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VIRGIN STEELE BAND PAGE
 VIRGIN STEELE
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CURRENT NAME
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Virgin Steele | |
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FORMER NAMES
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- | |
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ORIGIN
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Long Island, New York, USA | |
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STATUS
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Active | |
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FORMED IN
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1981 | |
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LABEL
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Steamhammer Records | |
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GENRE
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Heavy metal | |
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STYLE
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- | |
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LYRICAL THEME
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- | |
| BAND ADDED | 2005-04-02, 00:00 | |
| LAST UPDATE | 2010-09-17, 03:07 | |
Biography | Band members | Discography | Shows | Videos | Forum
| Band biography |
In 1988 the classic album AGE OF CONSENT containing the evergreen 'The Burning of Rome' (Cry For Pompeji)' was released, a song that still can be found in present-day setlists of the band. Support slots for Manowar and Black Sabbath followed and after a 5 year hiatus, the band released the slightly blues-influenced album LIFE AMONG THE RUINS. Then Virgin Steele toured throughout Europe with Sahara and recorded a series of concept albums entitled THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL Pt. 1 and 2. These albums came out in 1995 and 1996 respectively and Part 2 definitely marks the band´s commercial breakthrough, especially in Germany. INVICTUS was the third and final part of a trilogy based on Greek mythology.
Virgin Steele then explored their classical influences, the opera 'Klytaimnestra oder der Fluch der Atriden' was performed at Landestheater Schwaben and the corresponding soundtrack albums HOUSE OF ATREUS (ACT I and II) were released briefly after the successful opera shows. The overwhelming success of this project led to yet another opera 'Hel oder die Rebellen' which was once again performed at Landestheater Schwaben in the summer of 2001.
Finally an anthology entitled HYMNS TO VICTORY documents this evolution. Mainman David DeFeis managed to seriously alter parts of his compositions while still maintaining the original feeling. The magic of the late '80ies and '90ies unfolds its very special charm in the new millennium. No matter if you listen to the acoustic version of NOBLE SAVAGE's ballad 'The Spirit of Steele', the alternate-mix of the album's title track or the epic rock song 'Saturday Night', which did not make it onto the album for whatever reasons; they all blend in perfectly with newer songs from THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND HELL albums such as 'I Will Come For You', 'Kingdom of The Fearless', 'Crown of Glory (Unscarred)', and the timeless hymn'Symphony of Steele' as well as with songs from THE HOUSE OF ATREUS like 'Through The Ring of Fire', 'Flames of Thy Power' and last but not least the title track from INVICTUS.
So far, so good, but as already hinted in the beginning, wasn´t there something special regarding the alleged debut NOBLE SAVAGE ? Yes. Back in 1981, actually on Halloween, former Trust guitarist Jack Starr, Joe O'Reilly on bass, drummer Joey Ayvazianc and David DeFeis got together and founded Virgin Steele which makes 2001 the band´s 20th anniversary. David DeFeis started digging in his archives and discovered some long forgotten gems, wraping them up to be the perfect gift for the anniversary celebration. The anniversary album THE BOOK OF BURNING, due to be released on January 7th 2002, will contain all of these re-discovered songs.
Among the aforementioned tracks is 'Hot & Wild', a brilliant song, which for unknown reasons was not included on the original NOBLE SAVAGE album. The album contains a couple more masterpieces from 'forgotten times', all of which have been re-recorded by the current line-up, such as 'Minuet In G-Minor', 'Danger Zone' which was the first track or rather the intro on the '92 debut VIRGIN STEELE. It was never mentioned as an independent track in any liner note. Then there is the legendary 'Children of The Night', which was the first track on the B-side of the vinyl album and has now been re-arranged by adding new sequences to the song.
Without any question the album also must include the title track of GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME, the second album released in '83, as well as the rocking 'Don't Say Goodbye', ‘Birth Through Fire' which came out a lot more epic and also 'A Cry In The Night' – all stand-out tracks of the second album. But let's not forget 'The Redeemer', which sounds so much more powerful now with the newly added orchestrated parts. Even to this date this song offers you an authentic perspective on the band's Sturm und Drang period during the pioneering days of US Metal. If there's something like a mystic and legendary track on THE BOOK OF BURNING it definitely has to be 'I Am The One', the B-side of the single 'A Cry In The Night', released in '83, which was the last composition that Jack Starr participated in. He was later replaced by David DeFeis' long-time friend Edward Pursino who to this day is a key-member of Virgin Steele, who had an enormous influence on such classic recordings as NOBLE SAVAGE (1985) and AGE OF CONSENT (1988).
It also has to be mentioned that these 'forgotten jewels' are accompanied by 8 brandnew recordings, which were composed in the summer of 2001. These new tracks show that David DeFeis & Co stay true to themselves. Their music is still hymnic heavy metal influenced by classical music, and the band under the guidance of mastermind DeFeis is still bursting with power and creativity even after twenty years. THE BOOK OF BURNING and HYMNS TO VICTORY are the very proof.
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Song: I Dress In Black
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