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Review: Virgin Steele - The House Of Atreus - Act I
Virgin Steele
www.virgin-steele.com
The House Of Atreus - Act I

Label: Noise Records
Year released: 1999
Duration: 74:34
Tracks: 22
Genre: Heavy Metal

Rating:
5+/5


Review online: April 24, 2000
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.6/5 (92.04%) (103 Votes)
Review

Virgin Steele's latest release is definitely one of the best albums I've heard in the last ten years.  The House Of Atreus Act I is a metal opera whose story begins on the final night of the Trojan War.  I won't waste time and space recounting the story here, everything is in the CD booklet and on the Virgin Steele Web Site.

David Defeis's songwriting is just amazing.  It is impressive to see the amount of work that went into the story and lyrics, along with the music itself, which is very well adapted to the story.  The album is made of 22 tracks, ranging from piano-only ballads to high-octane metal.  As can be expected from an opera, you'll also find some narration here and there on the album.  What can I say, this album is just great.  The only problem I found is that there is a split-second delay between tracks and that sometimes breaks the "mood" of the moment.  As far as I know, this could have been avoided, and hopefully will not be repeated in Act 2 scheduled for release sometime this year.  The problem is annoying enough to take a half-point off the rating, which is why I didn't give a 6/5.

This is an album I enjoy more and more every time I listen to it, the kind of album you just "get into".  I don't know if the previous Virgin Steele albums are in the same vein as this one, but I sure will be buying Act 2 when it comes out.

More about Virgin Steele...
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Review: The Black Light Bacchanalia (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: The Black Light Bacchanalia (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: The Black Light Bacchanalia (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: The House Of Atreus - Act I (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The House Of Atreus - Act II (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part II (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Part I (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Visions of Eden (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
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