Virgin Steele - Visions of Eden   

An epic saga told in 11 parts

Music can be a funny thing at times. I was just tidying up my draft review of Virgin Steele's latest album, Visions Of Eden, when for reasons unknown my opinion of the album completely shifted. Usually when I write a review I know exactly what I liked and didn't like about the album, and have a fair idea of the mood I want to reflect in my writing. Visions Of Eden posed a major challenge for me. Something just wasn't sitting right as I was finishing up my somewhat negative review. It took just one last listen for the album to click.

For the past 25 years Virgin Steele in its various incarnations has put out a string of albums. The band's 11th album is Visions Of Eden and is the first album I have ever heard from Virgin Steele. After hearing Visions Of Eden I have to admit that I feel slightly guilty for not making the effort to hear the band before this point if all their material is of the same calibre offered on this album.

For those of you out there who are like myself and have had little to no exposure to Virgin Steele then I would say that the most appropriate description of the band's sound is epic Power Metal. Now the term Power Metal can conjure up some pretty negative feelings in some people, myself included, but this album suffers from none of the characteristics that are often used to stigmatise many other bands in the genre.

The thematic heart of Visions Of Eden appears to be the longing for a return to times long past which were untainted by organised religion. Though this may sound like familiar subject matter, it is nowhere near as base as the popular “Hail Satan” or “Look I'm a Viking” approach many bands take these days. It is actually spiritually neutral and is more a longing for the ideals of the Pagan and Gnostic periods rather than a “my god is better than your god” argument. The music captures this theme impeccably and allows the listener into the story the band are telling.

While the album can be listened to a couple of songs at a time, it is best enjoyed as a whole which can be a little daunting due to its 80 minute running time. It is only through listening to this album from start to finish that the listener can experience the full range of emotion and allow the full story to work its magic.

Every member of the band has earned their place whether it be David Defries' amazing vocal range or keyboard playing, Edward Pursino's immaculate guitars, Frank Gilchrist's strong drumming or Joshua Block's understated bass. There truly is no dead weight to be found.

I imagine that this will either be a love it or hate it album with little room for anything in between. It took several listens for me to fully understand and appreciate this album and I'm glad I took the time to experience what I imagine fans have been saying for many years about this band. With Visions Of Eden I came ridiculously close to awarding a perfect score. As far as I'm concerned no album is perfect but Virgin Steele have come about as close to the mark as is possible.

(Sanctuary Records/Riot! Distributors)

Added: November 10th 2006
Reviewer: Michael O'Brien
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
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