Search - Virgin Steele :: Invictus

Their best Albvum

A. Coulson | Columbia SC USA | 07/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While VS had made plenty of solid albums in the past, the stars truly seemed to align on this release. The production is fuller than on some previous albums where it was often thin, robbing the songs of some power. The songwriting and performances are truly inspired, capturing the passion, anger, and defiance outlined in the lyrics perfectly. The sound effects are used well, giving the album a soundtrack quality that suits the material well. Earlier albums never consisntently captured this level of majesty, and later albums, while following a similar formula, have contained more filler material that tend to hold the albums back somewhat (e.g., the rather large number of short 'interludes' on the Atreus albums). 'Invictus' is IMO the VS album most deserving of the 'barbaric romantic opera' label applied to the band's music. Think of the best Manowar albums with more grandeur and less cheese, and you'll have a good idea of what to expect."

Defais delivers

king wolf | Jotunheim | 05/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must confess that I put off purchasing this one because it seems to be a little hard to find at a decent price, and because I took Defais at his word when he said this was the completion of the Heaven and Hell trilogy, which are excellent but not transcendent in the way the Atreus albums are; and because he also seemed to be implying at times that the production of this album was rushed. I guess I also thought that because this album is relatively obscure meant it probably wasn't as good as the Atreus albums.

Maybe you're thinking something along the same lines. Don't make the same mistake I did. If you like Virgin Steele at all -- if you like power metal or epic metal or symphonic metal at all -- you must have this album. It isn't optional, it's required. I don't say this lightly: this is as good as any modern, synth-style power metal album ever made. The ending track is Defais best song and just maybe the best power metal song I have ever heard; even at over ten minutes it never gets boring. It's the mournful yet triumphant song that all the power-prog pretenders have been trying to write but never pulled off. But then, every song on this album delivers. Every riff catchy and powerful, every song an individual entity and yet fitting into the larger concept (which is not the Heaven and Hell concept at all, but a different, unique entity of its own, more in line with the Atreus concept, only superior). The production is the best of any VS album; still elegant and clean, but with more spontaneity and power than any album before or since, showing that this is a true band, not just a collection of hired guns gathered around Defais.

Invictus by Virgin Steele: a legitimate masterpiece of popular music; an inspired and inspirational work of art; a centerpiece of your collection; and worth tracking down almost regardless of the monetary cost."

I don't get it...

Mrs. Karny Fieldhouse | Newbury, UK | 05/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"why this band is so underrated. Virgin Steele have amazing talent, I heard Through Blood and Fire and I was shocked by what I heard. Absolutely amazing piece of metal, raw and heavy. Sounds just like heavy metal. And yet TBAF isn't even the best song on here.



One negative factor - 16 tracks, out of which 6 are not full length songs (Blood of Vengeance, Death God, God of Sorrows, Vow of Honour, Amaranth and Marriage of Heaven and Hell)



Track by track review -



Blood of Vengeance - 9/10. Manages to be an intro without sounding overly long. Which leads us straight into...



Invictus - 10/10. A relentless tune this is, perfect way of opening, instantly grabbing. I swear cream was coming out of my ear...



Mind, Body, Spirit - 8/10. Kind of a bit forgettable compared with other tracks. Still a great song though.



In the Arms of the Death God - 4/10. Unlike BoV, this is a razther prolonged intro. Apart from the first 15 seconds everything hear can be found in Through Blood and Fire. Leading us into -



Through Blood and Fire - 9/10. This is an amazing tune. A very melodic chorus with the familiar harsh screams for the verses.



Sword of the Gods - 12/10. This is possibly my favourite track. There is nothing weak here, just a very epic song. Not so heavy as the three opening songs but really grabbing.



God of Our Sorrows - 8/10. A 1:19 ballad that was composed by David DeFeis by accident. If you think of Iced Earth's - The Pierced Spirit this is very similar but a lot better. Simple tune but works nicely.



Vow of Honour - 8.5/10. Some very melodic screams repeated. That's all this tune is but it sounds cool.



Defiance - 10/10. One of my favourites. Very "in your face" tune this is. Complete slayer.



Dust from the Burning - 8/10. Kind of Forgettable. Still enjoyable whenever I hear it though.



Amaranth - 7/10. Cool intro, clocking in 0:21. Goes into the next song well though.



A Whisper of Death - 10/10. Starts out like a stunning ballad. Heaviness kicks in at 1:43. I can forgive this as the song is nearly 9 minutes in length. Another relentless tune, kind of like the title track but I enjoy this one more.



Dominion Day - 9/10. Yarrrrrrrrrrrr! More relentless music. The chorus always stays in my head and I can't forget it.



A Shadow of Fear - 8/10. See "Dust From the Burning"



The Marriage of Heaven and Hell - 6/10. Would have been a lot better if the pause had been taken out between this and...



Veni, Vidi, Vici - 12/10. This is the reason why SotG didn't automatically get given top track award. I can't decide between these two which is better. I hate the We Crown Us Kings line though. Because as soon as it ends, I return into the real world.



Goddamn real world! This Steele takes me away from it and now I return back to the real world.



Songs to check out (I know I shouldn't do this many but decision was too tough) -



Invictus

Sword of the Gods

Defiance

A Whisper of Death

Veni, Vidi, Vici



"