"Dies Irae" is the last recording so far released by the infamous DEVIL DOLL-cult. Inspired by the life and music of George Harvey Bone, the poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Bronte and Emily Dickinson, as well as by Isadore Ducasse, all the notorious DEVIL DOLL-trademarks are present here: sinister orchestral moments, quiet passages of piano and cello, Prog-Rock/Metal-eruptions, morbid choral parts, and of course the twisted vocal incantations of the Man of a Thousand Voices, Mr. Doctor. A new element is added, though, in the form of beautiful operatic female vocal parts sung by Norena Radovan.

While the music and arrangements are still very poignant, "Dies Irae" doesn't quite live up to the sublime, imaginative magic of "Sacrilege Of Fatal Arms", their previous release. Another weak link, is the fact that unlike "Sacrilegium", whenever "Dies Irae" hits upon an intriguing theme, it fails to ride it out to its full conclusion, instead leaving the listener hanging on with bewilderment, wondering why such beauty was so quickly abandoned. It's as though they were trying to fit a thousand melodies and ideas into the mix, while neglecting to fully develop the ones that were truly promising.

Regardless, as you can see, "Dies Irae" is still light years ahead of most every other dark album you could possibly want to hear.