Virgin Steele
Encyclopedia
Virgin Steele is a heavy metal
band from New York
, originally formed in 1981.
The band released a few career highlights albums (Noble Savage
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
and Invictus
). In recent years, they have enriched their sound with elements of musical theatre
, progressive
and symphonic metal
, developing and writing projects such as the Metal Opera "The House of Atreus" (based on Oresteia and the Greek myth related to the Atreides) in 1999/2000 and the soundtrack for an imaginary movie Visions of Eden (A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind)
aka "The Lilith Project" (based on the sumerian legend of Lilith
) in 2006.
David DeFeis
(all vocals, keyboards, orchestration, synth bass, swords and effects) about Virgin Steele's music: "From a whisper to a scream, barbaric, romantic, bombastic, yet subtle, grandiose, yet earthy. A call, a shout, an invocation to Freedom and the continual awakening to the awareness that every moment of life is lived to its fullest potential. It is a force, a sacred quest which drives Virgin Steele on".
Typically, during Virgin Steele's concerts a sword is burnt on stage.
In some special show they used to play a truly long live set called "Three hour extravaganza".
Fans consider "The Burning of Rome (Cry for Pompeii)" and "Emalaith" some of the most representative songs of the band.
and the Christian
religion. Most of their albums are concept album
s.
The later albums tend to be more epic and mythological while, on the early albums (up till Life Among the Ruins), many songs are more real-life based stories of love and sex.
According to David DeFeis
, all the lyrics he writes are based on real life in some form or another.
, Broadway style
and "Heavy metal
adapted for theater
's actors live performances".
According with German artists Walter Weyers and Martina Krawulsky, with the name "Klytaimnestra": "The House of Atreus" Metal Opera (musically available on the Virgin Steele's albums The House of Atreus Act I
, The House of Atreus Act II
) was performed on stage in Germany theaters by Landestheater Production.
The result, very different from an heavy metal
concert, is a metal based dark Broadway
style musical
really powerful and energetic with actors only.
The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen
, the 5th June 1999, has been the first ever regular musical theatre
show based on heavy metal
concepts.
After "Klytaimnestra" success, David DeFeis
& Landestheater Production extracted a second Metal Opera musical
, named "The Rebels", from the previous Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy ("The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
", "Invictus
").
In 2003, the same team released a third Metal Opera, named "Lilith", based on the material of album Visions of Eden
. "Visons of Eden" was later on published in CD in 2006. In a different way to the previous two Operas, David DeFeis
declared: "I don't think of it as a Metal Opera. What it really is, is the soundtrack for a major motion picture that has yet to be made! And by the hammer of Zeus, I will make this film one day. I call this work a Barbaric Romantic movie of the mind.".
origins) was looking for the right elements to form the ultimate heavy metal
band. The first to answer his call was drummer Joey Ayvazian and together they started jamming and auditioning singers. They auditioned around 40 singers before David DeFeis
was introduced to Jack by a friend of Joey.
With an astounding interpretation of "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin
, "Child in Time" by Deep Purple
and "Catch the Rainbow" by Rainbow, David got the vacant role of singer, bringing with him bassist Joe O'Reilly. At the end of 1981 the first line-up was ready.
), included in the compilation "U.S. Metal Vol. II". A bit later they issued their self-titled first album. Their style was and remains very original, a melding of American
heavy metal
and Rainbow's
epic atmospheres. David, who also plays piano and keyboards, shows a particular liking for pompous and melodic arrangements, while Jack goes for a harder and more immediate assault.
Fan mail was becoming more interesting. Two letters in particular stand out, one from a young band, who were from Seattle. Their name was - Queensryche
. The other, from California, also a band, who called themselves Metallica
.
was supported by a mini LP called Wait for the Night
("A Cry in the Night" in the European version).
After this, Jack Starr left in a dispute with DeFeis over the direction the band should take and afterwards recruited former Riot
vocalist Rhett Forrester
(killed in 1994 by someone unknown) and The Rods
' rhythmic section and released a powerful heavy metal
album called Out of Darkness.
