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. 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. This is the first album with bassist Rob DeMartino, who replaced Joe O'Reilly, retired from the scene.

Track listing

All lyrics by David DeFeis, music as indicated
  1. "Sex Religion Machine" ' - 4:43
  2. "Love Is Pain" ' - 3:53
  3. "Jet Black" ' - 4:13
  4. "Invitation" ' - 1:16
  5. "I Dress in Black " ' - 4:46
  6. "Crown of Thorns" ' - 6:28
  7. "Cage of Angels" ' - 0:54
  8. "Never Believed in Good-Bye" ' - 4:23
  9. "Too Hot to Handle" ' - 4:39
  10. "Love's Gone" ' - 4:29
  11. "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" ' - 5:16
  12. "Wild Fire Woman" ' - 4:43
  13. "Cry Forever" ' - 4:32
  14. "Haunting the Last Hours" ' - 0:54
  15. "Last Rose of Summer" - 4:19

    2012 CD remastered reissue bonus tracks

  17. "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" - 4:02
  18. "Jet Black" - 4:18
  19. "Purple Rain" - 4:49
  20. "Wildfire Woman" - 4:35

    Personnel

Band members