U.S. power metallers VIRGIN STEELE are recording their new album for a tentatively late 2012 release. According to vocalist David DeFeis, the band is also recording the various bonus tracks that will be made available with the upcoming reissues of the group's catalog. David says, "We are really working on what will be the next three albums, because there are quite a lot of songs. We are trying to capture everything as the inspiration comes. As regards what the new album will be all about, I prefer to wait a bit to give you more information, as I am still writing, and I am waiting to see how the latest music develops. Once I know exactly what tracks it will contain, I will then be in a better position to describe it to you. But I can tell you that at the moment there are three different... let's call them 'song cycles' or song collections. Two of them could be conceived as conceptual, while the third consists of separate unrelated material. We are essentially trying to record everything before committing completely to what we will release first. It will all come out... it's just a question of what will be first."
SPV/Steamhammer will re-release VIRGIN STEELE's "Life Among The Ruins" on June 18 in Europe and July 17 in North America. This two-CD digipak reissue comes with massive bonus tracks and a huge booklet with new liner notes and previously unseen photos by the band's lead singer, David DeFeis.
VIRGIN STEELE's fifth full-length studio album, "Life Among The Ruins" was originally released in 1993 and was the band's first album to feature bassist Rob DeMartino, who replaced Joe O'Reilly, retired from the scene.
Commented DeFeis: "This 2012 version will be in digipak form and contain not one but two discs with a large amount of extra ingredients. On the first disc, we include five rare and unvarnished acoustic recordings, plus a full band bonus track. On disc 2, we have included 20 tracks. These tracks consist of a large amount of newly recorded material completed just this week, as well as alternate mixes of some of the album's original tracks. And, in addition, we have also included a never-released track from somewhere around that period of time. All the material has been remastered, and the package will feature copious liner notes, photos and unique packaging."
