David DeFeis explained

David DeFeis
Landscape:Yes
Birth Name:David DeFeis
Birth Date:4 January 1961
Origin:Long Island, New York, United States
Instrument:Vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Genre:Heavy metal
Occupation:Musician
Years Active:1981–present
Associated Acts:Virgin Steele
Website:www.virgin-steele.com

David DeFeis (born January 4, 1961)[1] [2] is an American singer, keyboard player, songwriter and producer. He is the main composer and leader of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele.

Voice and musical style

DeFeis is a classically trained pianist, with a bachelor's degree in composition from S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook.[3] As vocalist he is self-taught, possessing around four octaves and a four notes:E2-B6As a musician and a singer, he declared he was very much influenced by guitar players like Jimmy Page, Brian May and Eddie Van Halen because he wanted to do with his voice what they did with their guitars.[4]

He is also influenced by rock singers like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan.[5]

The major part of the lyrics DeFeis writes are mythological, dealing with subjects from especially Greek, Sumerian and Christian mythology. All of them are based on real life in some form or another.[6]

Biography

DeFeis comes from a theatrical family: his father is a Shakespearian actor who runs the theatre company "The Arena Players Theatre"[7] while his sister Doreen[8] is a gifted opera singer who performs all over Europe.

A big fan of European classical music, at 9–10 years old he was introduced to rock music by hearing the band Stalk, with his brother Damon (on organ and piano) and his sister Danae (on vocals), playing in the basement beneath his room.[1] Damon DeFeis was later in the band Creation with future Kiss drummer Eric Carr, and died in the Gulliver's nightclub fire in 1974.

He began piano lessons at the age of eight. By age eleven, he began his career with Long Island's local heavy metal band Phoenix.

At 16 years old, he met for the first time his future partner Edward Pursino when DeFeis's band at the time, Mountain Ash, was auditioning for a gig at the high school dance. Mountain Ash was mainly a Black Sabbath cover band and, after the performance of the song "War Pigs", Pursino came over and introduced himself to DeFeis.[9]

At the beginning of the 1980s, together with Jack Starr and Joey Ayvazian, he started the first line-up of the band Virgin Steele. They debuted in 1982 with the song "Children of the Storm" included in the compilation U.S. Metal Vol. II.[10] In 1985, the guitarist Edward Pursino replaced Starr.[11] Among the years, in their longtime relationship in Virgin Steele, DeFeis and Pursino released a lot of heavy metal classics such as the albums: Noble Savage,[12] [13] Invictus,[14] The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I,[15] The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II.[16] [17]

DeFeis collects swords: his collection includes more than 20 items.[18] In studio, sometimes he uses his swords to create particular effects for the Virgin Steele songs, and during the concerts he usually burns a sword on stage.[19]

Metal opera and theatre

Between the end of the 1990s and the 2000s (decade), he wrote music for actors based on the Oresteia and the Greek myths related by Aeschylus. According with German artists Walter Weyers and Martina Krawulsky, with the name "Klytaimnestra": "The House of Atreus" Metal Opera (musically available on the Virgin Steele's albums The House of Atreus Act I, The House of Atreus Act II) was performed on stage in Germany theaters by Landestheater Production.[20]

The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen, June 5, 1999,[21] has been the first ever regular musical theatre show based on heavy metal concepts.

After "Klytaimnestra" success, David DeFeis & Landestheater Production extracted a second metal opera musical, named "The Rebels", from the previous Virgin Steele's albums of the Marriage of Heaven and Hell trilogy ("The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I", "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II", "Invictus").[22]

In 2003, the same team released a third Metal Opera, named "Lilith", based on the material of album Visions of Eden. "Visions of Eden" was later on published in CD in 2006.

Producer

DeFeis owns his personal recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor").[23]

Virgin Steele's albums are produced by DeFeis.

He also produced albums released by other artists such as: Out of the Darkness and No Turning Back by Jack Starr, Nightmare Theatre by Exorcist,[24] Stay Ugly by Piledriver, The Sign of the Jackal by Damien Thorn,[25] [26] Sin Will Find You Out by Original Sin.[27]

Side projects

Discography

See main article: Virgin Steele discography.