Even if David DeFeis
produced this Starr's solo debut, Jack Starr tried to keep the Virgin Steele name for his new venture trying to appear with this moniker at the Breaking Sound Festival (Paris). They had a weak claim to the name, though, and so David DeFeis
and the rest of the band, completed by DeFeis' old time friend guitarist Edward Pursino, managed to keep the Virgin Steele name after a victorious legal case against Jack Starr.
, which melts classic and epic music. Today, this album is still considered one of the most important manifests of heavy and epic metal worldwide.
Between 1985 and 1986, some members of Virgin Steele strongly contributed to an album published under the name Exorcist called Nightmare Theatre and to an album published under the name Piledriver called Stay Ugly. David DeFeis
only produced and helped these albums even if some rumors said that he and Pursino were behind these bands.
Finally, the band managed to go to Europe
, supporting Manowar
on tour and gaining great approval from all quarters because of their live performances. When things started to come together, though, some inexplicable laws seemed to apply and the following album, Age of Consent
, got a very narrow distribution and ended up a complete commercial failure. At this point, Virgin Steele were in their darkest period: their label shut down and Joe O'Reilly decided to leave, forcing the band to stop playing for a while.
During this break, David DeFeis
graduated in piano and composition and played live with a semi-improvised band called "Smoke Stark Lightning", featuring some famous musicians like his old mate Jack Starr and drummer Bobby Rondinelli
.
, an album of Whitesnake
-influenced hard rock
with a strong bluesy vein. The song "Last rose of Summer" is the highlight of the cd. Featuring none of the trademark epic and mythology-based elements of the band, Life Among the Ruins
is probably the most atypical release in the Virgin Steele discography and disliked by many die-hard classic metal fans. Quite interesting is the fact the American version has got a different cover and a bonus-track called "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" (published as a stand-alone single too) while many video-clips, taken from this album, were included into the home-video "Tale Of The Snakeskin Voodoo Man".
, an album of epic metal full of melodic and symphonic influences, very progressive oriented.
This work (a concept regarding the different side of human nature) includes, among the others, the song "Life Among the Ruins" which is not related to the previous album with the same title.
Virgin Steele went back to Europe supporting Manowar
and Uriah Heep
and at the end of 1995 released The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
, following the concept and the style of the first one.
The band appeared also on the compilation A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal - Volume II playing a raw cover of the song "Screaming for Vengeance". Another Judas Priest cover "Desert Plains" is included, as bonus-track, into the Age of Consent
album reissue.
After another European tour (this time as headliner) in 1996, a new album was released in March 1998: the third and final chapter of the "Marriage" saga, titled Invictus
. This was their heaviest album at the time and also very epic. Lyrically it is a concept album about humanity's rebellion against a pantheon
of evil, uncaring gods.
The band played at the Wacken Open Air
festival in 1997 and in 1998.
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy signs also the debut of drummer Frank Gilchriest.
Always in 1998, Virgin Steele headlined a real long new European tour with Mark Reale's Riot
and Stigmata IV as supporting acts. This tour included the headliner performance at the Biker
festival "Motorock" in Cremona (Italy).
and The House of Atreus Act II
, intended to be played by actors in theaters.
The subject of the Metal Opera was Oresteia and the Greek myths related by Aeschylus
, very familiar to David DeFeis
, because of his father's theaterical background. On the albums all vocals and orchestrations are managed by David DeFeis
himself.
Just before The House of Atreus Act II
, the single "Magick Fire Music" was published, with some Metal Opera outtakes. Inspired by Virgin Steele's Metal Opera, the German band Tobias Sammet's Avantasia
wrote various albums using the same format. David DeFeis
appears as special guest on the track: "The Final Sacrifice" included in the Avantasia
's second album.
After the show at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in 2000 without a bass player, in 2001 Virgin Steele toured with HammerFall
and Freedom Call
with the new bass player Josh Block.
in collaboration with original guitarist Jack Starr. The songs were written at the beginning of the 90's and previously unofficially appeared in the underground, with Starr at the guitar, with the name "Sacred Demos". The album contained also re-recordings of various songs from the first two albums with Josh Block, and not Jack Starr, supporting Pursino at the second guitar. Hymns to Victory instead is a best-of album covering the band's career from Noble Savage
to their latest album The House of Atreus Act II
.
