Devil Doll
by John "Bobo" Bollenberg



Devil Doll


Devil DollWhen you're really into prog you're always looking for something new, something which you would like to discover long before any of your friends do. In the sudden re-interest of the genre there are so many upcoming bands that you get many a chance to find such a band but you only get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover and explore something really unique, something extremely precious, something breathtaking and 100% genuine.

That something is called Devil Doll, a combination of progressive rock, thrash metal, punk and classical music. And just like the mysterious air which still hangs around the Residents, you don't really know who Devil Doll is! Devil Doll is the brain of one super original mind, someone we can call a classic composer from the new age, someone that calls himself Mr. Doctor. Throughout his albums, Mr. Doctor weaves in his obsession with theatrical black and white horror scenarios. In the middle of the bombastic music, he puts his eerie, operatic vocals which are as inaccessible as possible!

Founded in March 1987, there originally was both a Devil Doll active in Venice, Italy and one in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. At the end of the year, Mr. Doctor records his first album, of which he wants to press only one copy. His wish is granted and in February '88 only one copy of The Mark Of The Beast is pressed, housed in a sleeve handpainted by the brain, Mr. Doctor himself!

Devil Doll - The Girl Who Was DeathBased on the British television series The Prisoner, rehearsals begin for the new project to be called The Girl Who Was Death. In March 1989 only 500 vinyl copies are pressed. During Devil Doll's second concert, Mr. Doctor distributes 150 copies of the album throughout the audience. The remaining 350 copies are destroyed! This rare first pressing is the only one to feature both the intro and outro based on The Prisoner's theme, music which will be omitted from all forthcoming re-releases thus making the original very rare and extremely sought after!

Devil Doll - EliogabalusOn August 18th, Mr. Doctor performs his own versions of 14 songs by German composer Hans Eisler. The scheduled vinyl album Mr. Doctor Sings Hans Eisler only reaches the test pressing stage and all future release plans are completely abandoned. In May 1990 the first vinyl pressing of Eliogabalus is issued in a die-cut theatre cover in a limited run of only 50 copies! In 1991, due to the war situation in Yugoslavia, Mr. Doctor decides to combine both Devil Doll bands into one. In December, recordings for the new album begin whilst the Devil Doll fanclub welcomes its 1000th member! In March of the next year, the band performs the entire new album Devil Doll - Sacrilegium and The Sacrilege of Fatal ArmsSacrilegium, whilst incorporating segments from the film The Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms which has been written and directed by Mr. Doctor.

In July 1993 Devil Doll enters the Tivoli studios in Ljubljana to record the new album provisionally called Dies Irae (The Day Of Wrath). Unfortunately, whilst Mr. Doctor is mixing the album, a fire breaks out destroying the entire studio ... and the tapes! Unannounced, the band plays concerts in Venice and Ljubljana in June '94 to perform both material from Dies Irae and soon to be recorded work. Devil Doll - Dies Irae In August, the Hurdy Gurdy label reaches an agreement with American based Renaissance Records to re-release all four titles in a limited run of 1000 copies issued as picture discs. To top it all, a very limited set is released (333 copies), containing all four discs in an embroidered pouch with a special booklet personally inscribed by the mystery man himself, Mr. Doctor. Selling at $100 it surely is not the cheapest release, but apart from the superb music you can see it as a safe investment because 333 copies worldwide will make this one of the must-haves in years to come.

In May 1994, Record Collector magazine did a feature on Devil Doll (page 143). Devil Doll - Limited Edition setPractically all of the band's releases have values of £20, £30, and even more placed next to them, although if you contact the fanclub you can still obtain most of the material at around £12. Record Collector talks about the "pre-empted" vinyl fanclub edition of Sacrilegium, which, strangely enough, more than one year later I was able to buy a mint copy of through the fanclub. So do get in touch with the Devil Doll fanclub c/o Rossana Pistolato at the following address: San Marco 5499. 30124 Venezia, Italy. Don't forget to include an IRC. In return you will receive a complete list of what's available together with the prices. From the fanclub you can also buy some unique, limited-edition Devil Doll T-shirts! I have to admit, though, that at one point the fanclub was rumoured to be releasing "something special" to celebrate the band's tenth anniversary, but since I have not heard from the fanclub nor Devil Doll, I don't know whether something actually was released. A message to the rec.music.progressive newsgroup resulted in a flamewar instead of the requested information. So right now the situation remains a true mystery, which is a situation which suits Devil Doll's music best!

Discography

  • The Mark Of The Beast (1988) -- only one copy!
  • The Girl Who Was Death (1989) -- 500 vinyl copies, of which 350 are destroyed
  • Eliogabalus (1990) -- 50 vinyl copies in die-cut theatre sleeve.
  • Eliogabalus (1990) -- vinyl re-issue in same artwork without die-cut cover by Hurdy Gurdy label (sold out).
  • Eliogabalus (1990) -- alternate vinyl pressing in different gatefold cover in limited numbered edition of 900 copies released by Devil Doll fanclub (sold out).
  • Eliogabalus (1990) -- CD release by Hurdy Gurdy
  • Eliogabalus (1990) -- CD release by Devil Doll fanclub with different booklet in limited numbered run of 900 copies
  • Sacrilegium (1992) -- CD release only on Hurdy Gurdy
  • Sacrilegium (1992) -- vinyl edition limited to 900 numbered copies housed in gatefold cover designed by Mr Doctor released through Devil Doll fanclub
  • The Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms (1993) -- CD only release by Devil Doll fanclub on 900 copies (sold out in 72 hours!).
  • The Girl Who Was Death (1993) -- vinyl re-release by Devil Doll fanclub on 500 copies but without original intro and outro (sold out).
  • The Girl Who Was Death (1993) -- CD release by Devil Doll fanclub with original intro on 1200 copies.
  • Mr. Doctor Sings Hans Eisler (1993) -- CD with booklet.
  • The Girl Who Was Death -- CD release by Hurdy Gurdyy American label Renaissance/Wild Places distribution as picture disc on 1000 copies
  • Eliogabalus (1994) -- CD re-release by American label Renaissance/Wild Places distribution as picture disc on 1000 copies
  • Sacrilegium (1994) -- CD re-release by American label Renaissance/Wild Places distribution as picture disc on 1000 copies
  • The Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms (1994) -- CD re-release by American label Renaissance/Wild Places distribution as picture disc on 1000 copies
  • Devil Doll Complete Works (1994) -- embroidered pouch containing all four CD's as picture discs, with sticker and special bonus booklet personally inscribed with a unique message from Mr. Doctor, numbered and limited to 333 copies.
  • Dies Irae (1995) -- probably the band's best release

[This piece originally appeared in the Hairless Heart Herald, and later published on a major website called Rockmine. {July 2010 - Rockmine is around, but this article doesn't seem to be there anymore, unless you do a websearch. But then again, it's here, at PW, so...} {Nov 2015 - according to Wikipedia, a 1997 album was rumoured, entitled The Day of Wrath, but was not released. And after all this time, nearly 20 years, not sure the fanclub address is still valid} -ed.]


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Published on: 2000-04-09 (3362 reads)

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