I absolutely love Devil Doll, I was already hoping you would get to check them out at one point. Most of their albums are basically 1 track with the exception of one of them that has 2 20 minute tracks (which are apparently parts of 2 original full albumlength tracks) and their latest released album which is basically 1 track split into 18 parts. I have been listening to them for a long time, probably early to mid 2000's. I also am pretty sure this was their first released album and probably one of the first things he written. That said, their newer albums also are long tracks with a lot of different ideas. Btw, Iron Maiden has also made a song about the concept of this TV series (the song is aptly called The Prisoner), and I believe they use some excerpts of the series as well in there.

OH MY GOD YES. Been a fan since the '90s. I adore this album for introducing me to The Prisoner. The band lore is absolutely buck wild.

@ChrisEchoes

9 ай бұрын

The lore is pretty much all made up as far as I know.

Yeah, all of their albums are cinematic, have soundtrack-like elements, and seem to accompany something. "The Girl Who Was... Death" is the final episode of cult TV classic The Prisoner, and this album is inspired by that show. With other of their albums the vocalist supposedly made films to accompany the music, though as these have never seen the light of day, I have my doubts. But yeah, I personally always hear their albums as a collection of themes from soundtracks. On this album it is basically put on one track. On their last album it is neatly divided into individual tracks! How much cohesion we all like is obviously very subjective, haha. When I first got into this band in the early 2000s I found it really refreshing that there was little or no lingering or repeats. Just loved the abundance of ideas! These days, as a listener, I'm obviously more open to making the most of an idea over time.

No waaaay I’ve been the biggest fan of Devil Doll // Mr Doctor for over 2 decades now never thought my favorite reactor would ever venture down his path !!!! Super dope !!!!!!! U need to peeep his last masterpiece

Big fan of Devil Doll. They also have an extended silence before the final moments of their last album. It is at least in part surely just a way to heighten the drama.

@DiiNovensiles

9 ай бұрын

More background on the band: music was entirely (I believe) written by the singer, a Slovenian-born Italian who managed to keep his identity a secret until 2007, he recruited the instrumentalists. There's a great episode about this band from the Radical Research podcast, which goes over much of the little known history. I do think the songwriting cohesion and the production are a bit stronger on later albums, but it definitely stays... like this.

Holy shit. Devil Doll. Can't wait to hear your reaction.

That was an awesome request by Brad. Been wishing for more obscure music ever since you made the video of Coil. There are many bands I wish would be brought up, like Current 93 or any of the projects with the people involved in that band. I might make a request at some point :). I always felt like Devil Dolls main inspiration was the prog rock bands like Van der Graaf Generator for example. It becomes more clear when listening to his/bands later releases like Eliogabalus

Mr. Doctor practices Sprechgesang, the 'speak singing' technique which is where all the different, unique and interesting tones in his voice come from. Devil Doll is a band of surprises, tricks and illusions that is summed up in the quote used to recruit the original members: "A man is the less likely to become great the more he is dominated by reason: few can achieve greatness - and none in art - if they are not dominated by illusion." The Girl Who Was Death is actually the 2nd album created but the first one released. Mr. Doctor wrote and recorded The Mark Of The Beast but printed only a single copy for himself. No one but the performers and producers have ever heard it, though there is a running fragment of notes from The Mark of the Beast that is in The Girl Who Was Death, then Eliogabalus has a string of notes from The Girl Who Was Death, Sacrilegium from Eliogabalus and finally Dies Irae from Sacrilegium. It creates a thread that weaves through the entire discography.

DEVIL DOLL? EPIC CHOICE!

Great masterpiece by the Italian Mario Panciera (same first name and same country, here), who some years ago came up with an impressive encyclopedia of punk music

Fun Fact: Devil Doll haven't released an album since 1996 but still continue to record to this day. They just have no interest in releasing any of it.

@CriticalReactions

9 ай бұрын

That's...umm. That's interesting. But I can't fault people for making art just for themselves.

@lightbulbsun

9 ай бұрын

I know this was the mythology in the early 2000s when I discovered them, but I've not particularly heard anything substantive to evidence that that's still the case nowadays - it's been 27 years since Dies Irae.... all for definite we know is the punk book he released, and the punk museum he runs.

Consider checking out the track “Mr. Doctor”. It’s their shortest full song (at 20-something minutes), and in my opinion has much cleaner, more reconcilable vocal delivery, while still showcasing a lot of the same uniqueness and versatility.

This was.... FANTASTIC! ❤ Who needs cohesion when there's EXCITEMENT as an alternative? 😊 I don't know how I came across this band before, but I'm absolutely positive that I have. And as usual, I can just regret that I never dived in properly. This DEFINITELY elevated them to a level where I MUST explore them further! On the theme of the song, it might be interesting to know (thank you Google) that the band were partly Slovenian - being included in former Yugoslavia when this was recorded. Though Yugoslavia was pretty liberal for an eastern European country, they were walking a thin line to keep relatively liberal socialism from harsh intervention from the Soviet supremacy. So, the relevance (for the Slovenian part of the band at least) of the theme in the TV series as you described it, must have been pretty great....

