HELLO EVERYBODY!
Here’s Sarita, the president of Flames Of The Black Star, speaking.
This section’s meaning is that all Virgin Steele fans can share their
VS experiences. Just write your experiences with Vs down, send it to me,
and we will publish it! And don’t forget to mention who you are and
where do you live…But now, let me tell to you my VS experiences.
It was year 2000 when I bought Stratovarius The Chosen Ones collection.
Second cd in it is Noise Record’s own colection and it started with
Virgin Steele’s Trough The Ring Of Fire. I can still clearly remember
my thoughts and feelings when I heard that song… I was wondering vocalist
great voice and the way how he uses it. It was something whcih I have never
heard before,a nd I felt in love to it right away. I also was wondering
that why I haven’t heard Virgin Steele before. Especially I liked
lyric part: “Hope is rising with the sound of o ur glory, we will
see where we lie.” Anyway, that song was with me two weeks. Unfortunately
I couldn’t find any Virgin Steele’s album from my home city’s
record shops, and because my memory is what it is, I forgot Vs for
a while. Shame on me, but that was the time when I listened a lot of
Stratovarius.
First album from Virgin Steele which I bought was Invictus. My friend had
it in MP3- format, and he played it to me, when I was visiting there. God
I liked it and I still like. I also borrowed from my other friend Magick
Fire Music, but I didn’t like it so much… One day in fall 2001
when I had “too much money” I bought Invictus and listened it
almost always. Within three months I had almost all Virgin Steels’s
albums. Only Fire Magick Music, Marriage Of Heaven And Hell part 1 and Life
Among The Ruins was missing.. In that time it was impossible to get Virgin
Steele 1 and Guardians Of The Flame. Two of my friends gave me Marriage
Of Heaven And Hell part 1 as a birthday gift, Magick Fire Music I found
from Sweden and I ordered Life Among The Ruins. That arrived before Christmas.
Finally I had it all or that I thought so… Few months before Christmas
I started my journalist courier in SFPerkele (doesn’t exist anymore,
so I am working with Imperiumi), and my boss knew that I am fanatic and
addicted to Virgin Steele. I did Edguy’s interview 4th of December
and after that my Mape called to me. He said that I have to take a pen,
piece of paper and SIT DOWN. I did what he was asking, and he told me what
information I had to give and to who I had to call. Finally he told me who’ll
be my next “victim.” Mape said:”Next one who you’ll
interview is David DeFeis. You probably know who he is…” Eh,
I totally lost my talent to speek so Mape asked did I died. I said “No” and
then I almost screamed:” I can do an interview with David DeFeis!” I
was happiest woman on earth at that moment. I started to do questions to
David at the same evening and it wasn’t so easy as I thought. Then
arrived the interview day… I was a little bit nervous. It was phone
interview, but still! Phone rang… AAARGH! I pick up the phone and
nice dark voice told me: “Here is David DeFeis from Virgin Steele,
hello. How are you?” Suddenly I wasn’t nervous at all. The reason
of interview was that VS released The Book Of Burning and Hymns To Victory
at the same day. Of course record company sended to me promos and “real
versions.” (Thanks to Jari Yläoutinen from Edel Records Finland)
Somewhere between January and February 2002 I got an information that
VS will have a gig in Sweden Rock 2002. I really wanted to see VS on stage,
but if I’d go to Sweden Rock it’ll be so expencive… Then
I thought “What a hell, I will go!” And so I did. At Sweden
Rock VS gave signatures to their fans and of course I was waiting there
about 30 minutes before they arrived. I couldn’t believe my eyes when
I saw guys…”They really exist” was my first thought. Third
thought was”God, he is so good looking man…” My second
thought will be a secret. Anyway, I asked their signatures to Marriage part
1 booklet and to Snakeskin Voodoo Man cd single (it’s pretty rare,
David told me so. Lucky me!) and Marko Syrjälä took a picture
of me and David. Just guess where that picture is now…. Then I had
to wait few hours and it was hard to do. I couldn’t focus on to any
band, I almost hated every hour which was going on before VS’s gig.
