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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Virgin Steele| image =Virgin Steele 3.jpg| caption = David DeFeis and Edward Pursino| image_size = 250| landscape = yes| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Long Island , New York , United States|USA | genre = Hard rock (early), Heavy metal music|heavy metal , power metal , symphonic metal | years_active = 1981–present| label = SPV GmbH|SPV/Steamhammer , Dockyard1, Noise Records (Germany)|T& T/Noise Records | associated_acts =| website = http://www.virgin-steele.com/ www.virgin-steele.com| current_members = David DeFeis Edward Pursino Frank Gilchriest Josh Block | Road_Crew Members =| past_members = Rob DeMartino Joey Ayvazian Joe "O"Reilly Jack Starr | notable_instruments = Virgin Steele is a Heavy metal music|heavy metal band from New York , originally formed in 1981.
The band released a few career highlights albums ( Noble Savage (album)|Noble Savage , The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I , The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II and Invictus (album)|Invictus ). In recent years, they have enriched their sound with elements of musical theatre , progressive metal|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 House of Atreus|Atreides ) in 1999/2000 and the soundtrack for an imaginary movie Visions of Eden|Visions of Eden (A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind) aka "The Lilith Project" (based on the Sumerian legend of Lilith ) in 2006.
Barbaric Romanticism
Barbaric Romantic Music
Virgin Steele play what they call "barbaric romanticism" http://www.lastfm.it/music/Virgin+Steele which is a symphonic, romantic and bombastic music with many elements taken from european classical music|classical music and fantasy/mythological lyrics based on real life events.
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". http://www.virgin-steele.com Official Site Info
Typically, during Virgin Steele's concerts a sword is burnt on stage. http://www.virgin-steele.com/live2.html Virgin Steele Official Site Live Info
In some special show they used to play a truly long live set called "Three hour extravaganza". http://www.virgin-steele.com/newsarchive2.html
Fans consider "The Burning of Rome (Cry for Pompeii)" and "Emalaith" some of the most representative songs of the band. http://www.teethofthedivine.com/site/reviews/virgin-steele-hymns-to-victorythe-book-of-burning/
Barbaric Romantic Synopsis
Many Virgin Steele songs are mythological , dealing with subjects from especially Greek mythology and the Christian mythology|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. http://www.truemetal.org/virginsteele/main.php? page=miscellaneous-faq Band F.A.Q.
Metal Opera & Theatre
A Metal Opera is a mix between Rock opera , Broadway theatre|Broadway style and " Heavy metal music|Heavy metal adapted for Musical theatre|theater 's actors live performances". http://metal-archives.com/review.php? id=2764
According with German artists Walter Weyers :de:Walter Weyers|Walter Weyers de.wikipedia 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. http://www.landestheater-schwaben.de/ Landestheater Schwaben Official Site
The result, very different from an Heavy metal music|heavy metal concert, is a metal based dark Broadway theatre|Broadway style Musical theatre|musical really powerful and energetic with actors only. http://mitglied.lycos.de/TakeItMagazine/klytaimnestra_2000.htm Klytaimnestra review (2000 Munich, Reithalle)
The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen , the 5th June 1999, http://www.vampster.com/artikel/show/? id=340 Klytaimnestra premiere review has been the first ever regular musical theatre show based on Heavy metal music|heavy metal concepts.
After "Klytaimnestra" success, David DeFeis & Landestheater Production extracted a second Metal Opera Musical theatre|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 (album)|Invictus "). http://digilander.libero.it/virginsteele/metaloperas.htm
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& #33; And by the hammer of Zeus, I will make this film one day. I call this work a Barbaric Romantic movie of the mind." . http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=292 http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=292 http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=292
Biography
The origins
At the beginning of the Eighties , Jack Starr (a guitarist of France|French origins) was looking for the right elements to form the ultimate heavy metal music|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 band|Rainbow , David got the vacant role of singer, bringing with him bassist Joe O'Reilly.cite web |url= http://www.virgin-steele.com/bio.html |title=Virgin Steele Official Biography |accessdate= |author= |last= |first= |date= |work=virgin-steele.com |publisher=Virgin Steele Official Website |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= 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 Metallica ), included in the compilation "U.S. Metal Vol. II". http://www.discogs.com/Various-US-Metal-Vol-II/release/1608560 A bit later they issued their self-titled first album. Their style was and remains very original, a melding of United States|American Heavy metal music|heavy metal and Rainbow (band)|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 .
The second album
The following year (1983) the second album Guardians of the Flame (album)|Guardians Of The Flame was supported by a mini LP called Wait for the Night ("A Cry in the Night" in the European version).
After the album, Jack Starr started recording his first solo album, Out of the Darkness (album)|Out of the Darkness . Meanwhile DeFeis continued the band with Edward Purisno . As stated in the Virgin Steele's website "we never actually asked Edward to join the band, he just came down one day and never left".) After a lawsuit won by Starr over the name Virgin Steele , he sold it to DeFeis.
