Virgin Steele

Virgin Steele – The Passion of Dionysus Review

By Itchymenace on July 4, 2023 in Reviews, 113 comments

“It seemed like a fun challenge. Like the kid you dared to eat a tater tot after its been up someone else’s nose, I couldn’t resist the temptation to take on 79 bloated minutes of excessive, symphonic concept metal from one of Long Island’s unsung legends. Maybe it’s masochism, maybe it’s the need for attention, maybe it’s a Fight Club-like desire to stand outside the door long enough with my boots and shirts that Steel Druhm will invite me in to Project Mayhem and I’ll get a Judas Priest promo. Either way, the boss was clearly done with Virgin Steele after his previous, less-than-flattering reviews and no one else was touching this thing.” Steel avoidance.

Claymorean – Eulogy for the Gods Review

By El Cuervo on September 14, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 42 comments

“Serbia isn’t a big hitter for metal. Controversial movies perhaps. A geographically-unlikely affinity for basketball. Even war crimes in the early 90s. Yet despite a lack of internationally recognized metal acts, it clearly has a love for the trvest, classic metal of the 80s. Claymorean’s fifth full-length album entitled Eulogy for the Gods was written as an homage to Mark ‘The Shark’ Shelton of Manilla Road, to Virgin Steele and to the 80s generally.” Hail, hail to 80s.

Throne of Iron – Adventure One Review

By Steel Druhm on February 21, 2020 in 2020, Ambient Metal, Heavy Metal, No Remorse Records, Reviews, Heavy Metal, 23 comments

“The inspiration for the Bloomington, Indiana based Throne of Iron came to founder Tucker Thomasson when he heard Mark Shelton, the legendary frontman of cult act Manilla Road, had passed away. The band was created as a way to pay homage to the man and his music as well as Thomasson’s love for Dungeons & Dragons. For a time Throne of Iron functioned as a one-man project, but eventually Thomasson drew supporters to the cause and the debut, Adventure One features a full time raiding party/band/nerd herd.” Chaotic-neutral.

Virgin Steele – Nocturnes of Hellfire and Damnation Review

By Steel Druhm on June 13, 2015 in 2015, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, SPV, Heavy Metal, 66 comments

“There are bands you understand, bands you’ll never understand and bands you used to understand. New York’s very own Virgin Steele definitely falls into the latter category.” Steel Druhm is bumfuzzled and bewildered, and this time it’s not because of his advanced age.

Grand Magus – Triumph and Power Review

By Steel Druhm on January 29, 2014 in 2014, Heavy Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Heavy Metal, 8 comments

“Swords gleaming in the sun, banners battered by the wind as men fight and die, a shoreline awash with red: all images vividly conjured by the punchy, but regal music on Grand Magus’s last three albums. Though their style resists easy classification and has shifted and squirmed between the cracks of several genres over time, they’ve always been a band you could count on to release classy, high quality music.” Is this yet another stellar release by the mighty Magus or did they jump the Viking helmed shark?

Virgin Steele – The Black Light Bacchanalia Review

By Steel Druhm on November 5, 2010 in 2.0, 2010, American Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, SPV, Heavy Metal, 10 comments

OK, what the hell is going on here? Why are metal’s elder statesmen forgetting to include metal on their metal albums? First Halford and now this? Virgin Steele has been around since forever (1982), and singer, keyboardist, pianist, composer David DeFeis is a near legendary figure in the metal scene who happens to hail from my neck of the woods in New York. Growing up, I always considered Virgin Steele a poor man’s Manowar (and I think these guys felt the same way). Although I was never a die-hard fan, they had some good early albums and DeFeis is a talented musician and truly gifted and versatile vocalist. However, on album twelve, the pompously titled The Black Light Bacchanalia, DeFeis and company have opted to create nearly ninety minutes of what can best be described as Manowar meets chamber music meets Vegas lounge music. Conceptually, easy listening/lounge Manowar is the equal of other such self defeating concepts as room temperature fire and Shakespeare performed by mimes. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.