American Heavy Metal!

Virgin Steele - Guardians Of The Flame (Music For Nations) 1983

1. Don't Say Goodbye (Tonight)" (4:23)
2. Burn The Sun" (4:23)
3. Life Of Crime" (4:40)
4. The Redeemer" (7:05)
5. Birth Through Fire" (:39)
6. Guardians Of The Flame" (6:45)
7. Metal City" (04:12)
8. Hell Or High Water" (3:16)
9. Go All The Way" (3:11)
10. A Cry In The Night" (4:04)
11. "I Am The One" (3:47)
12. "Go Down Fighting" (2:20)
13. "Waiting for the Night" (4:18)
14. interview (6:41)
15. "Blues Deluze Oreganta (I Might Drown)" (6:13)

Ahhhh, another nostalgia trip. I loved this album back when I was in high school. This album was finally remastered for its first ever CD release in late 2002. The CD edition contains five bonus tracks, which are the three new tracks as well as and interview from the follow-up "Wait For The Night" EP, plus "Blues Deluxe Oreganata (I Might Drown)". "Guardians of the Flame" is the band's sophmore album and is a heavy metal classic--galloping riffs, beautiful vocals, shredding guitar solos, pounding bass, pure heavy metal power. "Burn The Sun" is one of those screamin' heavy metal tacks that got me into metal back in the early 80's. Not unlike Accept's "Fast as a Shark" or Queensryche's "Queen of the Ryche" this was one of those songs that we would crank over and over again. DeFieis' just tears it up on this track with some of the highest screams ever. Guitarist Jack Starr's guitarwork here is excellent as well. Absolutely the highlight of the album in my opinion. That is not to say, however, that this is the only good song on the album. On the contrary, this is a pretty solid platter. Virgin Steele is one of the early, legendary American heavy metal bands. Unfortunately for now I only have a cardboard promo copy, but I am now going to keep my eyes open for a regular copy.

Virgin Steele-Life Among the Ruins (T&T)

1. "Sex Religion Machine" (4:43)
2. "Jet Black" (4:17)
3. "Love is Pain" (3:52)
4. "Invitation" (1:17)
5. "I Dress in Black (Woman with No Shadows)" (4:45)
6. "Crown of Thorns" (6:28)
7. "Cage of Angels" [instrumental] (:55)
8. "Never Believed in Goodbye" (4:22)
9. "Too Hot To Handle" (4:40)
10. "Love is Gone" (4:28)
11. "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" (5:16)
12. "Wild Fire Woman" (4:43)
13. "Cry Forever" (4:32)
14. "Haunting the Last Hours" [instrumental] (:54)
15. "Last Rose of Summer" (4:22)

I use to own some early Virgin Steele on vinyl but had really sort of forgotten about them. I remembered Virgin Steele as being a Manowar-ish heavy metal band, but this disc is melodic, semi-commercial heavy metal. The disc does have its moments: the anthemic '80s rocker "Love Is Pain," the sappy ballad "Last Rose of Summer" and the Led Zeppelin-inspired "I Dress in Black." My copy is autographed.

Virgin Steele - The Book Of Burning (T&T / Noise Records) 2002

1. "Conjuration Of The Watcher" (4:24)
2. "Don't Say Goodbye (Tonight)" [re-recorded]" (4:42)
3. "Rain Of Fire" (6:27)
4. "Annihilation" (1:05)
5. "Hellfire Woman" (6:57)
6. "Children Of The Storm" [re-recorded] (6:19)
7. "The Chosen Ones" (8:04)
8. "The Succubus" (3:15)
9. "Minuet In G Minor" [re-recorded] (:48)
10. "The Redeemer" [re-recorded] (5:42)
11. "I Am The One" [re-recorded] (3:48)
12. "Hot And Wild" [re-recorded] (4:05)
13. "Birth Through Fire" [re-recorded] (:39)
14. "Guardians Of The Flame" [re-recorded] (6:44)
15. "The Final Days" (5:50)
16. "A Cry In The Night" [re-recorded/acoustic version] (4:45)

This CD is primarily songs from the first two Virgin Steele albums, although much of the material has been re-recorded. Also included are a few songs from various points in their career that were never before released. Tracks 5-8 are re-recorded versions of songs written by David DeFeis and Jack Starr (Burning Starr) in 1997. "Conjuration of the Watcher" and "The Succubus", written by Defeis, first appears on the 1986 Original Sin LP "Sin Will Find You Out". Because many of these songs have been re-recordinged, the production values are stepped up a bit from what I remember the originals being. Highlights are of the re-recorded classics such as "The Redeemer" and "Guardians Of The Flame". I was sort of bummed that "Burn the Sun" was not included ont hs CD..

Related collections:
Jack Starr's Burning Starr

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