Virgin Black
Encyclopedia
Virgin Black is an Australia
n band that combines gothic-doom and symphonic metal
influences. Signed to The End Records
(for the United States
) and Germany
's Massacre Records
(for Europe
), the band has released 4 albums and 1 EP. Formed in 1995 in Adelaide
, they have achieved international acclaim during their career, receiving praise from such magazines as Orkus, Metal Hammer
and The Village Voice
.
Having changed their line-up several times, Virgin Black currently consists of the founding members and main songwriters Samantha Escarbe (guitar) and Rowan London (keyboard, vocals), with Grayh (bass) and Luke Faz (drums) joining in 2007. The group explains the meaning of its name as "the juxtaposition of purity and humanity's darkness".
ist Samantha Escarbe, and vocalist and keyboards
-player Rowan London.
In 1995, Virgin Black recorded a four-track self-titled demo
in a doom/death
style. Due to the rarity and demand for this recording, the band has speculated that it may be re-released at some point.
Their Trance
EP was released in 1998, and the group began gaining international recognition with that recording. This EP was later included as part of a special limited edition (U.S. only) with the band's debut album, Sombre Romantic.
The group began recording their first full-length album Sombre Romantic
in 1999.
The album displays an expansively cinematic, symphonic style with London contributing a diverse vocal style from shrieks and growls to soaring melodies and choral chants. On the strength of this self-released debut, Virgin Black signed to Germany's Massacre Records for Europe and also to the U.S. label The End. Both labels then released Sombre Romantic in their territories.
After completing their second album during 2002, Virgin Black played at Germany's Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in 2003 and did a tour through the US west coast with Agalloch
and Antimatter before returning to Australia and conducting a national tour. Elegant... and Dying
featured Escarbe contributing cello and guest musician Sonia Wilkie playing flute
. It was released in November and a month later the band appeared at the Metal for the Brain
festival in Canberra. Early the following year, Virgin Black toured alongside Opeth
in Australia, and later did a tour of the Australian east coast capitals with Sydney black metal
band Nazxul
before making a start on their next recordings.
Virgin Black's next project began with London and Escarbe composing a series of scores for what was to become the three-volume Requiem set. On 10 March 2006, The End Records issued a press release explaining the upcoming releases. The first part of the trilogy, Requiem - Pianissimo, is a strictly classically-oriented album featuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
, choral singing, and solo singers. Requiem - Mezzo Forte
features music similar to the band's previous releases with the last part Requiem - Fortissimo primarily having a death/doom metal sound. The albums were recorded primarily as the duo of London and Escarbe over the course of almost two years, during which Rowan London suffered the death of his father. Originally designed to be released simultaneously in 2006, on 23 July, The Labels announced that the albums would instead be released during 2007 in a staggered time scale. The second part of the trilogy, Requiem - Mezzo Forte was issued first, on 3 April 2007.
With a new line-up of Escarbe, London, Grayh on bass and drummer Luke Faz. Virgin Black played some Australian shows with Arcturus
in March and headlined the Elements of Rock Festival in Switzerland
in April. Mark Kelson
of The Eternal joined them as guest-guitarist for these live performances. Virgin Black announced a US tour for June and July 2007, and played shows on the east and west coast of the U.S. with To/Die/For and headlined shows in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
The third part and the second installment in the Requiem trilogy, Requiem - Fortissimo was released on 19 February 2008 by The End Records. The Massacre Records release date remains unknown. Virgin Black played with Amorphis
, Leaves' Eyes
, and Samael
for a North American tour during fall 2008. Readers of the website Metal Storm voted Requiem Fortissimo for "the best doom metal album of 2008".
The release date of Requiem - Pianissimo is yet to be announced.
Rowan London stated that "... we believe in God. As a more complex answer you need to talk for an hour to examine all the details."
and classical music
, and the band's image incorporates gothic aesthetics. A critic described their style as having influences of "dark wave with gothic atmosphere" and "symphonic gothic-doom". Virgin Black states that their influences include the British group My Dying Bride
, the American gothic metal band Saviour Machine
and 19th century classical music. Their sound is typically sorrowful, representing mostly down-tempo arrangements. Rowan London employs various vocal styles including operatic, shrieking, death growls and melodramatic tenor and baritone singing, and the music often features choirs. Occasionally the lead guitarist Samantha Escarbe plays faster tremolo riffs typical of extreme metal, such as on "Drink the Midnight Hymn" from the debut album. Sometimes there are longer, mellow and emotional guitar solos such as on "Weep for Me". A great deal of variety can be found in their music. For instance, "Walk without Limbs" combines ominous cello
with programmed drums for a softer darkwave
style, the Requiem - Pianissimo album is entirely classical, whereas Requiem - Fortissimos sound is firmly rooted in death/doom
metal.
