VIRGIN STEELE

VIRGIN STEELE – “The Passion of Dionysus”

By Colonel Angus

VIRGIN STEELE was a band that I had high hopes for when I got into them through a friend who turned me onto their first self-titled album in the early 80s.  I was also a big fan of their follow up “Guardians of the Flame” which also featured (along with the debut) the talents of guitarist Jack Starr.  Once Jack Starr left, I seemed to have followed his career more closely and although still purchased “Noble Savage”, by the time “Age of Consent” came out, I was off listening to heavier music.  Even though I listened to those first two releases incessantly back in the day, they haven’t been given a spin in quite some time.  When “The Passion of Dionysus” came into my radar, I wanted to really delve into this record to see if there was something that I could latch onto and bring back to that more innocent time in Heavy Metal, when everything was new and different.  

Well, this new disk is different and doesn’t resemble the band I remember from the 80s but I really enjoy these newer sounds from these Long Island metalers.  I do hear remnants of the older days but “The Passion of Dionysus” has some gothic and prog elements that were not as prevalent in their earlier releases.  I know that this new disk is a concept but I have to admit, I can’t follow it but then again, I can’t follow most concept records so for me, it all lies with the songs.  “The Passion of Dionysus” is a collection of ten songs that not only work seamlessly, each one brings a slightly different flavor to the album.  Whether you’re listening to the menacing “The Ritual Of Descent” or the power metal of “Black Earth & Blood”, VIRGIN STEELE, or more specifically David DeFeis, takes the listener on a musical journey that I can only describe as a roller coaster.  It’s all the same ride but there are plenty of twists and turns that elicit different moods. 

The record starts off with prog rocker “The Gethsemane Effect” which has elements of YES and DREAM THEATER.  There are touches that remind me of the harder material by TOTO but it’s all rolled up to create this epic sounding tune.  Even though “You'll Never See the Sun Again” starts off as a slower ballady type of track, it morphs into more prog with heavier moments throughout.  And that is the common theme to my ears.  This proggy material is peppered with other elements to make each track stand out but that progressive nature of the tunes is the anchor.  “A Song of Possession” and the aforementioned “Black Earth & Blood” both have a power metal vibe that gives the record some variety in tempos.  Of the other songs on the disk, “The Passion of Dionysus” and “I Will Fear No Man for I Am a God” stand out just slightly on a record full of quality tunes.  I mentioned DeFeis previously, but Edward Pursino and Josh Block provide some great guitar work that fits perfectly with the material.  Pursino has been with the band since “Noble Savage” and even Block has spent over two decades so things have been pretty consistent for a while.  To hear some of the great work these two provide, look no further than the solo on “Unio Mystica”.  Even though keyboards play a heavy role in the sound, the guitars still make their presence felt.

As I mentioned earlier, this album does not sound like the band that I fell in love with back in the early 80s but I have to say, “The Passion of Dionysus” is a record that needs attention.  The material may not be as heavy as the days of yonder but the quality of the songs is still present.  I can’t give an opinion on their latter day records but “The Passion of Dionysus” is rekindling my “passion” (see what I did there) for VIRGIN STEELE.

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VIRGIN STEELE