The way to manage the reissues of the first two albums Virgin Steele
and Guardians of the Flame
, never published in cd before, created one more time problems between DeFeis and Starr so they decided to truncate any sort of relationship. DeFeis managed the reissues all by himself remastering the original albums and adding new bonus tracks. The EP A Cry in the Night was included into the Guardians of the Flame
CD.
(keyboards and backing vocals) appears as special guest on the first two Immortally Committed albums in the tracks "Epic" and "Council in Hell". He, Edward Pursino, Josh Block and Exorcist's drummer Geoff Fontaine played some live dates with the New York cover band Carnival of Souls.
Between the years 2002 and 2005, the band headlined a large number of heavy metal festivals such as the "Agglutination Festival" (2003, Italy), the "Tradate Iron Fest" (2004, Italy), the "Keep It True V Festival" (2004, Germany) and the "Ragnarock Festival" (2005, Netherlands).
also created his own recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor").
In September 2006, after 6 years without an all-new studio album, the band released its 11th full-length Visions of Eden
. The album revolves heavily around Gnostic beliefs and critically revisits the traditional Christian mythology
with regards to the creation of the Earth and the Biblical accounts of Adam and Eve
. An even darker, more melancholic drama than the House of Atreus saga, the story revolves around Lilith
, the first wife of Adam and a symbol of female strength and independence. Representing the female side of the true, higher god, she suffers under the lusting, jealous Demiurge
who represents the Christian
god, and as an emancipated woman who could not get along with the dominant Adam stands in stark contrast to Eve
. Adam's second wife is portrayed as a docile, subservient partner created by the demiurge at the request of Adam, who could not cope with an independent woman on equal footing with him.
Visions of Eden (A Barbaric Romantic Movie Of The Mind)
aka "The Lilith Project" is based on the Sumerian legend of Lilith
and it is intended as the soundtrack for an imaginary movie. The band is actually looking for a producer to bring this concept album story on-screen.
and Josh Block appear on the Polish band Crystal Viper EP in the cover of Virgin Steele's song "Blood and Gasoline" from the The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
album.
Between 2007 and 2008 the out of print albums Noble Savage
, Age of Consent
, Life Among the Ruins
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
were reissued (with bonus tracks) by the German label Dockyard1.
There are also rumors that a DVD live album is planned, a three hours show recorded at THE DOWNTOWN CLUB (Long Island, NY) in 2002 and an acoustic concert played in 2000 in München should be part of it. In addition, the first ever Virgin Steele tribute album "By The Gods: A noble Tribute to Virgin Steele" is in the making. This album will feature true/power metal bands from all over the world and it's supported by Virgin Steele's frontman David DeFeis
.
A new Virgin Steele album, entitled The Black Light Bacchanalia
, was relelased at the end of October 2010 for the new label SPV/Steamhammer
while, in 2011, the whole back-catalogue, from Noble Savage
onwards, will be reissued again with faithfully restored covers and booklets, bonus tracks and linear notes.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, originally formed in 1981.
The band released a few career highlights albums (Noble Savage
Noble Savage (album)
Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II was the seventh studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele and it was the second of three albums in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" series. It was mostly written and composed by David DeFeis and Edward Pursino...
and Invictus
Invictus (album)
Invictus is the eighth studio album from New York based Power metal band Virgin Steele. It is the third part of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell saga, exploring the relationships and conflicts between humanity and divinity...
). In recent years, they have enriched their sound with elements of musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, progressive
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
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...
, developing and writing projects such as the Metal Opera "The House of Atreus" (based on Oresteia and the Greek myth related to the Atreides) in 1999/2000 and the soundtrack for an imaginary movie Visions of Eden (A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind)
Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released on September 8, 2006 via Sanctuary Records. The album is subtitled The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind...
aka "The Lilith Project" (based on the sumerian legend of Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
) in 2006.
Barbaric Romantic Music
Virgin Steele play what they call "barbaric romanticism" which is a symphonic, romantic and bombastic music with many elements taken from classical music and fantasy/mythological lyrics based on real life events.David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
(all vocals, keyboards, orchestration, synth bass, swords and effects) about Virgin Steele's music: "From a whisper to a scream, barbaric, romantic, bombastic, yet subtle, grandiose, yet earthy. A call, a shout, an invocation to Freedom and the continual awakening to the awareness that every moment of life is lived to its fullest potential. It is a force, a sacred quest which drives Virgin Steele on".