Virgin Black's lyrics are an introspective, melodramatic and poetic take on faith-based subjects. While members of Virgin Black have Christian
beliefs, the band has often sought to explain that its music is an exploration of spirituality and attempts to highlight the difference between the organized Church and the spiritual aspects of Christianity. In response to a question on the "religious atmosphere" in their music, Rowan London responded: "We write our music and lyrics from a personal perspective, hence they do have a particular moral and meaning but we also encourage people to shape it to fit their specific situation. Museum Of Iscariot for example was written from a spiritual view point and is describing the struggle to step beyond the limitations that we all seem to put on ourselves. However, even though its written within a spiritual context it can also be applied to many different aspects of life. Its important to understand that we're not trying to act as if we know everything about life, it would just be great to see more people considering things other than purely the material world."
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n band that combines gothic-doom and symphonic metal
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...
influences. Signed to The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
(for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Massacre Records
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
(for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
), the band has released 4 albums and 1 EP. Formed in 1995 in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, they have achieved international acclaim during their career, receiving praise from such magazines as Orkus, Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
and The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
.
Having changed their line-up several times, Virgin Black currently consists of the founding members and main songwriters Samantha Escarbe (guitar) and Rowan London (keyboard, vocals), with Grayh (bass) and Luke Faz (drums) joining in 2007. The group explains the meaning of its name as "the juxtaposition of purity and humanity's darkness".
Early days
Virgin Black was originally formed in Adelaide by guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Samantha Escarbe, and vocalist and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
-player Rowan London.
In 1995, Virgin Black recorded a four-track self-titled demo
Virgin Black (album)
-Track listing:# "Veil Of Tears" - 6:31# "Black Corsage" - 6:33# "Mother of Cripples" - 7:46# "Anthem" - 6:18-External links:* official site* retrieved 10-1-07...
in a doom/death
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
style. Due to the rarity and demand for this recording, the band has speculated that it may be re-released at some point.
Their Trance
Trance (EP)
Trance is the first official release from Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. It was an independently funded and released three track EP...
EP was released in 1998, and the group began gaining international recognition with that recording. This EP was later included as part of a special limited edition (U.S. only) with the band's debut album, Sombre Romantic.
Record deal
Sombre Romantic
Sombre Romantic is the first album from Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. The album was originally released in a very limited pressing within Australia only by Crestfallen Records. It was then released on 12 February 2001 on The End Records in the US and in Europe by German label Massacre...
in 1999.
The album displays an expansively cinematic, symphonic style with London contributing a diverse vocal style from shrieks and growls to soaring melodies and choral chants. On the strength of this self-released debut, Virgin Black signed to Germany's Massacre Records for Europe and also to the U.S. label The End. Both labels then released Sombre Romantic in their territories.
After completing their second album during 2002, Virgin Black played at Germany's Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in 2003 and did a tour through the US west coast with Agalloch
Agalloch
Agalloch is an American metal band formed in 1995 in Portland, Oregon. The band is led by vocalist and guitarist John Haughm and so far have released four limited EPs, four full-length albums, two demos, one split album, one compilation album and one live DVD....
and Antimatter before returning to Australia and conducting a national tour. Elegant... and Dying
Elegant... and Dying
Elegant... and Dying is the second album from the Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. The album was released in June, 2003, on The End Records...
featured Escarbe contributing cello and guest musician Sonia Wilkie playing flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. It was released in November and a month later the band appeared at the Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain was Australia's largest heavy metal music festival. The event was held in Canberra annually, usually towards the end of the year, and featured Australian bands almost exclusively...
festival in Canberra. Early the following year, Virgin Black toured alongside Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
in Australia, and later did a tour of the Australian east coast capitals with Sydney black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Nazxul
Nazxul
Nazxul is a black metal band from Sydney, Australia. At one time featuring members of other prominent local metal bands including Mortal Sin and Sadistik Exekution, Nazxul has released two albums, an EP and several split releases with other bands....
before making a start on their next recordings.
Requiem trilogy
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was founded as a 17 player radio ensemble in 1936, in Adelaide, South Australia. The orchestra reformed in 1949 as the 55 member South Australian Symphony Orchestra. It reverted to its original and present title, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in late 1974, and...
, choral singing, and solo singers. Requiem - Mezzo Forte
Requiem - Mezzo Forte
Requiem – Mezzo Forte is the centerpiece of Virgin Black's Requiem trilogy. The album was released on April 3, 2007 in North America on The End Records and April 13, 2007 in Europe on Massacre Records...
features music similar to the band's previous releases with the last part Requiem - Fortissimo primarily having a death/doom metal sound. The albums were recorded primarily as the duo of London and Escarbe over the course of almost two years, during which Rowan London suffered the death of his father. Originally designed to be released simultaneously in 2006, on 23 July, The Labels announced that the albums would instead be released during 2007 in a staggered time scale. The second part of the trilogy, Requiem - Mezzo Forte was issued first, on 3 April 2007.
With a new line-up of Escarbe, London, Grayh on bass and drummer Luke Faz. Virgin Black played some Australian shows with Arcturus
Arcturus (band)
Arcturus is an avant-garde metal band formed in Norway in 1987. They named it Arcturus , after the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.-Biography:The band has released four official full-length albums...
in March and headlined the Elements of Rock Festival in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in April. Mark Kelson
Mark Kelson
Mark Kelson is a Melbourne born musician, best known for his work as a member of The Eternal and Cryptal Darkness .-Career:...
of The Eternal joined them as guest-guitarist for these live performances. Virgin Black announced a US tour for June and July 2007, and played shows on the east and west coast of the U.S. with To/Die/For and headlined shows in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.
