VIRGIN STEELE — Guardians Of The Flame (review)

VIRGIN STEELE — Guardians Of The Flame album cover Album · 1983 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Guardians Of The Flame" is the second full-length studio album by US heavy/power metal act Virgin Steele. The album was released through Mongol Horde in June 1983. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from 1982. The quartet lineup from the debut album is intact here.

Stylistically "Guardians Of The Flame" is a more consistent release than the debut album, and it features less hard rock elements and a more pure heavy metal sound. The dramatic (almost theatrical) moments and use of keyboards have been increased here though, which at times give the album an air of something more epic. It´s predominantly an energetic heavy metal album featuring high pitched vocals, screaming blistering lead guitar work, and relatively simple and recognisable heavy metal riffs and rhythms. There´s very little in that department you won´t have heard on other contemporary releases in a similar style. It´s definitely the vocals by David Defeis and the crazy guitar work of Jack Starr, which are the star elements of the show.

The material is relatively well written, and there are even a couple of tracks which are really good here, but the moments of excellence are fewer than the moments of me thinking this is just decent quality heavy metal. In that respect Virgin Steele are still lacking a bit more punch and memorable hooks. The reverb laden and thin sounding production job doesn´t help either, and all in all a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.
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