Typically, during Virgin Steele's concerts a sword is burnt on stage.
In some special show they used to play a truly long live set called "Three hour extravaganza".
Fans consider "The Burning of Rome (Cry for Pompeii)" and "Emalaith" some of the most representative songs of the band.
Barbaric Romantic Synopsis
Many Virgin Steele songs are mythological, dealing with subjects from especially Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and the Christian
Christian mythology
Christian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. In the study of mythology, the term "myth" refers to a traditional story, often one which is regarded as sacred and which explains how the world and its inhabitants came to have their present form.Classicist G.S. Kirk defines a...
religion. Most of their albums are concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s.
The later albums tend to be more epic and mythological while, on the early albums (up till Life Among the Ruins), many songs are more real-life based stories of love and sex.
According to David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
, all the lyrics he writes are based on real life in some form or another.
Metal Opera & Theatre
A Metal Opera is a mix between Rock operaRock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, Broadway style
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and "Heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
adapted for theater
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
's actors live performances".
According with German artists Walter Weyers and Martina Krawulsky, with the name "Klytaimnestra": "The House of Atreus" Metal Opera (musically available on the Virgin Steele's albums The House of Atreus Act I
The House of Atreus Act I
The House of Atreus Act I, released in 1999, is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It has the subtitle A Barbaric-Romantic Opera. This album is the first part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
, The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
) was performed on stage in Germany theaters by Landestheater Production.
The result, very different from an heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
concert, is a metal based dark Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
style musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
really powerful and energetic with actors only.
The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen
Memmingen
Memmingen is a town in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia in Germany. It is the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-Württemberg border...
, the 5th June 1999, has been the first ever regular musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
show based on heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
concepts.
After "Klytaimnestra" success, David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
& Landestheater Production extracted a second Metal Opera musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, named "The Rebels", from the previous Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy ("The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II was the seventh studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele and it was the second of three albums in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" series. It was mostly written and composed by David DeFeis and Edward Pursino...
", "Invictus
Invictus (album)
Invictus is the eighth studio album from New York based Power metal band Virgin Steele. It is the third part of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell saga, exploring the relationships and conflicts between humanity and divinity...
").
In 2003, the same team released a third Metal Opera, named "Lilith", based on the material of album Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released on September 8, 2006 via Sanctuary Records. The album is subtitled The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind...
. "Visons of Eden" was later on published in CD in 2006. In a different way to the previous two Operas, David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
declared: "I don't think of it as a Metal Opera. What it really is, is the soundtrack for a major motion picture that has yet to be made! And by the hammer of Zeus, I will make this film one day. I call this work a Barbaric Romantic movie of the mind.".
The origins
At the beginning of the Eighties, Jack Starr (a guitarist of FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
origins) was looking for the right elements to form the ultimate heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. The first to answer his call was drummer Joey Ayvazian and together they started jamming and auditioning singers. They auditioned around 40 singers before David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
was introduced to Jack by a friend of Joey.
With an astounding interpretation of "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, "Child in Time" by Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and "Catch the Rainbow" by Rainbow, David got the vacant role of singer, bringing with him bassist Joe O'Reilly. At the end of 1981 the first line-up was ready.
The debut
Virgin Steele debuted in 1982 with "Children of the Storm" (a song loved by MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
), included in the compilation "U.S. Metal Vol. II". A bit later they issued their self-titled first album. Their style was and remains very original, a melding of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and Rainbow's
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
epic atmospheres. David, who also plays piano and keyboards, shows a particular liking for pompous and melodic arrangements, while Jack goes for a harder and more immediate assault.
Fan mail was becoming more interesting. Two letters in particular stand out, one from a young band, who were from Seattle. Their name was - Queensryche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
. The other, from California, also a band, who called themselves Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
.
