The Inferno Doll

Sacrifice

Independent Release

December 11, 2020

Album Review By JD Rich

Boston Rock Radio

Welcome one and all to the season of tortured bank accounts and full-contact, no-holds-barred, shop-til-you-drop merriment! I recently came across a Goth-Rock jewel just before being sidelined by a sinus cold of atomic-blast magnitude. Thankfully it was nothing more serious, so here I am once again to give you the 4-1-1 on some new music. This one comes from Chile-born Laura Vargis’ musical alter ego, The Inferno Doll. Her second release, Sacrifice, continues the tone set in 2015’s Dollmination, but with a deeper, darker feel.​

Goth-Rock fans will love the audio theatrics used to set the mood created by internal conflict that started from a sense of lost direction. The title track plunges us into a haunting dread crying and screaming from a shattered psyche. Apprehension gradually morphs into lyrical determination of a cornered and frustrated soul.

“Ghost Waltz” seductively draws us in, pulling back the curtain of banality with which we have become complacent. Here, we are introduced to a vibrant world of mystery and power held together by subtle lamentation that coaxes us to roam deeper into this uneasy realm. Recurring crescendos pleasantly contradict ethereal vocals.​

“Land of the Lords” pulls a complete 1-80 that launches us into the second half of Sacrifice. Brazen Metalcore and Thrash-like growls signify an intentional turn from tame docility to ferocious determination.

We are escorted out of this musical landscape with a remix of the title track from the previously-mentioned Dollmination EP, another power track that deceptively teases us. What starts out as a calm exit pivots quickly and thrusts us back into a vigorous wash of bold willpower. As the final notes dissolve, we are left to contemplate how deep we wandered into this lush audio Goth-Opera (Gothpera?)

Sacrifice is over way too soon, yet at the same time, it felt like a dark mystical pageant in which we were entwined longer than the 18-minute runtime. I had this entire EP on repeat for over an hour, and each time I picked out new aspects that weren’t apparent from the first few rounds. Like peeling back the layers of an onion, there was always something new to enjoy song after song. Music aficionados who have grown weary of the same old limited selection of Rock will enjoy the richness of tones, harmonies, and flamboyance that The Inferno Doll has woven throughout Sacrifice.​  Find out for yourself when the EP becomes available on December 11th.

Check out the first single at Spotify or Bandcamp: https://linktr.ee/theinfernodoll