American heavy metal legends VIRGIN STEELE have lined up the release of their superlative 13th studio album, Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation, as a standard jewel case CD, a double digipak (with bonus 15 track CD plus a massive booklet), and double gatefold blue vinyl album (+ CD), on Steamhammer / SPV Records on June 22nd.

David DeFeis, who formed Virgin Steele in Long Island New York in 1981, states that Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation is not a concept album per se, but there is a through line that connects the tracks. The lyrics essentially deal with relationship issues and by that I mean….the connections between entities….as in all sorts of beings, not only human beings?but also Gods & Goddesses, Spirits, Elements, or whatever, plus various creatures, animal, vegetable and or mineral, but largely the album is about connections between people. People and their belief systems, people and their Gods or Goddesses?people and their life philosophies and also the various substances we invest or inject into our daily or nightly rituals and our worldview, and all the complexities of what drives us, makes us who we are and takes us where we may?or may not be going. To sum it up this album is about….all the various ways in which humans can entangle themselves, or destroy themselves?so the album’s title essentially encompasses what the vibe of the whole Work is about. The title relates to the album in the way that the title Noble Savage, or Age Of Consent, expressed each of those particular Works. The title provides a framework and connective tissue, but each song is really its own thing.

Musically the album is pretty heavy, high energy, often dark, at turns melancholy, and at turns aggressive or angry sounding. It does have that over the top bombastic heaviness that we are about, and the whole Barbaric-Romantic thing that we are known for. The overarching theme that comes to mind when I think about the album or listen to it is passion?raw passion. There are big monolithic riffs, moody chord changes, classical type bits, sort of Bluesy moments….it retains the Virgin Steele signature, but it adds new dimensions to it. In a strange way it feels to me like it could have been the album we might have made to follow up Noble Savage, had I been able to devote all my energies into the more bombastic or progressive side of my musical nature at that time, rather than trying to appease some of the other “factions” around me who wanted some kind of a hit…whatever that meant at the time. So to conclude…we have infused the recordings with all that we have gone through over these past months, every fiber of our being…..and I think this album will be something our Fans will really enjoy.

Nocturnes Of Hellfire & Damnation, Virgin Steeles first studio album for five years, containing 14 brand new vibrant, irresistible compositions, looks all set to win a whole host of new fans, once they get an earful of this vital, confidently consummate album.

*STEAMHAMMER / SPV NEW CD RELEASE*
Release Date Scandinavia: June 17th,2015
Release Date Germany: June 19th  , 2015
Release Date: Europe: June 22nd , 2015
Release Date USA/Canada: June 23rd , 2015

The new album is available in 3 different formats each with a unique artwork!

Format:                    CD + Bonus CD
Packaging:              DigiPak incl. massive booklet

Tracklisting 2CD DigiPak (Angel Artwork)

CD 1

1.LUCIFERS HAMMER
2.QUEEN OF THE DEAD
3. TO DARKNESS ETERNAL
4.BLACK SUN-BLACK MASS
5.PERSEPHONE
6. DEVILHEAD
7. DEMOLITION QUEEN
8. THE PLAGUE AND THE FIRE
9. WE DISAPPEAR
10. A DAMNED APPARITION
11. GLAMOUR
12. DELIRIUM
13.HYMNS TO DAMNATION
14.FALLEN ANGELS

CD 2

1.HALLOWEEN THEME
2.D.O.A.
3.THE WITCH IN THE FOREST
4.BLACK SABBATH
5.THE IMMIGRANT SONG
6.BLACK SABBATH Reprise
7. RIDERLESS HORSE (Save Your Breath)
8.THE DEVIL DRIVES
9. ANGER NEVER DIES
10. FUNERAL GAMES
11. THE PLOT THICKENS
12. HAUNTED WOLFSHINE
13. WEST OF SUMER
14. A GREATER BURNING OF INNOCENCE
15. THE BIRTH OF BEAUTY

Format:                    CD
Packaging:              jewel case

Tracklisting  Jewel Case (Gargoyle Artwork)

1.LUCIFERS HAMMER
2.QUEEN OF THE DEAD
3.TO DARKNESS ETERNAL
4.BLACK SUN-BLACK MASS
5.PERSEPHONE
6. DEVILHEAD
7. DEMOLITION QUEEN
8. THE PLAGUE AND THE FIRE
9. WE DISAPPEAR
10. A DAMNED APPARITION
11. GLAMOUR
12. DELIRIUM
13.HYMNS TO DAMNATION
14.FALLEN ANGELS

Format:                    2 LP + CD
Packaging:              Gatefold, printed innersleeves, Coloured blue vinyl, CD in cardboard sleeve

Tracklisting  2LP (Skeleton Artwork)

SIDE A:

1.LUCIFERS HAMMER
2.QUEEN OF THE DEAD
3. TO DARKNESS ETERNAL
4.BLACK SUN-BLACK MASS

SIDE B:

1.PERSEPHONE
2. DEVILHEAD
3. DEMOLITION QUEEN

SIDE C:

1. THE PLAGUE AND THE FIRE
2. WE DISAPPEAR
3. A DAMNED APPARITION
4. GLAMOUR

SIDE D:

1. DELIRIUM
2.HYMNS TO DAMNATION
3.FALLEN ANGELS

LINE-UP:

David DeFeis vocals, keyboards, bass & orchestration
Edward Pursino 6 string guitars
Josh Block 7  & 8 string guitars
Frank Gilchriest – drums

More information at http://www.spv.de and https://www.facebook.com/VIRGINSTEELEOFFICIAL