The second album
The following year (1983) the second album Guardians Of The FlameGuardians of the Flame (album)
Guardians of the Flame is the second album from New York power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1983 by Music for Nations. Sanctuary reissued the album in 2002 with songs previously released in the EP Wait for the Night, a live recording, and an interview with the band.-Track listing:# "Don't...
was supported by a mini LP called Wait for the Night
Wait for the Night
Wait for the Night is an EP released in 1983 by the heavy metal band Virgin Steele promoting the album Guardians of the Flame. This EP was released in Europe by Music for Nations with a different cover, a different track listing and the name A Cry in the Night...
("A Cry in the Night" in the European version).
After this, Jack Starr left in a dispute with DeFeis over the direction the band should take and afterwards recruited former Riot
Riot (band)
Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in New York City in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. Reaching a peak in popularity in the early 80s, the band has continued a long-running successful career....
vocalist Rhett Forrester
Rhett Forrester
Rhett Forrester was an American musician, the lead singer of New York-based band Riot from 1981 until 1984....
(killed in 1994 by someone unknown) and The Rods
The Rods
The Rods is an American heavy metal band formed by David "Rock" Feinstein , Garry Bordonaro and Carl Canedy ....
' rhythmic section and released a powerful heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
album called Out of Darkness.
Even if David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
produced this Starr's solo debut, Jack Starr tried to keep the Virgin Steele name for his new venture trying to appear with this moniker at the Breaking Sound Festival (Paris). They had a weak claim to the name, though, and so David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
and the rest of the band, completed by DeFeis' old time friend guitarist Edward Pursino, managed to keep the Virgin Steele name after a victorious legal case against Jack Starr.
Noble Savage and Age Of Consent
Supported by Pursino, whose style prefectly fit DeFeis' songwriting more than the Starr's one, Virgin Steele new lineup recorded Noble SavageNoble Savage (album)
Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
, which melts classic and epic music. Today, this album is still considered one of the most important manifests of heavy and epic metal worldwide.
Between 1985 and 1986, some members of Virgin Steele strongly contributed to an album published under the name Exorcist called Nightmare Theatre and to an album published under the name Piledriver called Stay Ugly. David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
only produced and helped these albums even if some rumors said that he and Pursino were behind these bands.
Finally, the band managed to go to 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...
, supporting Manowar
Manowar (band)
Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980 the group is known for its lyrics based on fantasy and mythological topics along with their "loud and bombastic" sound...
on tour and gaining great approval from all quarters because of their live performances. When things started to come together, though, some inexplicable laws seemed to apply and the following album, Age of Consent
Age of Consent (Virgin Steele album)
Age of Consent is the fourth full length album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It took eight months to be completed, in comparison with Noble Savage that was recorded in a few weeks, and was finally released in October 1988. It received scarce promotion and distribution by their small label,...
, got a very narrow distribution and ended up a complete commercial failure. At this point, Virgin Steele were in their darkest period: their label shut down and Joe O'Reilly decided to leave, forcing the band to stop playing for a while.
During this break, David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
graduated in piano and composition and played live with a semi-improvised band called "Smoke Stark Lightning", featuring some famous musicians like his old mate Jack Starr and drummer Bobby Rondinelli
Bobby Rondinelli
Bobby Rondinelli is a rock drummer best known for his work with the hard rock/heavy metal bands like Blue Öyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot, Black Sabbath, The Lizards, and Rondinelli.-Background:...
.
The come-back
In 1993, Rob De Martino was chosen as the new bass player and Virgin Steele came back with Life Among the RuinsLife Among the Ruins
Life Among the Ruins is the fifth full length studio album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released in 1993, after almost five years of inactivity. The song "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" was present only in the American release and was instead released as a single in 1992 in Europe, at the...
, an album of Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
-influenced hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
with a strong bluesy vein. The song "Last rose of Summer" is the highlight of the cd. Featuring none of the trademark epic and mythology-based elements of the band, Life Among the Ruins
Life Among the Ruins
Life Among the Ruins is the fifth full length studio album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released in 1993, after almost five years of inactivity. The song "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" was present only in the American release and was instead released as a single in 1992 in Europe, at the...
is probably the most atypical release in the Virgin Steele discography and disliked by many die-hard classic metal fans. Quite interesting is the fact the American version has got a different cover and a bonus-track called "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" (published as a stand-alone single too) while many video-clips, taken from this album, were included into the home-video "Tale Of The Snakeskin Voodoo Man".