Videography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Official Virgin Steele Homepage . Virgin-steele.com . October 19, 2011.
  2. Web site: G minor invention (descent into death's twilight kingdom), The innocent night, Prometheus the fallen one – song, music – Copyright Info . Faqs.org . October 19, 2011.
  3. Web site: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York . Stonybrook.edu . October 14, 2011 . October 19, 2011.
  4. Web site: MetalViecher – Virgin Steele Interview mit David Defeis (English Version) . Metalviecher.de . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719061149/http://www.metalviecher.de/content/view/423/308/ . July 19, 2011 . dead .
  5. Web site: David Defeis « Demolish Fanzine . Demolishmag.wordpress.com . April 24, 2010 . October 19, 2011.
  6. http://www.truemetal.org/virginsteele/main.php?page=miscellaneous-faq
  7. Web site: Arena Players Repertory Theater . Arenaplayers.org . October 19, 2011.
  8. Web site: Doreen Defeis.
  9. Web site: Virgin Steele Biography . Sweetslyrics . July 11, 1988 . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002151910/http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-Virgin%20Steele.html . October 2, 2011 . dead .
  10. Web site: Various – U.S. Metal Vol. II (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs . Discogs.com . October 19, 2011.
  11. Web site: Glorydaze Music . Glorydaze Music . August 18, 2003 . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111005222455/http://www.glorydazemusic.com/print.php?type=A&item_id=1045 . October 5, 2011 . dead .
  12. Web site: RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource . Revelationz.net . October 19, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061012074812/http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=317 . October 12, 2006 .
  13. Web site: TrueMetal.it . Recensione: Virgin Steele, Noble Savage [Reissue |publisher=TrueMetal.it |accessdate=October 19, 2011 |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723094546/http://www.truemetal.it/reviews.php?op=albumreview&id=6827 |url-status=dead ].
  14. Web site: Virgin Steele – Invictus Review . The Metal Crypt . February 15, 2005 . October 19, 2011.
  15. Web site: RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource . Revelationz.net . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120303003431/http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=231 . March 3, 2012 . dead .
  16. Web site: RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource . Revelationz.net . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120303003437/http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=234 . March 3, 2012 . dead .
  17. Web site: Virgin Steele – The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part II Review . The Metal Crypt . March 11, 2009 . October 19, 2011.
  18. Web site: Virgin Steele . Cuttingedgerocks.com . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111004232255/http://www.cuttingedgerocks.com/V_Steele.html . October 4, 2011 . dead .
  19. Web site: Virgin Steele Official Site Live Info . Virgin-steele.com . December 21, 2002 . October 19, 2011.
  20. Web site: Landestheater Schwaben Official Site . Landestheater-schwaben.de . October 19, 2011.
  21. Web site: Klytaimnestra premiere review . Vampster.com . October 19, 2011.
  22. Web site: Metal Opera . Digilander.libero.it . October 19, 2011.
  23. Web site: VIRGIN STEELE: Neue Metal-Oper (News) @ vampster.com webzine . Vampster.com . October 19, 2011.
  24. Web site: Exorcist Myspace . Myspace.com . September 21, 2008 . October 19, 2011.
  25. Web site: The Sign of the Jackal: Damien Thorne: Amazon.de: Musik . Amazon.de . October 19, 2011.
  26. Web site: Heavy Metal, Underground music . Damien Thorne . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708222542/http://www.damienthorne.com/interv.html . July 8, 2011 . dead .
  27. Web site: Original Sin | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's . Myspace.com . October 19, 2011.
  28. Web site: Artists :: Smokestack Lightning . MusicMight . October 19, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110819052517/http://musicmight.com/artist/usa/new+york/smokestack+lightning . August 19, 2011 . dead .
  29. Web site: Immortally Committed . Truemetal.org . October 19, 2011.
  30. Web site: Avantasia :: Official Web . Tobias Sammet . 2014-07-15.
  31. Web site: The Official Virgin Steele Homepage . Virgin-steele.com . October 19, 2011.
  32. Web site: The Official CRYSTAL VIPER Website . Crystalviper.com . 2014-07-15.
  33. Web site: skylarkrock . skylarkrock . 2012-06-09 . 2014-07-15.
  34. Web site: Ex-SKYLARK Singer KIARA LAETITIA To Release New EP Featuring VIRGIN STEELE Cover . Bravewords.com . 2014-07-15.
  35. Web site: Timo Tolkki’s Avalon reveals the album title and the rest of the cast. Timo Tolkki's Avalon official profile. Facebook. 28 January 2014. 28 January 2014.

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