The third part and the second installment in the Requiem trilogy, Requiem - Fortissimo was released on 19 February 2008 by The End Records. The Massacre Records release date remains unknown. Virgin Black played with Amorphis
Amorphis
Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band started by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other types of genres, which include heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal...
, Leaves' Eyes
Leaves' Eyes
Leaves' Eyes is a German-Norwegian symphonic metal band from Stavanger, Norway and Ludwigsburg, Germany. They were formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, the former lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy and the entire line-up of Atrocity...
, and Samael
Samael (band)
Samael is a industrial black metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Switzerland.-Biography:Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are an early 2nd Wave black metal band and an innovator for...
for a North American tour during fall 2008. Readers of the website Metal Storm voted Requiem Fortissimo for "the best doom metal album of 2008".
The release date of Requiem - Pianissimo is yet to be announced.
Religious Views
Although not all members are Christian (or religious), Samantha Escarbe has described herself has "Spiritual", and an Agnostic. In an interview with Deadtide.com, she goes on to say " We don't need religion based on man-made rules and regulations. We need spiritual truth." In another interview with MetalSucks, she says she is "An Agnostic, under the banner of Christianity."Rowan London stated that "... we believe in God. As a more complex answer you need to talk for an hour to examine all the details."
Style
Virgin Black's sound combines elements of doom metalDoom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, and the band's image incorporates gothic aesthetics. A critic described their style as having influences of "dark wave with gothic atmosphere" and "symphonic gothic-doom". Virgin Black states that their influences include the British group My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...
, the American gothic metal band Saviour Machine
Saviour Machine
Saviour Machine is an American Christian metal band that formed in 1989. They have released five studio albums and two live albums on Frontline and subsequently on MCM Music, distributed through Massacre Records...
and 19th century classical music. Their sound is typically sorrowful, representing mostly down-tempo arrangements. Rowan London employs various vocal styles including operatic, shrieking, death growls and melodramatic tenor and baritone singing, and the music often features choirs. Occasionally the lead guitarist Samantha Escarbe plays faster tremolo riffs typical of extreme metal, such as on "Drink the Midnight Hymn" from the debut album. Sometimes there are longer, mellow and emotional guitar solos such as on "Weep for Me". A great deal of variety can be found in their music. For instance, "Walk without Limbs" combines ominous cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
with programmed drums for a softer darkwave
Darkwave
Dark Wave or darkwave is a music genre that began in the late 1970s, coinciding with the popularity of New Wave and post-punk. Building on those basic principles, dark wave added dark, introspective lyrics and an undertone of sorrow for some bands...
style, the Requiem - Pianissimo album is entirely classical, whereas Requiem - Fortissimos sound is firmly rooted in death/doom
Death/doom
Death/doom, sometimes writes as death-doom or deathdoom, is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double kick drumming of death metal...
metal.
Virgin Black's lyrics are an introspective, melodramatic and poetic take on faith-based subjects. While members of Virgin Black have Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
beliefs, the band has often sought to explain that its music is an exploration of spirituality and attempts to highlight the difference between the organized Church and the spiritual aspects of Christianity. In response to a question on the "religious atmosphere" in their music, Rowan London responded: "We write our music and lyrics from a personal perspective, hence they do have a particular moral and meaning but we also encourage people to shape it to fit their specific situation. Museum Of Iscariot for example was written from a spiritual view point and is describing the struggle to step beyond the limitations that we all seem to put on ourselves. However, even though its written within a spiritual context it can also be applied to many different aspects of life. Its important to understand that we're not trying to act as if we know everything about life, it would just be great to see more people considering things other than purely the material world."
Demos and EPs
- Virgin BlackVirgin Black (album)-Track listing:# "Veil Of Tears" - 6:31# "Black Corsage" - 6:33# "Mother of Cripples" - 7:46# "Anthem" - 6:18-External links:* official site* retrieved 10-1-07...
(1996) - TranceTrance (EP)Trance is the first official release from Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. It was an independently funded and released three track EP...
(1998)
Albums
- Sombre RomanticSombre RomanticSombre Romantic is the first album from Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. The album was originally released in a very limited pressing within Australia only by Crestfallen Records. It was then released on 12 February 2001 on The End Records in the US and in Europe by German label Massacre...
(2001) - Elegant... and DyingElegant... and DyingElegant... and Dying is the second album from the Australian gothic metal band Virgin Black. The album was released in June, 2003, on The End Records...
(2003) - Requiem - Mezzo ForteRequiem - Mezzo ForteRequiem – Mezzo Forte is the centerpiece of Virgin Black's Requiem trilogy. The album was released on April 3, 2007 in North America on The End Records and April 13, 2007 in Europe on Massacre Records...
(2007) - Requiem - Fortissimo (2008)
- Requiem - Pianissimo (not yet released)