Customer Reviews

Invictus (Reis)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

Until i got this album i had The Marriage of Heaven and Hell 1 and 2 and The House of Atreus 1 and 2. Invictus is an amazing album, with a powerful guitar sound and more metal in it than other releases, and David Defeis is very attacking but also mellow in slower parts. If you wanted to hear the definitive VS album , this is it. One of my favourite cds out of my 250 cd collection.

great job ! mr. dave dionisius de feis, i cant believe that in the world exists such a band, is the best heavy-melodic thrash that i have listened to, there`s a couple of instumental songs,and all the rest of the songs are a great job by dave de feis and ed pursino, i really thank this life to have this cd with me, (i got it at amazon.com!), it`s one of the gratest compacts that virgin steele have created, it`s really worth awarded to purchase this cd, right now at amazon.com!!!

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

Incredible progressive metal with stunning vocals and guitars. If you like Queensryche or Dream Theater, you will love Virgin Steele.

This is a superb follow up to "Marriage of Heaven and Hell pt 2". David De Feis is in fine form with his voclas, songwriting and clever integration of keyboards. Ed Pursino's guitar has never sounded better and this is 75 minutes of pure ecstacy. Sadly underrated in the US and Uk Virgin Steele are massive all over Europe. Just buy this album now and you'll know why.

Incredable CD! Now I grew up listening to groups like Iron Maiden,Sabbath,Judas Priest...ect, this CD blows them all away.I bought Virgin Steele's very first album(yes it was an album, not a CD!)about 15 years ago then never heard from them again till now. I can honestly say Invictus is the best recorded piece of music i have ever heard!If you like metal music with a singer who can actualy sing then get this CD now, as well as House of Atreus act1 and II.

I almost never , if ever, give anything a 5 star review, I tend to be very honest in my reviews, so trust me when I say that this is a true 5 star album. This is not just the best Virgin Steele album, but one of the best metal albums of any band of all time, better than the best ouput of the gods such as Maiden, Manowar, Priest, etc.
Metal has always been uplifting, but this album will make you want to go out and conquer a small nation when you are done listening to it.
VS have been called "the thinking man's Manowar" , but that is like comparing a GED to a PHD, VS are simply in a league of their own altogether when it comes to songwriting and compostion.
This album is killer from start to finish , with each song having it's own uniqueness and memorability, and ZERO filler.
The only improvement could have been a bit better production, other than that this is metal perfection.
Yes , it's THAT DAMN GOOD !
If you don't own this, BUY IT NOW, before any new release of any other band. This album should be a MANDATORY part of any true metalheads collection.

A true Epic Metal masterpiece, and my all time favourite Album. The concept is so spiritual and ancient. A state of Defiance against all the False Gods that try to control our fate. And powerful inspiring music to go along. If someone needs to define what Epiko Metal is, then.. this is it! David DeFeis is a Master of the Force and there is solid musical proof of that! Invictus..

Wow. Wow. This album is easily my favorite, ever. It truly fits Defais' own description of Virgin Steele. Barbaric Romanticism, from a whisper to a scream. Every SECOND of this album is interesting and posessing that magic force that only the most true and commited of musicians can wield, and I'm saying this after 2 years of listening to it almost every day (or at least one song from it daily). Invictus is an incredible set of hymns to live your life by, magic and power exists in it to the FULLEST. I really don't know what else to say, words hardly describe the feelings I get when I listen to this album.