Customer Reviews

Guardians of the Flame

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1983's Guardians of the Flame is the second album from early American power metal band Virgin Steele. The band, which featured guitar wizard Jack Starr and keyboardist/banshee vocalist Dave DeFies, drew obvious inspiration from bands Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Rainbow/Dio/Black Sabbath, and alongside bands like Helstar, Omen, and Warlord played a big part in this country's adoption and adaptation of heavy metal.

Guardians of the Flame is a great, old school, fist in the air heavy metal album that exemplifies the early American power metal sound. You get flashy guitar work, powerful vocals, fantasy subject matter, and a keyboard-driven sense of drama and grandeur that gave the album a more epic, Magnum-like feel, even if it seems a bit silly 25 years later. The lyrics seem to alternate between Priest worship (Life of Crime, Metal City) and Maiden worship (Burn the Sun, Guardians of the Flame) but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Starr's guitar work is impressive, as long as you're not expecting Yngwie-level technicality, and DeFies's vocals are dynamic, but verge on melodramatic at times and may take some getting used to.

Guardians of the Flame is a classic early album from a classic metal band. Is is dated? Yes. Cheesy? Sure. Awesome? If you like old school power/true/traditional heavy metal, you better believe it!

NOTE: Noise Records reissued Guardians of the Flame in 2002. In addition to digitally remastering the album, there are 5 bonus tracks. The first three - I Am the One, Go Down Fighting, and Wait for the Night - come from the rare 1983 Wait for the Night EP. The remaining tracks, which you'll probably never need to hear more than once, are a vintage audio interview and a live version of Blues Deluxe Oreganata (I Might Drown).

The early and mid 1980's was a great time for any headbanger. Heavy Metal was the musical genre that knocked out almost everything else. A lot of older bands (formed in the 1970's) finally got their big break, like Judas Priest and Motörhead. But there was also many newcomers or more unknown acts around. Some of these bands, like Saxon and Iron Maiden gained success rather quick, but bands like Samson, Vandenberg and Virgin Steele stood all a bit outside the spotlight.

Back in 1983 when "Guardians of the flame" was released, the opening track "Don't say goodbye (tonight)" struck me to be a very good song. I had totally forgotten about Virgin Steele till I recently came across this reissue (with bonus tracks), and I couldn't resist buying it. With hindsight, it's clear that Virgin Steele's "Guardians of the flame" is very time typical. Besides the mentioned "Don't say goodbye (tonight)", songs as "Life of crime" and "Hell or high water" are above average. On "The redeemer", Virgin Steele seem a bit inspired by the Ronnie James Dio (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) approach. For fans of the traditional 1980's way of metal, this album would certainly be of interest. The proper rating should end somewhere between 2 strong stars or 3 weaker ones, and I believe some people would even call this album a diamond in the rough.

ALTHOUGH THESE GUYS ARE STILL AROUND TODAY , ONLY A FEW OF THEIR RELEASES ARE CLASSICS. THEIR DEBUT OF COURSE, AND THIS CD AS WELL!EVEN THOUGH THE PRODUCTION IS A BIT WEAK , THE CD IS STILL VERY GOOD!THEY MANAGE TO BLEND AMAZING GUITAR WORK , INCREDIBLE VOCALS, AND KEYBOARDS TO MAKE ONE HELL OF A RECORD!! ALL OF THE SONGS ARE DONE SO GOOD THAT YOU'LL BE PLAYING AIR GUITAR AND SINGING ALONG TO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S REGRET..THEIR IS NOT ONE WEAK OR LAME TRACK ON THE CD.AND THE BONUS SONGS ARE GREAT TOO, WHICH ARE TAKEN FROM THEIR E/P CALLED '' WAITING FOR THE NIGHT ''..ANOTHER GOOD RECORD OF THEIR IS CALLED '' NOBLE SAVAGE '' !SO GET A BAND OF A BYGONE ERA, WHEN TALENT WAS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.THESE GUYR ARE UNIQUE, ORIGINAL, AND REFRESHING!!LONG LIVE CLASSIC METAL!!

Most tracks have an 80s feel to them, so if you're into 80s rock or metal, this is for you. David DeFeis' soaring voice really enlivens all the tracks. This is distinctive Virgin Steele, easily recognizable to fans, but a good introduction for those who've never heard them. Die-hard fans will probably prefer the more involved instrumentals and themes on the "House of Atreus" or "Marriage of Heaven and Hell" albums, but "Guardians of the Flame" is a great early effort. The interview with the band (track 14) offers some very interesting insights into the band's early life and their philosophy toward their music. As a fan of Virgin Steele for several years now, I appreciated the look inside their hearts and minds, and I think other fans will appreciate it too.