Virgin Steele is best known for their groundbreaking album

Virgin Steele is best known for their groundbreaking album "Noble Savage" or their "Marriage of Heaven and Hell" albums for their more progressive moments, and of course their latest "Invictus" which is very Manowar sounding. But one of their finest works is practically unknown in the metal world, mostly because it was aimed at a different type of metal fan, and most of the fans had trouble embracing this release. Truthfully it was released before the band had their 'rebirth' you could say, and with the power metal fans lapping up the rereleases of "Noble Savage", and the 'lost' Virgin Steele album, the magnificent "Age of Consent", this album fell through the cracks. A shame it is, because "Life Among the Ruins" is one of the strongest pieces of hard rock I have ever heard.

The musicians are top notch, of course. David DeFeis, in my mind, is a vocal god. He has the ability to sound like the devil himself, in all its darkness, or like an angel, with the most pristine and pure vocals I have ever heard. His voice soars to new heavenly heights as it embraces the shining beauty of the light. Then on the next song, he belts out the lyrics in a tone that's so sexy that he could sing the clothes right off of me. Only Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale sounds as sexy as DeFeis does, but the similiarties end there. David DeFeis is a very unique sounding singer, and not someone you will easily forget. Edward Pursino, is the guitarist and he's a very capable one, very underrated in my opinion. This guy should be very well known, but all I hear is about DeFeis and how talented he is (and is he ever), but Pursino deserves some mention, for his playing fits with the vocal styles wonderfully. His playing is tasteful and only shows true flair at certain points when needed, but when it shows through, its soulful and straight from the heart, or else the embodiement of darkness, or wistful with sorrow, or like the music you would expect to be greeted with when entering the pearly gates of heaven. The other two musicians are not as important but still do their parts well, Joey Ayvazian, the drummer, and Rob DeMartino, the bassist on most of these songs.

However, as I have experienced in the past, you can have a great group of stellar musicians, and still have the music to sound like shit, but not on "Life Among the Ruins". The sound I would compare to as a mixture between Whitesnake and TNT, which is completely apart from their pompous and symphonic sounds that have been present and quite dominant on their other albums. Yes, this is hard rock, with lots of late 80s pop metal tones, infected with the dose of the blues, and benefiting from some great production and even better songwriting. The TNT comparison comes from their flowing and addictive rhythms, that make each and every song pop. From the slinky and sexy to the gentle and reflective ballad, each song stands on its own, yet not so much that it feels out of place.

Sex Religion Machine---"Remove your veils babe..." This sexy opening sets the mood for the whole album, because every song on this album deals with... love and relationships, be it lost love, new love, and sex. It all kicks off with the sexy rhythm of "Sex Religion Machine", with a pop metal chorus that just screams 'addictive!' and the hard rock style doesn't stop from there, it keeps going through the first few songs of the album.

Love Is Pain--- The fiery "Love Is Pain" is one of my favorite VS songs and a really smooth hard rock tune. Another huge chorus just flows with a subtle urgency, this song feels so good to listen to, that it should be a sin. A hard rock gem of the very finest.

Jet Black--- takes one slight step back, relying on a slower groove that just sneaks and slides around in its own slinky way. DeFeis vocals are especially nice on this one, making the song completely worthwhile to listen to.

Invitation--- The most delicate piano runs and a gentle sigh, followed by some of the most beautiful angelic and heavenly vocals you will ever hear, flow from the speakers. Short yet beautiful, the magnificent "Invitation" is a heart breaker... only the hardest of hearts would not be moved by this song.

I Dress In Black (Woman With No Shadows)--- Its a prelude to "I Dress In Black (Woman With No Shadows)", another of those slinky sexy songs, with the kind of groove laid down that you can't help but sway your hips to. It exhanges between this addictive groove to a powerhouse chorus that changes the tempo just a tad, then back to the sexy groove. I love the guitar solo of this song, its so perfect, and twists and turns around itself, building up to another repeat of the chorus. Ohh yes, but if your heart isnt stolen by this, the next one will have you under the vocalist's spell, in no time.

