This summer, hot on the heels of last year’s bombastic studio album The Passion Of Dionysus, the first two Virgin Steele albums will be reissued and hitting the streets on August 23.
Main man David DeFeis has dubbed each new release "The Anniversary Edition." He completely remixed each album from the original multi-tracks and included new liner notes and previously unreleased photos creating exceptional editions of these landmark albums.
Regarding the first album DeFeis comments: ”I added that additional title because one, this is indeed a very special re-issue. And two…this is a celebration. Every song on the album has been lovingly restored, with faith, heart & Steele. Incredibly for the most part, the original multi-track tapes held up quite well, but now and again some creative decisions had to be made, which not only did not at all hinder the record’s resurrection, but in the end, actually resulted in making the album stronger, and the songs even more interesting. The original fire has been kept…enhanced, and sonically there is greater definition all around. You can really appreciate the explosive performances from everyone. It’s like being back in the studio the day it was recorded.
"In addition to the inclusion of the early demos, we were also able to include several new bonus tracks including a new thrashing doom-type song called 'Hell From Beyond The Stars', plus an alternate version of 'The Fire God,' and a new over the top version of the song 'Virgin Steele' (New Orchestral Version).”.
Virgin Steele I - The Anniversary Edition tracklisting:
"Minuet In G Minor" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Danger Zone" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"American Girl" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Dead End Kids" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Drive On Thru" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Lothlorien" (Orchestral Version) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Still In Love With You" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Children Of The Storm" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Pictures On You" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Pulverizer" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Living In Sin" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Virgin Steele" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"The Lesson" (Demo) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Life Of Crime" (Demo) - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
About Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition, DeFeis had this to share: "It was a joy to go back to the original multi-tracks, listen and find all the various outtakes, studio chatter, and even a long-forgotten piano solo that I had done. In resurrecting this album, I did my best to try to preserve the original feel and integrity of what we were trying to achieve, while at the same time hoping to make it sonically clearer and more direct. The original energy and exuberant fire remain…and there is greater definition all around.
“ ...for me, it feels like being back in those days again only with the knowledge gained from having lived several lives since then. The full album is represented in its original entirety, plus we have included the tracks from the extended play single we had issued right after Guardians, which featured the songs 'I Am The One,' 'Go Down Fighting' and 'Wait For The Night' and… in addition, we were also able to include several new bonus tracks, such as the lost diabolical piano solo…'Chaos Caprice,' (from the original Guardians sessions), a new alternate version of the song 'Desert Plains', a brand new track called 'Dirty Blonde Angel,' (that I had actually written for the Age Of Consent album but we had never recorded until now), and there is also another bonus track in the form of 'The Heaven's Door Suite,' which contains a re-written cover of the song 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door' combined with new music that I crafted…”
Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition tracklisting:
"Don’t Say Goodbye (Tonight)" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Burn The Sun" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Life Of Crime" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"The Redeemer" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Birth Through Fire" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Guardians Of The Flame" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Metal City" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Hell Or High Water" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Go All The Way" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"Chaos Caprice" - (Piano Solo From The Original 'guardians' Sessions)
"A Cry In The Night" - (Anniversary Re-Mix)
"I Am The One" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Go Down Fighting" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Wait For The Night" - (Anniversary Re-Mix, Bonus Ep Track)
"Desert Plains" - (Alternate Version Bonus Track)
"Dirty Blonde Angel" - (New Bonus Track)
"The Heaven’s Door Suite" - (New Bonus Track)
Both reissues will be released on August 23 in the following formats:
- CD DigiPak
- 2LP Gatefold (in black vinyl)
- Download & Stream
Pre-Order Virgin Steele I - The Anniversary Edition here. Pre-Order Guardians Of The Flame - The Anniversary Edition here.