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
One year later, the band returned to the original sound with The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part IThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
, an album of epic metal full of melodic and symphonic influences, very progressive oriented.
This work (a concept regarding the different side of human nature) includes, among the others, the song "Life Among the Ruins" which is not related to the previous album with the same title.
Virgin Steele went back to Europe supporting Manowar
Manowar (band)
Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980 the group is known for its lyrics based on fantasy and mythological topics along with their "loud and bombastic" sound...
and Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
and at the end of 1995 released The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II was the seventh studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele and it was the second of three albums in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" series. It was mostly written and composed by David DeFeis and Edward Pursino...
, following the concept and the style of the first one.
The band appeared also on the compilation A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal - Volume II playing a raw cover of the song "Screaming for Vengeance". Another Judas Priest cover "Desert Plains" is included, as bonus-track, into the Age of Consent
Age of Consent (Virgin Steele album)
Age of Consent is the fourth full length album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It took eight months to be completed, in comparison with Noble Savage that was recorded in a few weeks, and was finally released in October 1988. It received scarce promotion and distribution by their small label,...
album reissue.
After another European tour (this time as headliner) in 1996, a new album was released in March 1998: the third and final chapter of the "Marriage" saga, titled Invictus
Invictus (album)
Invictus is the eighth studio album from New York based Power metal band Virgin Steele. It is the third part of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell saga, exploring the relationships and conflicts between humanity and divinity...
. This was their heaviest album at the time and also very epic. Lyrically it is a concept album about humanity's rebellion against a pantheon
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
of evil, uncaring gods.
The band played at the Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
festival in 1997 and in 1998.
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy signs also the debut of drummer Frank Gilchriest.
Always in 1998, Virgin Steele headlined a real long new European tour with Mark Reale's Riot
Riot (band)
Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in New York City in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. Reaching a peak in popularity in the early 80s, the band has continued a long-running successful career....
and Stigmata IV as supporting acts. This tour included the headliner performance at the Biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
festival "Motorock" in Cremona (Italy).
The Metal Opera
Between the years 1999 and 2000, the band released the never done before project of a Metal Opera, writing the albums The House of Atreus Act IThe House of Atreus Act I
The House of Atreus Act I, released in 1999, is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It has the subtitle A Barbaric-Romantic Opera. This album is the first part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
and The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
, intended to be played by actors in theaters.
The subject of the Metal Opera was Oresteia and the Greek myths related by Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
, very familiar to David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
, because of his father's theaterical background. On the albums all vocals and orchestrations are managed by David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
himself.
Just before The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
, the single "Magick Fire Music" was published, with some Metal Opera outtakes. Inspired by Virgin Steele's Metal Opera, the German band Tobias Sammet's Avantasia
Avantasia
Avantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
wrote various albums using the same format. David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
appears as special guest on the track: "The Final Sacrifice" included in the Avantasia
Avantasia
Avantasia is a heavy metal project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist and frontman of the band Edguy. The project's title is a portmanteau of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" and describes "a world beyond human imagination"...
's second album.
After the show at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in 2000 without a bass player, in 2001 Virgin Steele toured with HammerFall
HammerFall
HammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak.- Early days :...
and Freedom Call
Freedom Call
Freedom Call is a German power metal band formed in 1998.-Biography:Freedom Call was formed in 1998 by old friends Chris Bay and Daniel Zimmermann during an off-period for the latter's main band, Gamma Ray...
with the new bass player Josh Block.
The 20th years anniversary
In 2002, the band released two compilations to celebrate the 20th years anniversary. The Book of Burning consists of a mix of previously unreleased songs and new compositions created by David DeFeisDavid DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
in collaboration with original guitarist Jack Starr. The songs were written at the beginning of the 90's and previously unofficially appeared in the underground, with Starr at the guitar, with the name "Sacred Demos". The album contained also re-recordings of various songs from the first two albums with Josh Block, and not Jack Starr, supporting Pursino at the second guitar. Hymns to Victory instead is a best-of album covering the band's career from Noble Savage
Noble Savage (album)
Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
to their latest album The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II
The House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
.
