VIRGIN STEELE - The House Of Atreus - Act I & Act II

July 6, 2016, 7 years ago

(Steamhammer)

Nick Balazs

Rating: 9.5

review heavy metal rarities virgin steele

VIRGIN STEELE - The House Of Atreus - Act I & Act II

This is the last exceptional Virgin Steele release, capping off a run of stellar albums few bands have managed to achieve. VS is a criminally underrated band and there was no better heavy metal singer in the mid-late ‘90s than David DeFeis. This reissue combines The House Of Atreus Parts I (originally released in 1999) and II (originally released in 2000) plus the Magick Fire-Music EP released in-between these two albums. This all adds up to three discs and over three hours of music!

The concept is surrounded around Greek mythology and the tale of Agamemnon and his cursed House Of Atreus. It’s a very dark and violent story and the music reflects that manner with a brooding and aggressive tone. It’s no mistake that these are the last great VS releases and seems like the last time DeFeis was inspired to create something magnificent. Just listen to the thundering “Kingdom Of The Fearless (The Destruction Of Troy)” or the captivating “Great Sword Of Flame” (spoiler alert: this is where Agamemnon is murdered), and also the beautiful, hopeful ballad “Gate Of Kings”. DeFeis’ voice carries so many emotions, it’s hard not to be impressed; and the adept compositions let his voice shine through a piano interlude or roar like a lion behind Edward Pursino’s furious guitar licks.

And that’s the major point here; these albums are before DeFeis’ became obsessed with strict, meandering piano playing and while the interludes may be a bit distracting because you just want to get to the thunderous, lengthy metal attacks; the orchestral compositions that segue into the next tracks are done with a purpose and the story behind it is intriguing to follow. DeFeis has the story synopsis written out inside the booklet so listeners know what’s going on. The run of five albums between 1994-2000 (The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell – Parts One And Two, Invictus, and The House Of Atreus: Act I and Act II) for VS stands as one of the most impressive runs in heavy metal and it’s a shame they didn’t receive more attention. If you’re interested in top notch USPM, then this three disc special is a great place to start. 



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