Whenever David DeFeis decides to reissue Virgin Steele’s back catalogue the result is always -with no exception whatsoever- impressive. And we may not be celebrating a “round” anniversary of the release of the first two Virgin Steele albums but believe me that it is worth not only to listen to the “Anniversary Editions” but also to buy them (even if you already own a previous version) for many reasons as you will see below.
The striking difference this time around is that we are talking about different mixes. DeFeis has remixed the two albums and the work he has done is truly impressive as you really feel like you are listening to something almost new. And we say “almost” because we all know these classic songs but due to the remixing process, there are themes (melodic guitar lines, instrumental and orchestral parts, backing vocals) that are highlighted or there were not even present in the original versions while the production brings forth parts that until recently were not prominent in any of the previous versions. Moreover, the bonus material is of real and substantial interest as DeFeis once again offers unreleased compositions as an extra enticement to buy the two albums. Let’s check it out…
On “I” there is the song “Hell From Beyond The Stars” which musically is excellent although it took me a while to get used to the “dark/doomy” vocals. The new version of “The Fire God” is fantastic and the same goes for the New Orchestral Version of “Virgin Steele” which gives you the impression that this is a brand new song and not a 1982 composition.
“Guardians of the Flame” features a new cover version of “Desert Plains” (Judas Priest) which I think I like better than the original. The big surprise comes on “Dirty Blonde Angel” which is really an idea from the “Age of Consent” era that DeFeis records for the first time here (between you and me, it wouldn’t be out of place to say that it evokes something of the atmosphere of “Seventeen”) and “The Heaven’s Door Suite” is nothing less than a cover of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” with the addition of various themes by DeFeis. Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the short but fantastic prelude “Chaos Caprice” which comes from the “Guardians…” sessions and paves the way for “A Cry In The Night”. Fantastic!
Perhaps it would be an exaggeration to say that the “Anniversary Editions” are the best reissues compared to the two that preceded it (in 2002 and 2018). However, what we can say with certainty is that they are the most interesting ones since you feel like you are hearing something new to the already existing material…
Highlight: Glenn Hughes had previously attempted something similar with the Deep Purple albums (circa 1974/75) and the result was just as good.
