THE BOOK OF BURNING - ALBUM INFOS

The Book Of Burning

Released 2002 On Noise/Sanctuary

Lyrics coming soon

Track listing: Conjuration Of The Watcher - Don't Say Goodbye (Tonight) - Rain Of Fire - Annihilation - Hellfire Woman - Children Of The Storm - The Chosen Ones - The Succubus - Minuet In G Minor - The Redeemer - I Am The One - Hot And Wild - Birth Through Fire - Guardians Of The Flame - The Final Days - A Cry In The Night

Soundclip coming soon

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Review: unlike most of the fans around the world I found "The Book Of Burning" rather disappointing. Why? First thing is the sound: way too compressed and chuggy, dry, with drums kept too much in evidence like many german metal productions. I feel that a less heavy and more open sound engeneering would have been working better, more suitable for a pompous and grand band like Virgin Steele. In other words, I'd have preferred something following the sound choices of the Marriage albums, just a bit updated to the present! But where the album reaches his lowest point is, in my opinion, in the songs themselves, which are the most relevant thing! We got rerecorded versions of classics from the first two unavailable albums, and these remaskes are certainly quite good - but it's like they've lost their soul, becoming pounding blocks of cold heavy metal with no feeling. "Children Of The Storm", "Don't Say Goodbye", "The Reedeemer"... newly arranged, crunchy as you like it, sadly lacking in pathos and loosing all the magic of the original versions. They remain decent because... well, they were good in first instance and it's important for the fans to know them. Then we have the new, unreleased tracks which are very, very disapponting. Dull speedy numbers like "Conjuration Of The Watcher" or "Rain Of Fire" have everything to please the crowd of metalheads who just enjoy speed and aggressive vocals. To me, they sound empty and banal, something everybody could have done. "The Chosen Ones", lenghty and dark, and "Hot And Wild", a good party number a-la Quiet Riot, are the only vital signs coming out of these new songs. I really hope it's a momentary defaillance, and that the next lp will show again a creative and inspired band. This way VS just doesn't work, and I don't like to hear them again so tired and meaningless.

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Line up: David DeFeis (vocals, keyboard), Edward Pursino (guitar), Josh Block (bass guitar), Frank Gilchriest (drums).

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