Life Among the Ruins

Life Among the Ruins is the fifth full-length studio album by US heavy metal band Virgin Steele. It was released in 1993, after almost five years of inactivity. The song "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" was present only in the American release and was instead released as a single in 1992 in Europe, at the same time of the VHS Tale of the Snakeskin Voodoo Man. The VHS featured videos for "Snakeskin Voodoo Man", "Love Is Pain", "Invitation-I Dress in Black" and "Cage of Angels-Never Believed in Good-Bye", interviews and backstage footage.[5] The music of this album is bluesy hard rock and melodic metal, more similar to early Whitesnake's recordings than the epic power metal of albums like Noble Savage and the following The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I.[6] This is the first album with bassist Rob DeMartino, who replaced Joe O'Reilly, retired from the scene.

Life Among the Ruins
Studio album by
Virgin Steele
Released1993
StudioTotal Recall, Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
Studio Works, Island Park, New York
2econd City, Glen Cove, New York
BearTracks Studios, Suffern, New York
GenreHard rock
Length59:28
LabelShark Records
ProducerDavid DeFeis, Ed Pursino, Chris Bubacz, Virgin Steele
Virgin Steele chronology
Age of Consent
(1988)		 Life Among the Ruins
(1993)		 The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I
(1995)
Alternative CD cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal7/10[2]
Imperiumi[3]
Imperiumi[4]

Track listing

All lyrics by David DeFeis, music as indicated

  1. "Sex Religion Machine" (DeFeis, Ed Pursino) - 4:43
  2. "Love Is Pain" (DeFeis) - 3:53
  3. "Jet Black" (DeFeis, Pursino) - 4:13
  4. "Invitation" (DeFeis) - 1:16
  5. "I Dress in Black (Woman with No Shadow)" (DeFeis) - 4:46
  6. "Crown of Thorns" (DeFeis, Pursino) - 6:28
  7. "Cage of Angels" (instrumental) (DeFeis) - 0:54
  8. "Never Believed in Good-Bye" (DeFeis) - 4:23
  9. "Too Hot to Handle" (DeFeis, Pursino) - 4:39
  10. "Love's Gone" (DeFeis, Pursino, Teddy Cook) - 4:29
  11. "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" (Dave Ferrara, Pursino, Joey Ayvazian, Rob DeMartino) - 5:16 (American bonus track)
  12. "Wild Fire Woman" (DeFeis, Pursino) - 4:43
  13. "Cry Forever" (DeFeis) - 4:32
  14. "Haunting the Last Hours" (instrumental) (DeFeis) - 0:54
  15. "Last Rose of Summer" (DeFeis) - 4:19

2012 CD remastered reissue bonus tracks
  1. "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" (live acoustic rehearsal version) - 4:02
  2. "Jet Black" (live acoustic rehearsal version) - 4:18
  3. "Purple Rain" (live acoustic rehearsal version) - 4:49
  4. "Wildfire Woman" (live acoustic rehearsal version) - 4:35

Personnel

Band members

Additional musicians
  • Teddy Cook - bass on tracks 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12
  • Dave Ferrara - lead guitar on track 11

Production
  • Virgin Steele - producers on tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11
  • DeFeis / Pursino - producers on tracks 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 14
  • DeFeis / Chris Bubacz - producers on tracks 13, 15

References
  1. Reesman, Bryan. "Virgin Steele Life Among the Ruins review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
  2. Popoff, Martin (August 1, 2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 489. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
  3. Tero Kukkonen (2012-09-26). "Levyarviot: Virgin Steele - Life Among The Ruins (reissue)". Imperiumi. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  4. Jussi Kallinen (2009-01-26). "Levyarviot: Virgin Steele - Life Among The Ruins (reissue)". Imperiumi. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  5. "Virgin Steele - Life Among the Ruins". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  6. Jensen, Tommy B. (2004-07-15). "Virgin Steele - Life Among The Ruins". RevelationZ Magazine. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
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