“Age Of Consent”, Virgin Steele’s fourth studio album, is without a doubt one of the best LPs in my collection. The New Yorkers are one of my favorite bands of all time and every release is very special for me. The “Age Of Consent” was officially released in 1988, but until a few years ago and the time of its re-release it was considered as the bands “lost” album. The reason was that it had been released in limited copies and for a limited time.

Unlike the release of the mighty “Noble Savage” album, here, the bonus tracks have not been added at the end of the original album. DeFeis has re-sequenced the album and added the bonus tracks as if they had been planned from the beginning. The opener “The Burning Of Rome” is a true masterpiece and one of the best songs in Metal history, great symphonic arrangements, fantastic emotion filled lyrics, great powerful guitar riffs from Edward Pursino.  These elements exist in the whole album. “Let It Roar” is a fast typical 80’s song, while “Lion In Winter” with its extended solo, is the main part of a trilogy that is fantastically completed from DeFeis’ piano intro and outro. “Perfect Mansions” that follows is probably the best song Virgin Steele ever recorded. And yes, it’s a bonus track in a “lost” record. A sky hymn, a definition of the barbaric-romantic bands style, that travels you in other ages with its lyricism and its lyrics that praise forgotten ideals. Another bonus track is “The Serpent’s Kiss” and is the only track that reminds the 90’s period of the band with the Manowar influences. The very good tracks “Chains Of Fire” and “Seventeen” brake loose from the bands familiar sound and they are 100% influenced from mainstream 80’s metal. The albums original opener was “On The Wings Of The Night”, another great track with very catchy chorus and fantastic vocal technical skills from DeFeis, that makes him one of the greatest singers of all time in my book. The album ends with two more amazing songs. “Cry Forever” is one of the best metal ballads ever written, with fantastic and huge chorus that is sung in a way that creates just the right mood. Lyrics and music melts to one in a perfect connection. The extremely atmospheric “We Are Eternal” ends the record in majestic fashion. A marvellous power ballad that hymns immortality, eternal youth and power. I am wondering, how many new groups can create these pictures and feelings only with their music? If you don’t own the Virgin Steele albums there is not a single reason to buy ANY other CD. It sounds excessive, but a listen to their CDs will prove it to you.  

Interesting tips:

    * In “Age Of Consent” there are two cover songs. One on Uriah Heep’s “Stay On Top”, which is the first cover the band ever recorded, and “Desert Plains” from Judas Priest which is one of the bonus tracks of the re-release.

    * The recordings started in December ’87, directly after their tour with Black Sabbath. The final mix was not complete until July 11, 1988. For Virgin Steele, no other album before and none since has taken anywhere near this long to complete. The reason? There was massive pressure put upon the band by their management and record company people to create some type of a “hit” in the States.

    * Joe O’Reilly, their bass player at the time, is not on the album! David DeFeis played keyboard bass on all songs except “Lion In Winter” where Edward Pursino played bass guitar.

    * The original tracks were recorded in four different studios. One of them was in a castle in the middle of a forest.

Tracklisting:

Original Release:

1.On the Wings of the Night
2.Seventeen
3.Tragedy
4.Stay on Top
5.Chains of Fire
6.The Burning of Rome (Cry for Pompeii)
7.Let It Roar
8.Lion in Winter
9.Cry Forever
10.We Are Eternal

Re-release:

1. The Burning Of Rome (Cry For Pompeii)

2. Let It Roar

3. Prelude To Evening

4. Lion In Winter

5. Stranger At The Gate

6. Perfect Mansions (Mountains Of The Sun)

7. Coils Of The Serpent

8. Serpent's Kiss

9. On The Wings Of The Night

10. Seventeen

11. Tragedy

12. Stay On Top 

13. Chains Of Fire

14. Desert Plains

15. Cry Forever

16. We Are Eternal