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LIVE AT THE WRECKING BALL OF THOR
It is a glorious summer day and I am taking a sonic bath! The sounds
of VIRGIN STEELE are commanding my ears inside the sweltering confines
of their rehearsal space. No air conditioner, no AIR!!! I can't
breath so how is it possible that this band is putting out more
energy within the first 3 songs of their set, than most bands
put forth in their entire careers!!!??? Magick, madness and
mystery surely must play a part. Frank Gilchriest is sweating like
a bull on a rampage while churning out precision beats at 1000 miles
per second, Edward & Josh are wailing and flailing with demonic
fury, and the Son of Zeus - DeFeis, is scorching and torching the
room with blistering vocals and maniacal keyboards, without breaking
a sweat.
Inhuman they are! Outside and inside the temperature is raging and
this band is unstoppable. With no fanfare or much ado, they launch
into KINGDOM OF THE FEARLESS followed without pause by DEFIANCE,
DUST FROM THE BURNING, A TOKEN OF MY HATRED, LIFE AMONG THE RUINS,
A SYMPHONY OF STEELE, VOICE AS WEAPON, INVICTUS, WINGS OF VENGEANCE,
BY THE GODS, THROUGH BLOOD & FIRE, THE WINE OF VIOLENCE, RETURN
OF THE KING, GATE OF KINGS, WHEN THE LEGENDS DIE, EMALAITH, FLAMES
OF THY POWER, THE BURNING OF ROME, GREAT SWORD OF FLAME, VENI, VIDI,
VICI, NOBLE SAVAGE, I WILL COME FOR YOU (complete with a jam on
LED ZEPPELINS', THE IMMIGRANT SONG & WHOLE LOTTA LOVE ... incidentally
sung a whole step higher than the original key!!!... un-believable,
and scary), plus several other gems.
They also tried out many never before or rarely played classics
like: FLAMES OF THE BLACK STAR, PERFECT MANSIONS, SERPENT'S KISS,
RISING UNCHAINED, TRANSFIGURATION, MOIRA, and CHAINS OF FIRE to
name a few.
These guys are relentless! They did not let up one bit for over
4 hours!! Once they get going, they are like a rocket bound for
Pluto! Implacable, unstoppable and deadly accurate. If even half
of this is any indication of what they will perform on their next
dates, then lookout my friends you are in for a very special night
indeed.
I believe they would have continued on for another hour or more,
but a broken bass and snare drum put in an appearance. Frank plays
like Hephaestus forging the next battle-ax. However, David & Edward
continued on for awhile longer, trying to piece together a new medley
that seemed to consist of "Trail of Tears, Unholy Water, Lion in
Winter and Weeping of The Spirits" if memory serves correctly.
David it seems never wants to stop singing once he gets going. This
fact can be frightening to the uninitiated, as he carries on like
a banshee seemingly with no regard for life or limb! The rest of
the band is used to this it seems, and they all take turns in trying
to convince him to bring the rehearsal to its conclusion.
Once the last notes of Heaven & Hell were struck we all adjourned
to the enchanted "Gardens" to partake of the elixir that this band
thrives on ... a very potent heavy red wine! With ears, and sanity
still in transition I carefully made my way back to my humble abode
to recover.
Gentlemen I wish you well and I firmly believe that..."You are the
Premier True Metal Band In Existence Today"! GOOD LUCK & CHEERS
FOR THE AGGLUTINATION FESTIVAL SHOW!
Yours In Fire,
David Hilsenrath
PS: An interesting aside ... I was told that the
gig in Bologna almost turned into "Jazz Odyssey", as Edward & Frank
arrived only 2 hours before Showtime due to royal screw ups with
Air France. I think if they did not show it would have been either
a vocal/keys & bass solo performance, or perhaps a jam with some
of the other acts there, (which would have been interesting I'm
sure). But anyway luckily all turned out well at the end of the
day and the full power of VS was unleashed! A Summer Day in Hell
indeed!!!
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