US metal legends, Virgin Steele, have shared a new single, "Black Earth & Blood", taken from the band's new album, The Passion Of Dionysus, out tomorrow via Steamhammer/SPV. Listen below:
At a time when cultural innovation is being side-lined like never before and many unusual forms of music are succumbing to the temptation of the more commercially lucrative mainstream, Virgin Steele are the shining silver lining.
For over 40 years, mastermind David DeFeis has kept one of the most imaginative bands in the power metal genre on track with his excellent songwriting and charismatic voice. At the same time, DeFeis has never stopped evolving as a composer, musician and producer, updating his symphonic-tinged sound with exciting new influences. He has already accomplished this many times over with classics like Invictus (1998), The House Of Atreus I & II (1999/2000) and Visions Of Eden (2006).
With his current album, The Passion Of Dionysus, DeFeis surpasses himself in his unbridled creativity. Eight years after the acclaimed studio opus, Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation (2015), DeFeis’ brilliant signature maneuvers the album through a gripping parable about control and freedom, creating another highlight of the Virgin Steele catalog.
As usual, David DeFeis has chosen a downright epic theme that delves deep into the annals of human history, while maintaining a concrete reference to the present: "The album deals with the concept of duality. Where something is both one thing and its opposite simultaneously“, he explains about the underlying message of the new record. "It obviously has to do with Dionysus and, as the title suggests, his “Passion” or suffering, and his coming to Thebes to avenge the slander of his mother, as well as punish the King of Thebes for denying his worship there. But that being said, more is going on.“
On The Passion Of Dionysus, DeFeis tells the epic struggle between the twin forces of control/restraint and freedom/release, as well as dealing with the question of “whether or not there is room in society for the irrational, the wild, the letting-go aspects of ourselves.”
There is no doubt that David DeFeis is not only an ingenious composer and musician, but also a true visionary who – with his band – has the perfect medium at his disposal to evolve both humanly and culturally: "I see Virgin Steele as a way of life. The band is my vehicle with which I traverse vast oceans of experience. We are always doing things our own way, on our own specific terms.“
Looking at the grandiose The Passion Of Dionysus, it’s no wonder at all that his fans accept this approach unconditionally!
The Passion Of Dionysus will be released worldwide on June 30 via SPV/Steamhammer in the following formats:
- CD DigiPak (incl. poster and 24 pages booklet)
- 2LP Gatefold (in purple-violet vinyl), CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer Shop)
- Download and Stream
Pre-order here.
Tracklisting:
"The Gethsemane Effect"
"You'll Never See The Sun Again"
"A Song Of Possession"
"The Ritual Of Descent"
"Spiritual Warfare"
"Black Earth & Blood"
"The Passion Of Dionysus"
"To Bind & Kill A God"
"Unio Mystica"
"I Will Fear No Man For I Am A God"
"The Gethsemane Effect" lyric video:
"Spiritual Warfare" lyric video:
Virgin Steele is:
David DeFeis - vocals, keyboards, bass and orchestrations
Edward Pursino - 6-string guitar
Josh Block - 7-string guitar