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 Savage (album)|Noble Savage , which melts classic and epic music. Today, this album is still considered one of the most important manifests of heavy and epic metal worldwide. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=317 http://truemetal.it/reviews.php? op=albumreview& id=6827 http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php? revid=4821Allmusic|class=album|id=r316965/review|pure_url=yes http://www.truemetal.it/reviews.php? op=albumreview& id=584
Between 1985 and 1986, some members of Virgin Steele strongly contributed to an album published under the name Exorcist called Nightmare Theatre http://www.myspace.com/megawattmayhem Exorcist Myspace and to an album published under the name Piledriver called Stay Ugly . http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php? id=1148 Piledriver Encyclopedia Metallum 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 (band)|Manowar on tour and gaining great approval from all quarters because of their live performances. http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Virgin-Steele-Biography/154707772B6FFB7348256CA9000E6F5B When things started to come together, though, some inexplicable laws seemed to apply and the following album, Age of Consent (Virgin Steele 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 . http://www.musicmight.com/artist/usa/new+york/smokestack+lightning
The come-back
In 1993, Rob De Martino was chosen as the new bass player and Virgin Steele came back with Life Among the Ruins , an album of Whitesnake -influenced hard rock with a strong bluesy vein. The song "Last rose of Summer" is the highlight of the cd. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=315 Life Among the Ruins Review 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".
One year later, the band returned to the original sound with The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I , 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 (band)|Manowar and Uriah Heep (band)|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 (Virgin Steele album)|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 (album)|Invictus . This was their heaviest album at the time and also very epic. http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php? revid=2094 http://metal-archives.com/review.php? id=2763 Lyrically it is a concept album about humanity's rebellion against a pantheon (gods)|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 (band)|Riot and Stigmata IV as supporting acts. This tour included the headliner performance at the Motorcycle|Biker festival "Motorock" in Cremona (Italy). http://www.custommccremona.it/storia.htm
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 I 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. http://www.solidrock.gr/index.php/lang-en/interviews/6-interviews/494-virgin-steele-david-defeis-interview-1208 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.
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 DeFeis 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 (album)|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 (album)|Virgin Steele and Guardians of the Flame (album)|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. http://www.cuttingedgerocks.com/v-steele.html 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.
Rising unchained
David DeFeis (keyboards and backing vocals) appears as special guest on the first two Immortally Committed albums in the tracks "Epic" and "Council in Hell". http://www.truemetal.org/immortallycommitted/biography.htm He, Edward Pursino , Josh Block and Exorcist's drummer Geoff Fontaine played some live dates with the New York cover band Carnival of Souls. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/BLABBERMOUTH.net/news.aspx? Mode=Archive& Date=9/27/2004
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 DeFeis also created his own recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor"). http://vampster.com/artikel/show/7875_VIRGIN_STEELE__Neue_Metal-Oper_.html
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 . http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp? ID=379 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 (Bible)|Adam stands in stark contrast to Eve (Bible)|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|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. http://truemetal.it/modules.php? name=News& file=article& sid=17366
Recent activities
In 2007, the band played at the Power Prog VIII Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) and at the Evolution Festival (Florence, Italy). David DeFeis and Josh Block appear on the Polish band CrystalViper 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 (album)|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. http://www.progressiveworld.net/virginsteeledefeisinterv.html In addition, the first ever Virgin Steele tribute album "By The Gods: A noble Tribute to Virgin Steele" is in the making. http://www.myspace.com/classicvirginsteelefanpage Virgin Steele Tribute Myspace 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 GmbH|SPV/Steamhammer while, in 2011, the whole back-catalogue, from Noble Savage (album)|Noble Savage onwards, will be reissued again with faithfully restored covers and booklets, bonus tracks and linear notes. http://www.virgin-steele.com/spv.html http://www.virgin-steele.com/spv.html
Line-up
David DeFeis - 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
Discography
Main|Virgin Steele discography
Albums
1982 - Virgin Steele (album)|Virgin Steele
1983 - Guardians of the Flame (album)|Guardians of the Flame
1986 - Noble Savage (album)|Noble Savage
1988 - Age of Consent (Virgin Steele album)|Age of Consent
http://www.virgin-steele.com/ Virgin Steele's Official Website
MySpace|virginsteele|Virgin Steele
http://www.truemetal.org/virginsteele/ ARMS OF MERCURY, Authorized Official Italian Site
http://www.noblesavages.org/ NOBLESAVAGES, Greek Official Fanclub of Virgin Steele
Virgin Steele DEFAULTSORT:Virgin Steele Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New York Category:American power metal musical groups Category:Musical groups from Long Island Category:Musical quartets Category:Musical groups established in 1981 Category:American symphonic metal musical groups