The way to manage the reissues of the first two albums Virgin Steele
Virgin Steele (album)
Virgin Steele is the eponymous debut album by New York heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released independently in 1982. This was the first album released by Music for Nations in Europe and was subsequently released by Mongol Horde Records and Maze Records in Canada...
and Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame (album)
Guardians of the Flame is the second album from New York power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1983 by Music for Nations. Sanctuary reissued the album in 2002 with songs previously released in the EP Wait for the Night, a live recording, and an interview with the band.-Track listing:# "Don't...
, never published in cd before, created one more time problems between DeFeis and Starr so they decided to truncate any sort of relationship. DeFeis managed the reissues all by himself remastering the original albums and adding new bonus tracks. The EP A Cry in the Night was included into the Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame
Guardians of the Flame is a long running series by author Joel Rosenberg and is arguably his best known work. The series is about a group of college students who participate in a fantasy role-playing game, and are magically transported to the world of the game by their gamemaster.The first book,...
CD.
Rising unchained
David DeFeisDavid DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
(keyboards and backing vocals) appears as special guest on the first two Immortally Committed albums in the tracks "Epic" and "Council in Hell". He, Edward Pursino, Josh Block and Exorcist's drummer Geoff Fontaine played some live dates with the New York cover band Carnival of Souls.
Between the years 2002 and 2005, the band headlined a large number of heavy metal festivals such as the "Agglutination Festival" (2003, Italy), the "Tradate Iron Fest" (2004, Italy), the "Keep It True V Festival" (2004, Germany) and the "Ragnarock Festival" (2005, Netherlands).
A Barbaric Romantic Movie Of The Mind
David DeFeisDavid DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
also created his own recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor").
In September 2006, after 6 years without an all-new studio album, the band released its 11th full-length Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released on September 8, 2006 via Sanctuary Records. The album is subtitled The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind...
. The album revolves heavily around Gnostic beliefs and critically revisits the traditional Christian mythology
Christian mythology
Christian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. In the study of mythology, the term "myth" refers to a traditional story, often one which is regarded as sacred and which explains how the world and its inhabitants came to have their present form.Classicist G.S. Kirk defines a...
with regards to the creation of the Earth and the Biblical accounts of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
. An even darker, more melancholic drama than the House of Atreus saga, the story revolves around Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
, the first wife of Adam and a symbol of female strength and independence. Representing the female side of the true, higher god, she suffers under the lusting, jealous Demiurge
Demiurge
The demiurge is a concept from the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy for an artisan-like figure responsible for the fashioning and maintenance of the physical universe. The term was subsequently adopted by the Gnostics...
who represents the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
god, and as an emancipated woman who could not get along with the dominant Adam stands in stark contrast to Eve
Eve (Bible)
Eve was, according to the creation of Abrahamic religions, the first woman created by God...
. Adam's second wife is portrayed as a docile, subservient partner created by the demiurge at the request of Adam, who could not cope with an independent woman on equal footing with him.
Visions of Eden (A Barbaric Romantic Movie Of The Mind)
Visions of Eden
Visions of Eden is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released on September 8, 2006 via Sanctuary Records. The album is subtitled The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind...
aka "The Lilith Project" is based on the Sumerian legend of Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
and it is intended as the soundtrack for an imaginary movie. The band is actually looking for a producer to bring this concept album story on-screen.
Recent activities
In 2007, the band played at the Power Prog VIII Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) and at the Evolution Festival (Florence, Italy). David DeFeisDavid DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
and Josh Block appear on the Polish band Crystal Viper EP in the cover of Virgin Steele's song "Blood and Gasoline" from the The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
album.
Between 2007 and 2008 the out of print albums Noble Savage
Noble Savage (album)
Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
, Age of Consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
, Life Among the Ruins
Life Among the Ruins
Life Among the Ruins is the fifth full length studio album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released in 1993, after almost five years of inactivity. The song "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" was present only in the American release and was instead released as a single in 1992 in Europe, at the...
, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II was the seventh studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele and it was the second of three albums in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" series. It was mostly written and composed by David DeFeis and Edward Pursino...
were reissued (with bonus tracks) by the German label Dockyard1.