@progperljungman8218

9 ай бұрын

Also: Might the long track of silence on the album have anything to do with (the risk of) being silenced?

@CriticalReactions

9 ай бұрын

That's an interesting read on the silence. Though at the end is the theme from the tv show so it might also be a reeeeaaallly long silence before a hidden track. :)

@progperljungman8218

9 ай бұрын

@@CriticalReactions Haven't heard the full album. But, how can a track be hidden when it's listed in the album?

@CriticalReactions

9 ай бұрын

@@progperljungman8218 It's listed on RateYourMusic but that doesn't mean it's listed on the jewel case or liner. But that's just a hunch of mine anyways. I don't have proof one way or the other what the silence is about.

@MaartenT

9 ай бұрын

@@CriticalReactions The album only has 1 track listed and I am pretty sure the whole CD is only 1 track of 1:06:06. They either split them up on the website or there have been different pressings which split them up. I own one of their albums that is apparently a bootleg of their latest released album and is split differently than the actual album (which I aquired later on as well).

You nailed the analysis of the album being as a movie score... His albums have alot of references to movies and are heavely inspred by old movies from like the 1920s and 1950s... I listen to DD on daily basis, am completly obsessed with Marios work and whenever I put any of the albums on, I always approach and recieve them as a movie... It's like watching a movie without visuals... I've listened to alot of music and nothing comes close to the work of Mario, its pure magic that I think will never get captured to this extent EVER! Enough about my obsession, your initial thought were pretty much spot on and it was very interesting to see you get the point this fast, hopefully you give DD more chances and listen to other albums :)

Been a fan of Devil Doll since a friend showed them to me when I was 16 y/o. If you liked this cinematic / experimental / theatrical vibe I highly recommend you listen to the band Vitam Aeternam, it’s hauntingly amazing!

Ah, this is just a fantastic piece. Been listening to it for years, and ever since Andrew Serkis got around putting vocals on Gollum, now that's how I'm visualizing this piece, Serkis/Gollum sitting on a rock by a stream, floppin' fish in hand, singing this masterpiece.

I love Devil Doll and I think that the approach they have is a very interesting way to make music, using so many different ideas to make a single composition that has many moods and scenes like an opera or soundtrack as you said. It's very unique and great that they have this freedom to make unique music and not following standards, there are already thousands of similar songs and music out there, good to listen something that is different.

YES!!!!

Very interesting. I don't know if I thoroughly enjoyed it--there were definitely some sections that were stronger than others--but on the whole it's certainly utterly unique. I would have no idea what genre to put this in... it sounds like an even more theatrical, gothic, arty take on King Diamond. I especially have to believe the vocalist was influenced by King Diamond's super-theatrical delivery style, though he doesn't use the falsetto as much as KD. Seems both were influenced by horror as well, given the cover art is from The Bride of Frankenstein. BTW, Iron Maiden wrote a song based on The Prisoner too called The Prisoner that actually features some of the show's dialogue in its opening.

Never heard this before. Some of this music is incredible, but it seems they get impatient and just decide, "ok, that's enough of that lets crack on with another idea". Reminds me of when Rogue Frequency featured as one of the guest hosts on a local ratio station, and someone requested In a Gadda Da Vida, by Iron Butterfly.

you associated this with movie score, but i was thinking about videogames like 5:03 for me sounds like boss music in an older soulsborne game, and 11:03 is some castlevania sounding theme

@CriticalReactions

9 ай бұрын

Totally agree. I wonder if they'd be down to work with Konami in the future 😄

@ShadinCore

9 ай бұрын

@@CriticalReactions well, to be fair, i'm not sure that konami is down to work with konami on castlevania in the future so... 😞

@CriticalReactions

9 ай бұрын

@@ShadinCore You're right, if it's not remasters or pachinko machines then Konami wants nothing to do with it 🤣

The Prisoner, I've got this on my radar to watch and have seen the first episode. It's really good, and there was a remake done a few years back, but I'd prefer to watch the original. I believe you would know if it's your 'cup of tea' after the first episode. Furthermore, 'the village' is set at Portmeirion, in North Wales, which is a really interesting place to visit in it's own regard. The place was designed to resemble the Italian Riviera, but much of the buildings are illusionary facades. It's worth a few minutes on Wiki :) The architect's daughter became a well renowned pottery-maker and named the pottery after the village.

It never ceases to amaze me all those ways heavy metal music manage to... hmmm... i don't know how to be nice about it, as it completely sounds like ridiculous circus music to me. But hey, music can certainly also be enjoyed just for fun, and it takes all kinds.

As for soundtracks, Mr Doctor is a big fan of Bernard Herrmann and also wrote a book on him.

Devil doll = masterpiece.

Oh yes you did it!!

Eliogabalus is the best! Hope for a reaction..

Fun fact the part 1 If can say. i find kinda whole abulb combined 1 part. But ok yea, 3 parts silence and ending theme. Fun facts say .All so the total album time be 66min and 6 sekund hehe 666

Review Dies Irae please!! It's their most mature and cohesive album.

"i don't get it". Correct. You don't.