Artist Detailed Info: Virgin Steele

Virgin Steele is an American heavy metal band from New York, formed in 1981. The group's music has incorporated elements of traditional heavy metal, power metal, symphonic metal and progressive metal. Over the course of its career, Virgin Steele has released concept albums and larger-scale works, including the metal opera "The House of Atreus" and the concept album "Visions of Eden".

Guitarist Jack Starr and drummer Joey Ayvazian began assembling the band in the early 1980s. Bassist Kelly Nickels joined in 1981, and after a series of auditions vocalist and keyboard player David DeFeis was recruited, bringing bassist Joe O'Reilly with him. The first line-up was completed by the end of 1981.

Virgin Steele made its recording debut in 1982 with the song "Children of the Storm", which appeared on the compilation "U.S. Metal Vol. II". Later that year, the band released its self-titled debut album. In 1983, Virgin Steele issued its second album, "Guardians of the Flame", accompanied by the EP "Wait for the Night", released in Europe as "A Cry in the Night". Following the album, Jack Starr recorded his solo debut "Out of the Darkness". Guitarist Edward Pursino subsequently became associated with the band, and after a legal dispute over the rights to the band's name, Starr transferred ownership to David DeFeis.

With Pursino as guitarist, Virgin Steele recorded "Noble Savage", released in 1985. Between 1985 and 1986, members of the band were involved in the albums "Nightmare Theatre", issued under the name Exorcist, and "Stay Ugly", released under the name Piledriver. Virgin Steele later toured Europe in support of Manowar. The following album, "Age of Consent", received limited distribution, and after the closure of the band's record label bassist Joe O'Reilly left. The group then suspended live activities for a period. During this time, DeFeis studied piano and composition and performed with the group Smoke Stark Lightning, which included Jack Starr and drummer Bobby Rondinelli.

In 1993, bassist Rob De Martino joined the band, and Virgin Steele returned with "Life Among the Ruins", an album influenced by hard rock and blues. The American edition featured an alternate cover and the bonus track "Snakeskin Voodoo Man". Material from the album was also used in the home video "Tale of the Snakeskin Voodoo Man".

The band returned to its epic metal style with "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I" in 1994. A sequel, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II", followed in 1995. During this period Virgin Steele toured Europe with Manowar and Uriah Heep and contributed a cover of "Screaming for Vengeance" to the compilation "A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal - Volume II". A cover of "Desert Plains" later appeared on a reissue of "Age of Consent". In 1998, the band released "Invictus", the final part of the "Marriage of Heaven and Hell" trilogy. The album introduced drummer Frank Gilchriest. Virgin Steele appeared at the Wacken Open Air festival in 1997 and 1998 and undertook a European tour with Riot and Stigmata IV.

Between 1999 and 2000, the band released the two-part metal opera "The House of Atreus Act I" and "The House of Atreus Act II". Based on the "Oresteia" and related Greek myths, the project was conceived as a theatrical work. DeFeis performed all vocals and orchestrations on the albums. The single "Magick Fire Music" was issued shortly before the release of the second part. DeFeis later appeared as a guest on "The Final Sacrifice" by Avantasia. In 2001, Virgin Steele toured with HammerFall and Freedom Call, introducing bassist Josh Block.

In 2002, the band marked its twentieth anniversary with the releases "The Book of Burning" and "Hymns to Victory". "The Book of Burning" included previously unreleased material and re-recordings of songs from the band's first two albums. Disagreements between DeFeis and Jack Starr concerning the reissues of "Virgin Steele" and "Guardians of the Flame" led to the end of their association. The reissues, which appeared on CD for the first time, were overseen by DeFeis and included bonus material, including the EP "A Cry in the Night".

David DeFeis contributed as a guest musician to recordings by Immortally Committed. He, Edward Pursino, Josh Block and drummer Geoff Fontaine also performed with the cover band Carnival of Souls. Between 2002 and 2005, Virgin Steele headlined several European metal festivals.

DeFeis established a recording studio known as The Hammer of Zeus, also referred to as The Wrecking Ball of Thor. In 2006, Virgin Steele released "Visions of Eden", its first album of new material in six years. The concept album, subtitled "A Barbaric Romantic Movie of the Mind", drew on Gnostic themes and legends associated with Lilith. It was conceived as the soundtrack to an imaginary film.

In 2007, the band performed at the Power Prog VIII Festival in Atlanta and the Evolution Festival in Florence. During 2007 and 2008, several albums, including "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 by Dockyard1 with bonus tracks.

Virgin Steele released "The Black Light Bacchanalia" in October 2010 through SPV/Steamhammer. Beginning in 2011, the band's catalogue from "Noble Savage" onward was reissued with restored artwork, liner notes and additional material.

The tribute album "By the Gods: A Noble Tribute to Virgin Steele" was released by Majestic Metal Records on 31 October 2015. In 2017, "Visions of Eden" was reissued as a double CD featuring both a remixed version and a remastered edition of the original mix.

In 2018, the box set "Seven Devils Moonshine" was released. It included the new albums "Ghost Harvest - Vintage I - Black Wine for Mourning", "Ghost Harvest - Vintage II - Red Wine for Warning" and "Gothic Voodoo Anthems", together with reissues of "The Book of Burning" and "Hymns to Victory".

On 30 June 2023, Virgin Steele released "The Passion of Dionysus", its first studio album since "Nocturnes of Hellfire & Damnation" and its first single-disc studio album since 2015.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Steele

Studio albums
Virgin Steele (1982)
Guardians of the Flame (1983)
Noble Savage (1985)
Age of Consent (1988)
Life Among the Ruins (1993)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I (1995)
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II (1996)
Invictus (1998)
The House of Atreus Act I (1999)
The House of Atreus Act II (2000)
Visions of Eden (2006)
The Black Light Bacchanalia (2010)
Nocturnes of Hellfire & Damnation (2015)
Seven Devils Moonshine (2018)
The Passion of Dionysus (2023)

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