takes it's name from one of the episodes. It demonstrates the maturity to come and has a little more (but not much) in the way of powerful rock sections. Mr Doctor also deigns to sing normally occasionally! Lots of accordion, violin and harp. A rock opera? Both Eliogabalus and Sacreligium are excellent works of extended progressive gothic "opera," for want of a better term. Highly metaphorical story-telling is important to the band's approach ... for example, Sacreligium tells the story of a man in his grave looking back over his life, complete with the closing of the funeral as a bonus after the music has finished! Devil Doll excel at creating atmosphere with very sparse instrumentation ... Mr Doctor, the enigmatic and unidentified band leader, employs his idiosyncratic vocal style to add to this. It may sound peculiar but I can hear a Marillion influence. I know that sounds strange given the description above but Marillion hinted at this sort of style on their early albums but never pulled it off explicitly or in such a grandiose and effective manner. Don't get the wrong idea though ... Devil Doll are not what you'd call a neo-prog band at all. I'd wholeheartedly endorse the view that Devil Doll are amongst the world's finest progressive acts of the '90s.




Devil Doll: Dies Irae
Devil Doll
Dies Irae
Hurdy Gurdy (HG 10)
Italy 1996

"Mr. Doctor", vocals; Francesco Carta, piano; Sasha Olenjuk, violin; Roman Ratej, drums; Bor Zuljan, guitar; Jani Hace, bass; Davor Klaric, keyboards; Michel Fantini Jesurum, pipe organ; with Norina Radovan, soprano vocals; Igor Skerianec, cello; Irina Kevorkova, violin; Fraim Gashi, double bass; Drago, accordion; Paolo Zizich, backing vocals; Gloria Chorus conducted by Marian Bunic, vocals; the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, various

Tracklist:
1. Part 1 - 2:44
2. Part 2 - 2:20
3. Part 3 - 2:54
4. Part 4 - 3:07
5. Part 5 - 2:06
6. Part 6 - 3:44
7. Part 7 - 3:37
8. Part 8 - 4:14
9. Part 9 - 3:08
10. Part 10 - 5:22
11. Part 11 - 3:09
12. Part 12 - 1:10
13. Part 13 - 1:19
14. Part 14 - 2:36
15. Part 15 - 1:23
16. Part 16 - 2:53

total time 45:46

note: there is apparently a new "extended" pressing of this album that adds a lengthy (20-minute?) period of silence to the last track, then about two minutes of new music. the review copy is the original pressing.


Brandon Wu:
By this release, Devil Doll's music has begun to follow a pretty simple formula: orchestral and/or world-music influenced passages contrast sharply with piano-led passages that feature the sinister, bizarrely twisted voice of "Mr. Doctor", the band's mastermind. Fortunately, Dies Irae improves upon this formula enough to avoid being boring and unoriginal. The sound on this disc is massive, as the band is at times backed by a full orchestra which adds enormously to the atmosphere. Pounding strings contrast with grand synth and organ washes and the occasional burning lead guitar; needless to say, I think the instrumental portions of this release top any of Devil Doll's previous instrumental compositions. The vocal sections are also better, as Mr. Doctor's insane vocal style has been perfected by this time, and the instrumental background supporting him is more varied and interesting than the simple piano work that used to be all that accompanied him. For those of you that haven't heard Devil Doll, Mr. Doctor does not "sing"; rather, he screeches, moans, mumbles, screams, warbles, and vocalizes in every possible way that isn't "normal". The end result is something that only personal taste can judge - some love it, some think it's just a cheesy gimmick. I think it's fantastic, and though this music is definitely over-the-top in terms of "darkness", it's still great stuff. Though the middle section of this piece is somewhat fragmented, I think it's intentional, and that's about my only complaint about the whole thing. For newcomers, this is the Devil Doll album I'd recommend as a starting point - uniquely dark symphonic music; description doesn't do it justice.
Other resources:
Devil Doll information is extremely difficult to come by; here are your best bets: This is perhaps the single best Devil Doll fan page on the Net; lots of juicy info.
The GEPR has a very lengthy section on this band.
There are a few Devil Doll reviews on prog.net, though only one (I think) of Dies Irae.
Here's an incredibly crappy and incomplete fan page.





Artist: Devil Doll
Title: Dies Irae
Length: 46 mins
Year: 1996
Label: Hurdy Gurdy
Cat: HG 10
Origin: Italy/Slovenia
Format: 1xCD

Tracks:
1.Dies Irae

Review:

This is the long awaited fourth proper release from Devil Doll and, if memory serves, is well over a year late. There were rumours of fires in studios, Mr Doctor's rather difficult nature and such but, at last, it arrives. On the accustomed Hurdy Gurdy label again though, despite rumours regarding a US domestic release this time. I believe all of their other albums have been released domestically in the US on Renaissance. The anticipation that the delay ensured was bound to be difficult to measure up to and first listens bear this worry out. There is no significant change of style; still the gothic horror ambience tainted with circus whimsy and touches of symphonic grandeur. As usual, the instrumentation would be too long to list. Mr Doctor; I must admit with all candour that I adore his diction on here as before. A soprano by the name of Norina Radovay adds some quite marvellous touches in places with exaggerated operatic vibrato and a quite incredible mirror of the rising vibrato glissando that Mr Doctor occasionally applies to his voice artificially.

Again, we have the quieter piano interludes, rock outbursts -- somewhat less imaginative this time I feel -- and the swathes of organ and choir. There are some genuinely touching interludes, that for cello and piano in track five for example. The track numbering makes little sense as the CD inlay lists six but the CD registers sixteen. As usual, this is an album length suite and the tracks divisions are irrelevant. That which attracts me to this project is the way the moments of note one finds in the first few listens blend together from heterogeneous origins to provide a pleasing coherency that accompanies more exposure. I find that aspect slightly lacking in this release. The sections are, as before quite starkly different but I find their compatibility less well handled in the main. However, Devil Doll are certainly one of those bands that takes with time and so one should not be too hasty.

There is some simple and powerful use of strings in places that reminds of earlier albums. Large choirs are handled well too. Something unpleasant happens to the bass in the production around, according the player, track eight. This might be intentional given the feel of part of the track but it is mildly annoying given that it seems to creep in before it seems appropriate. Track ten suddenly arrives with a child's voice and a lovely simple melody, followed with sinister organ destroying the fragile ambience. Transparently Devil Doll at a hundred miles. At this point the album takes a dive into the bizarre and a turn for the better. Jigsaws of ominous brass, Latin chants, growled vocals, fragments of spoken words, screams. The build to the end is quite conventional for Devil Doll but nonetheless effective. A gong (with distortion in the left channel), organ and then massed vocals following a strong melody for a powerful close. I must admit to being less taken with this than their previous work but it still, for me, rates as very interesting however ailing due to lack of coherency.

Done by Phil Kime