#319/954
1985 Housekeeping
Virgin Steele
Noble Savage
Genre: Metal
4.25 out of 5
Highlights:
We Rule the Night
Fight Tooth and Nail
Rock Me
Don’t Close Your Eyes
Recently I asked the question, just how many bands from the 80s are still around today, plugging away and making some noise? I, in my infinitesimal wisdom wisdom, figured the number was relegated to just a handful and that the 80s were a vast wasteland of pop better left to nostalgia stations on Sirius XM.
I was proven wrong in the comments, of course, and then, immediately upon firing up this album, the 3rd but my 1st, by Virgin Steele.
They released their 16th album last year.
There are a ton of bands that sound like (Manowar comes to mind) but I’ve heard of most of those. I have zero synapses firing on this band. I would imagine that the title of this record would land cuz of the X lyric “All those noble savage drum drums drums” on “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts”, which was an obvious slam to Adam Ant and Bow Wow Wow (and maybe Spear of Destiny).
But, nope.
This hits all the right metal notes for me in ways that Manowar and Merciful Fate don’t (although I prefer the latter). They are bombastic and stoopid but they’re also smart enough to construct their record with their epic ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes” toward the end. It’s a worthy power ballad and I’m surprised it wasn’t a hit, I could hear this making the 80s radio rounds or at the very least the MTV top slots.
And then they save their epic Die/Priest nonsense “Angel of the Light” for the end. Which is hilarious.
Smart.
I really liked this more than I expected.
Maybe I should have watched more Headbangers Ball.
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