Lovelorn Dolls release ‘True Crimes’ EP + ‘The Boy in the Box’ video
Lovelorn Dolls release 'True Crimes' EP + 'The Boy in the Box' video
Belgium’s female-fronted goth metal / synth-goth act Lovelorn Dolls has released the 4-track EP “True Crimes” via Alfa Matrix/Spleen+. The release is available now from Bandcamp and Spotify plus all other platforms. The new record threads true-crime narratives through the band’s creepy cute aesthetic, marking the first studio release since their 2024 album “Deadtime Stories“.
Famous cold cases in crime laid the basis for the EP
Lovelorn Dolls characterizes the EP as “a dark, cinematic journey into four of the world’s most haunting cold cases.” The songs reference the Black Dahlia case (“Dahlia Bleeds”), JonBenét Ramsey (“Velvet Little Voice”), the unidentified 1957 victim known as “The Boy in the Box”, and of course the Zodiac Killer (“Call Me Your Ghost”). Below we give you some info on these cold cases.
Black Dahlia – “Dahlia Bleeds”
This track refers to the 1947 Los Angeles murder of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short. Her body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in Leimert Park, and the case remains officially unsolved. Key details noted by investigators include the body being severed at the waist and evidence of post-mortem washing.
JonBenét Ramsey – “Velvet Little Voice”
This song centers on the homicide of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado. She was reported missing on December 26, 1996, and found dead in the family home later that day. The autopsy cited strangulation; the case drew significant attention due to a ransom note and remains unresolved.
“Boy in the Box” (Joseph Augustus Zarelli) – “The Boy in the Box”
In February 1957, the body of an unidentified boy was found in a cardboard box in Philadelphia. Using genetic genealogy, authorities identified him in December 2022 as four-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli; the homicide investigation is ongoing.
Zodiac Killer – “Call Me Your Ghost”
The third track references an unidentified serial killer active in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Zodiac sent letters and cryptograms to newspapers beginning in 1969; some ciphers have been solved, but the killer’s identity is still unknown.
A first official video has been issued for “The Boy in the Box”. You can view it below.
This release also opens a new chapter for the group with Eric Renwart joining as live guitarist and sound engineer.
Musically Lovelorn Dolls’ DNA blends gothic melancholy, cinematic atmospheres and an alternative edge often compared with The Birthday Massacre and Lacuna Coil, while remaining distinct via their Brussels’ dark-music sound.
About Lovelorn Dolls
Lovelorn Dolls formed in Brussels, Belgium, in 2010, initially as Lovelorn, built around Kristell Lowagie (vocals, arrangements, lyrics) and Bernard Daubresse (guitars, programming, production). Their early material combined drum machines, heavy guitars and synth sequences. The duo then signed to Alfa Matrix in 2012, releasing the debut album “The House of Wonders” in 2013 and the follow-up “Japanese Robot Invasion” in 2014.
After a brief hiatus in 2016 (during which Lowagie issued her electro-pop project SIN.SIN), the band returned with the EP “Lament” and third album “Darker Ages” (2018). In 2024, they issued the fourth album “Deadtime Stories” on Alfa Matrix/Spleen+, followed by the 2025 “True Crimes” EP.
The current lineup centers on Lowagie and Daubresse, now joined by Eric Renwart (live guitar / sound engineering).
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