There are also rumors that a DVD live album is planned, a three hours show recorded at THE DOWNTOWN CLUB (Long Island, NY) in 2002 and an acoustic concert played in 2000 in München should be part of it. In addition, the first ever Virgin Steele tribute album "By The Gods: A noble Tribute to Virgin Steele" is in the making. This album will feature true/power metal bands from all over the world and it's supported by Virgin Steele's frontman David DeFeis
David DeFeis
David DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
.
A new Virgin Steele album, entitled The Black Light Bacchanalia
The Black Light Bacchanalia
The Black Light Bacchanalia is the twelfth album by New York heavy/power metal group Virgin Steele, released via SPV/Steamhammer on October 22, 2010 in Germany, Austria & Switzerland, and the rest of Europe on October 25, 2010 & on November 9, 2010, in the USA.The album is issued in CD format,...
, was relelased at the end of October 2010 for the new label SPV/Steamhammer
SPV GmbH
SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide....
while, in 2011, the whole back-catalogue, from Noble Savage
Noble Savage (album)
Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
onwards, will be reissued again with faithfully restored covers and booklets, bonus tracks and linear notes.
Line-up
- David DeFeisDavid DeFeisDavid DeFeis is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.- Voice & musical style :...
- all vocals, keyboards, orchestration, synth bass, swords & effects - Edward Pursino - electric & acoustic guitars
- Frank Gilchriest - drums, chaos & pandemonium
- Josh Block - electric bass & additional rhythm guitar
Albums
- 1982 - Virgin SteeleVirgin Steele (album)Virgin Steele is the eponymous debut album by New York heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released independently in 1982. This was the first album released by Music for Nations in Europe and was subsequently released by Mongol Horde Records and Maze Records in Canada...
- 1983 - Guardians of the FlameGuardians of the Flame (album)Guardians of the Flame is the second album from New York power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1983 by Music for Nations. Sanctuary reissued the album in 2002 with songs previously released in the EP Wait for the Night, a live recording, and an interview with the band.-Track listing:# "Don't...
- 1986 - Noble SavageNoble Savage (album)Noble Savage is the third album of the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The album was released in 1986 by Cobra Records and reissued in 1997 on CD by Noise Records, with six bonus tracks. The remastered edition of 2008 by Dockyard 1 added two other extra tracks...
- 1988 - Age of ConsentAge of Consent (Virgin Steele album)Age of Consent is the fourth full length album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It took eight months to be completed, in comparison with Noble Savage that was recorded in a few weeks, and was finally released in October 1988. It received scarce promotion and distribution by their small label,...
- 1993 - Life Among the RuinsLife Among the RuinsLife Among the Ruins is the fifth full length studio album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released in 1993, after almost five years of inactivity. The song "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" was present only in the American release and was instead released as a single in 1992 in Europe, at the...
- 1994 - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part IThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part IThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I is the sixth studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele, released in 1994. It is the first part of a trilogy of concept albums, comprising also The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus, about the relationship between humanity and...
- 1995 - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part IIThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part IIThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II was the seventh studio album by American power metal band Virgin Steele and it was the second of three albums in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" series. It was mostly written and composed by David DeFeis and Edward Pursino...
- 1998 - InvictusInvictus (album)Invictus is the eighth studio album from New York based Power metal band Virgin Steele. It is the third part of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell saga, exploring the relationships and conflicts between humanity and divinity...
- 1999 - The House of Atreus Act IThe House of Atreus Act IThe House of Atreus Act I, released in 1999, is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It has the subtitle A Barbaric-Romantic Opera. This album is the first part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
- 2000 - The House of Atreus Act IIThe House of Atreus Act IIThe House of Atreus Act II, released in 2000, is the tenth studio album by the American heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released as a double CD album. This album is the second and final part of a metal opera inpired by the Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus which...
- 2006 - Visions of EdenVisions of EdenVisions of Eden is the eleventh album by American heavy metal band Virgin Steele, released on September 8, 2006 via Sanctuary Records. The album is subtitled The Lilith Project - A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind...
- 2010 - The Black Light BacchanaliaThe Black Light BacchanaliaThe Black Light Bacchanalia is the twelfth album by New York heavy/power metal group Virgin Steele, released via SPV/Steamhammer on October 22, 2010 in Germany, Austria & Switzerland, and the rest of Europe on October 25, 2010 & on November 9, 2010, in the USA.The album is issued in CD format,...