David DeFeis

David DeFeis
David DeFeis
Background information
Birth name David DeFeis
Also known as David "The Lion" DeFeis, David "Dionysus" DeFeis
Born January 4, 1961 (age 50)
Origin Long Island, New York, USA
Genres Heavy metal
Occupations Musician
Instruments Vocals, keyboard, bass, percussion
Years active 1981 – present
Associated acts Virgin Steele, Avantasia
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.

Contents

Voice & musical style

David 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 a three and a half octave range of enormous power and expression.

As 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, besides, by great rock singers like Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, David Coverdale, Ronnie James Dio and Ian Gillan.[5]

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

Biography

David DeFeis comes from a very 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.

Big fan of european classical music, at 9–10 years old, he was introduced to rock music by earing 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]

He began piano lessons at the age of eight. By age eleven, he began his career with the Long Island's local heavy metal bands: Phoenix.[9]

At 16 years old, David DeFeis met for the first time his future partner Edward Pursino when David's band at the time, called 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.[10]

At the beginning of the eighties, together with Jack Starr and Joey Ayvazian, David DeFeis 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.[11]

In 1985, the guitarist Edward Pursino replaced Starr.[12] Among the years, in their longtime repationship in Virgin Steele, DeFeis and Pursino released a lot of heavy metal classics such as the albums: Noble Savage,[13][14] Invictus,[15][16] The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I,[17][18] The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II.[19][20]

David DeFeis collects swords, his collection includes more than 20 items.[21] In studio, sometimes, he uses his swords to create particular effects for the Virgin Steele songs while during the concerts he, usually, burns a sword on stage.[22]

Metal opera & theatre

Between the end of the 90's and the beginning of the new millennium, David DeFeis 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.[23]

The premiere of "Klytaimnestra" in Memmingen, June 5, 1999,[24] 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").[25]

In 2003, the same team released a third Metal Opera, named "Lilith", based on the material of album Visions of Eden. "Visons of Eden" was later on published in CD in 2006. In a different way to the previous two Operas, David DeFeis declared: "I don't think of it as a Metal Opera. What it really is, is the soundtrack for a major motion picture that has yet to be made! And by the hammer of Zeus, I will make this film one day. I call this work a Barbaric Romantic movie of the mind.".[26]

Producer

David DeFeis owns his personal recording studio called: "The Hammer of Zeus" (sometimes also called "The Wrecking Ball Of Thor").[27]

Virgin Steele's albums are produced by David DeFeis himself.

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,[28] Stay Ugly by Piledriver,[29] The Sign of the Jackal by Damien Thorn,[30][31] Sin Will Find You Out by Original Sin.[32][33]

Side projects

  • 1986 – David DeFeis not only produced but even fully wrote the debut album Sin Will Find You Out of the female band Original Sin.[34]
  • 1990 – David DeFeis played in a side-project blues band called Smokestack Lightning with Jack Starr and the future Virgin Steele's bass player Rob De Martino.[35]
  • 1993 – David DeFeis published, with Virgin Steele, the blues single "Snakeskin Voodoo Man" inspired to Muddy Waters.
  • 1999 – David DeFeis played the backup vocals & the keyboard-parts on the song "Epic" included into the first album of the New York band Immortally Committed.[36]
  • 2001 – David DeFeis appears, as special guest, singing on the track "The Final Sacrifice" included into the German band Tobias Sammet's Avantasia's first single.
  • 2002 – David DeFeis joined the New York cover band Carnival of Souls for some live dates with the Exorcist's drummer Geoff Fontaine, Edward Pursino and the current Virgin Steele's bass player Josh Block.[37]
  • 2007 – David DeFeis appears on the Polish band Crystal Viper EP in the cover of Virgin Steele's song "Blood and Gasoline".
  • 2010 – David DeFeis will appear on the next album of the Italian band Skylark, singing the song "Symbol of Freedom" together with their female singer.[38]