But patience has it’s rewards. I was talking with my firend when VS
came to stage and started their gig with Invictus. Again I lost my talent
to speak, and when David yelled first time “DIE!” (that lion
thing you know) I almost felt to my knees. That gig was euphoric experience
to me. One of my dreams has came true! VS’s gig was the best gig ever,
and believe in me, I have seen over 60 different band on stage. Anyway,
our “group” knew, that I went to Sweden Rock only because of
Virgin Steele. Syrjälä asked next morning that was it worth of
all, because that gig costed to me something like 500 euros. Well, it was!I'’e
never regret that I decieded to go to Sweden Rock to see VS on stage.
In fall 2002 I heard that VS will re-release their first and second album.
Lucky me, I did an interview with David again. About month or two later
I got an idea about this fan club so I send enmail to Virgin Steele Home
Office. Mark answered and told me how I can reach out David. I wrote my
ideas to paper and sended that “letter” to David. Few weeks
from that I really surprised. David has sent me email.He said that my idea
is good. We negotiated via email few weeks about details and so on. And
now… Flame Of The Black Star exist!
By the way, I still listen every day VS and still Trough The Ring Of Fire
is my favourite song. And feel free and call me crazy if you wish, but my
fifth tattoo is David’s sword from Age Of Consent booklet.
~ Sarita
I heard Virgin Steele for the first time through my friend. She had few
songs on a tape and I got interested immediately. I wanted to know more
about this band and soon I found their homepage from Internet and
downloaded some samples which I liked very much. Music was great and David's
voice was incredible. After that it was very clear which would be the
next cd's on my shopping list.
~ Annemari Holt
I guess it was beginning 2000 or end 99, when I got my internet connection.
Napster was very popular, so I searched for some music to download. In that
time I bought the Metallica S&M which was/is awesome. With it I bought the
CD Magazine "EMP". There I found an article about a band called
Virgin Steele. They wrote that Invictus works also with symphony like Metallica
does. So, I seached in Napster and found some files of VS. The first song I
downloaded was Invictus, which I didn´t like that much. But Agony and Shame
impressed me, so I downloaded the whole House of Artreus act.1 and some other songs like
Prometheus the Fallen One, which is my favourite song from VS, if there is
anyone. Time went by and I bought the House of Arteus act.2, went to the concert year 2001 at
Cologne and now I can say I have all VS albums, expect the Noble Savage.
And I´m still listening to VS, not that much I did earlier, but that will come
when there will be a new release.
~ prometheus
I can't think of anything to write about me, except that I'm a big fan of "VS" and
can play some of their songs on the guitar too =)
The best album is "The House of Atreus act II" and the best song is
probably "The Wine of Violence" or "Conjuration of the Watcher".
It's quite a funny story how I came to listen to "VS".
It begins when a friend of mine (ironically named David) tells me about an album called "Avantasia".
I search the net for a sample or anything to hear one of their songs and find one. Without any hastitation,
I buy the two "Avantasia" albums, and they are both very good!! I listen to it over and over again untill I'm tired like... well... tired at least.
I come upon there website and finds out that the singers sings in other bands too! Of course the first thing I do is to search for the best singer in the album (guess who?).
On another website I find sample songs on "Wings of Vengeance" and "Fire of Ecstasy", and the "Virgin Steele" albums is very high rated on metal sites. Again, without hestitation,
I order three "VS" albums at once ("Hymns to Victory", "The Book of Burning" and "The House of Atreus act II" (act one was sold out)),
and I'd only heard two songs at that time! But the music was fantastic, it really KICKED ASS!! Now, I still only got one more of "VS" albums (act one) because,
as I wrote before, Marrige Between Heaven and Hell pt. I and pt. II was both sold out a week or lesser before I thought to buy it....
~ Erik Sherman, Sweden
First time I heard VS was around the time when Marriage I & II were released in that black 2cd package.
When was that, perhaps around 1998-99? Anyway, I bought that after listening to it in a cd-shop.
In home after listening both cds, I was totally blewn away! I tought "how in the name of gods of metal it is possible that this kind of awesome band has been able to evade my knowledge.."
After that "first encounter", I have bought some of their albums, but unoftunately not all of them :(
I have Noble Savage, Marriage I & II, Invictus, Atreus I & II, The Book of Burning, plus Magick Fire Musick ep.
I have also Age of Consent, but shame on me because it's only a burnt cd-r.. But I'm going to buy it someday for sure.
And I can very proudly say, that I've held in my hands the original Guardians of the Flame vinyl. Unfortunately my friend (who owned it) has now sold it to someone. Damn.
~ Mr Rami, Finland