Crown of Thorns--- I have to wonder how he managed to write so many songs featuring the sexiest rhythms, because "Crown of Thorns" is another one of those songs. It just oozes with it. Yet as the other songs have been wrapped around the themes of desire, and lost love, this one showcases the wasted lives and the love that "lies bleeding", and the cold realization that the love wasn't worth saving anyway, as the song winds to an end accompanied by some blistering guitar soloing.

Cage of Angels--- Then comes "Cage of Angels"... a short piano instrumental piece, with the angelic voice of David DeFeis in the very background, welcome to heaven, this is pure beauty, and is the opener for the bitterly sweet "Never Believed In Goodbye".

Never Believed In Goodbye--- More lost love, except this time its captured in the form of a gorgeous ballad, as big and pompous of a ballad as you will ever hear, but the thing that sets this beauty apart from many others that have come before and after it, is the emotion released within this one song alone. Another wonderful guitar solo is flying freely in the center of this song. The wistful almost spoken ending, is the killer though.

Too Hot to Handle--- is another song with lyrics dealing with.. well.. sex. But this song is my least favorite, mostly because it could have been recorded by most any late 80s hard rock bands, fitting comfortably on any Whitesnake, Danger Danger, or even Firehouse album. Fans of that type of music will find this song right up their alley however, even if its not as special as the other lost songs on this cd. If that one falls short to the other songs, its only because the others just are awesome, and they are.

Love's Gone--- The bluesy opening to "Love's Gone" explains it all, the final sensuous rhythm is presented here. The lyrics on this one are especially nice in places, and the delivery is just spectacular. The little verse towards the end of the song, with the harder more aggressive guitar riff, is just the perfect touch, right before breaking into the chorus once more. The last four songs all showcase the softer side of the band, with three ballads, and a short instrumental thrown in for good measure.

Wild Fire Woman--- is emotionally breathtaking, slow and moving, supported with a very cushy sound, thick and plush, letting the vocals and soulful guitar to take the showcase.

Cry Forever--- is a song that first reared its head on "Age of Consent", but the record company liked it so much they insisted the band include it on "Life Among the Ruins" and thus here it is. I would have to pick this as the outstanding favorite, simply because of the woeful sorrow-laden lyrics lamenting over the lost love. Simply one of the finest songs ever recorded. The contrast between the woeful vocals of DeFeis and the guitar against the gentle acoustic guitar is perfection itself.

Haunting the Last Hours--- is another short instrumental, relfective but with that touch of sadness. DeFeis is one of the finest keyboard and piano players I have ever heard, it comes straight from the heart. This short piece introduces the final song of the album.

The Last Rose of Summer--- Its ethereal quality is reflected both in the higher vocals and the sound of the acoustic guitar that reminds me so much of a harp, and the fragile piano takes the listener to a dream-like state. Exquisitely graceful and pure, a song that is truly 'born on angels wings'

This album is truly a gem, I would almost dare to say, its perfect, for the only flaw that I can find in this shining diamond of an album is the one song, as well as the fact the cd doesnt go on forever. Of all the cds I have ever heard, this ranks up in my top few, and overall is one of the most solid albums I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Any cd that makes you feel priviledged just to have the opportunity of listening to the songs contained within the disc, must be special. And this cd makes me feel just that way. For those that love their music on the hard rock side of things, will be more than delighted with this musical journey through the depths of love. There are plenty of absolutely show stopping ballads for the romantic in us all, and the rest of the album is packed with some of the best hard rock songs I have heard, in the sense of being capable of showcasing the finest of musicianship, but in a way that puts the songwriting in the spotlight, driven by the most catchy melodies. Fans of hard rock music will be in heaven, because this is the closest you can get to touching the surface of the spiritual world, without actually having to die to get there.

Rated by Alanna Evans

Production	Songs	Lyrics	Performance	Overall
10.0	9.5	9.0	10.0	9.8