Virgin Steele I - The Anniversary Edition

When Virgin Steele began recording this self-titled debut album in 1981, the band had only been together for three weeks. That explains why this fantasy metal effort is uneven; in 1981, Virgin Steele still had some growing and developing to do and was very much a diamond in the rough (in terms of both songwriting and production). Nonetheless, one hears a lot of potential on the band's first recordings, all of which are heavily influenced by Judas Priest's '70s work. Priest, however, isn't the only influence; there are also hints of Deep Purple and Rainbow, and Virgin Steele's original lineup (which consisted of David Defeis on lead vocals and keyboards, Jack Starr on guitar, Joe Reilly on bass, and Joey Ayvazian on drums) didn't escape the influence of progressive rock. Some of the writing, in fact, brings to mind Canadian prog-rockers Rush. What does Virgin Steele's first album have in common with progressive rock? For one thing, an appreciation of European classical music. Virgin Steele's debut is harder and heavier than most progressive rock, and yet, the headbangers share Rush's love of music that is driving yet intricate and involved. Unfortunately, this album (which was recorded on a shoestring budget) was out of print for a long time. The Music for Nations label only pressed 5,000 copies of the original LP, and the album became increasingly difficult to find after it went out of print. But Virgin Steele's first album came back into print when, in 2002, Sanctuary reissued it on CD and added several bonus tracks (including some previously unreleased demos). This interesting, if inconsistent, disc is not recommended to those who have only a casual interest in Virgin Steele -- in 1981, the band's best work was yet to come. But if you're a serious collector, these under-produced recordings definitely have historic value. ~ Alex Henderson