Who doesn't know Virgin Steele? I hope no one! This great band in fact have created an indestructible fame during this years, bringing out great releases like "Noble savage", the two "The marriage of heaven and hell" and many others and today, led by the leader David DeFeis we are waiting for the successor of the pretentious "The House of Atreus". In the meantime we have the possibility to listen to the new Jack Starr project; Jack has been the founder of Virgin Steele 20 years ago and he appears on the first two albums of the band: "Virgin Steele" and "Guardian of the flame", an authentic milestone of American metal. The guitarist comes back after a long absence from the scenes (especially from Europe) and the line up is composed by some good old metalheads: Ned Meloni on bass (Burning starr, Joe Lynn Turner Band), Joe Hasselvander (Raven, Pentagram) on drums and the dutch Shmoulik Avigal as vocalist (an icon in Netherlands: he was the singer of Picture, the first Dutch metal band). The first Guardians of the flame's album is the ideal for those who grew up in the eighties and moves among power solutions, epic songs, some celtic influences (reminding to The lord weird slough feg) and an hard rock flavour. Starr with his six strings guitar is obviously the hinge of the band and demonstrates how ttechnique can be functional to the songs and even if the entire full length is full of solos (listen to the instrumental "Anthem for the nations") they aren't the typical ultra speed and neoclassical ones that today everyone plays. The album consists of fast and epic songs like the opener "The flame that never dies" (the title alone can please many defenders) and rocky and well structured mid tempos ("Conspiratos sanctos", "Sharon of the woods") where we can appreciate the experience of the band; especially Hasselvander on drums demonstrates to kick asses with his fanciful and passionate sound, even if he doesn't invent anything new. The title track has a lead guitar that oaints celtic arabesques (reminding the great Skyclad) and in the end is another classic fast similar track to the first Virgin Steele stuff. "I stand alone" stands proud defending the metallic faith against any type of contamination and remember us what was the eighties in the United States: the power of metal and the melodies of hard rock mixed together for the best track of the cd. "Personal demons dethroned" is a mid tempo à la Metal Church while, after the ultra epic "Masters of faith" (here Manowar rule) we'll find the instrumental "Return form the ashes": those who play Metal with passion will always find to return from the ashes like the legendary phoenix. The production is made in function of Starr's guitar and sounds very "vintage". The struggle between Starr and DeFeis is now played on the musical field and if David continues with his epic educated metal and with an exasperate lyricism, Jack looks backward and takes the better things metal have offered in 25 years. The results will surely reward DeFeis but, for now, I take part with good old Jack.

Luca Filisetti