Discography

Main article: Virgin Steele discography

Videography

External links

References

  1. ^ a b "The Official Virgin Steele Homepage". Virgin-steele.com. http://www.virgin-steele.com/bio.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  2. ^ "G minor invention (descent into death's twilight kingdom), The innocent night, Prometheus the fallen one – song, music – Copyright Info". Faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/copyright/g-minor-invention-descent-into-deaths-twilight-kingdom-the/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York". Stonybrook.edu. October 14, 2011. http://www.stonybrook.edu/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  4. ^ "MetalViecher – Virgin Steele Interview mit David Defeis (English Version)". Metalviecher.de. http://www.metalviecher.de/content/view/423/308/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  5. ^ "David Defeis « Demolish Fanzine". Demolishmag.wordpress.com. April 24, 2010. http://demolishmag.wordpress.com/tag/david-defeis/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  6. ^ Band F.A.Q.
  7. ^ "Arena Players Repertory Theater". Arenaplayers.org. http://www.arenaplayers.org/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  8. ^ [1][dead link]
  9. ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Virgin Steele". The Metal Archives. http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=105. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  10. ^ "Virgin Steele Biography". Sweetslyrics. July 11, 1988. http://www.sweetslyrics.com/bio-Virgin%20Steele.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  11. ^ "Various – U.S. Metal Vol. II (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Various-US-Metal-Vol-II/release/1608560. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  12. ^ "Glorydaze Music". Glorydaze Music. August 18, 2003. http://www.glorydazemusic.com/print.php?type=A&item_id=1045. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  13. ^ "RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource". Revelationz.net. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=317. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  14. ^ TrueMetal.it. "Recensione: Virgin Steele, Noble Savage [Reissue". TrueMetal.it. http://truemetal.it/reviews.php?op=albumreview&id=6827. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  15. ^ "Virgin Steele – Invictus Review". The Metal Crypt. February 15, 2005. http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=2094. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  16. ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Virgin Steele – Invictus – Reviews". The Metal Archives. http://metal-archives.com/review.php?id=2763. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  17. ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Virgin Steele – The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part I – Reviews". The Metal Archives. http://metal-archives.com/review.php?id=2760. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  18. ^ "RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource". Revelationz.net. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=231. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  19. ^ "RevelationZ Magazine – Your Heavy metal and Hard Rock resource". Revelationz.net. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=234. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  20. ^ "Virgin Steele – The Marriage of Heaven & Hell: Part II Review". The Metal Crypt. March 11, 2009. http://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=4692. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  21. ^ "Virgin Steele". Cuttingedgerocks.com. http://www.cuttingedgerocks.com/V_Steele.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  22. ^ "Virgin Steele Official Site Live Info". Virgin-steele.com. December 21, 2002. http://www.virgin-steele.com/live2.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  23. ^ "Landestheater Schwaben Official Site". Landestheater-schwaben.de. http://www.landestheater-schwaben.de/. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  24. ^ "Klytaimnestra premiere review". Vampster.com. http://www.vampster.com/artikel/show/?id=340. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  25. ^ "Metal Opera". Digilander.libero.it. http://digilander.libero.it/virginsteele/metaloperas.htm. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  26. ^ "http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=292http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=292". Revelationz.net. http://www.revelationz.net/index.asp?ID=292. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  27. ^ "VIRGIN STEELE: Neue Metal-Oper (News) @ vampster.com webzine". Vampster.com. http://vampster.com/artikel/show/7875_VIRGIN_STEELE__Neue_Metal-Oper_.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  28. ^ US (September 21, 2008). "Exorcist Myspace". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/megawattmayhem. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  29. ^ "Piledriver Encyclopedia Metallum". Metal-archives.com. http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1148. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  30. ^ "The Sign of the Jackal: Damien Thorne: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. http://www.amazon.de/dp/B000095IZH. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  31. ^ "Heavy Metal, Underground music". Damien Thorne. http://www.damienthorne.com/interv.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  32. ^ US. "Original Sin | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/originalsin86. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  33. ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Original Sin – Sin Will Find You Out". The Metal Archives. http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=29465. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  34. ^ http://www.myspace.com/originalsin86 http://www.myspace.com/originalsin86
  35. ^ "Artists :: Smokestack Lightning". MusicMight. http://www.musicmight.com/artist/usa/new+york/smokestack+lightning. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  36. ^ "Immortally Committed". Truemetal.org. http://www.truemetal.org/immortallycommitted. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  37. ^ "The Official Virgin Steele Homepage". Virgin-steele.com. http://www.virgin-steele.com/newsarchive6.html. Retrieved October 19, 2011. 
  38. ^ http://www.skylarkrock.com/

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • David DeFeis — (* 4. Januar 1962 in New York) ist der Frontmann und Sänger (auch Keyboarder) der New Yorker Heavy Metal Band Virgin Steele. Er ist das einzige Mitglied, das bis heute bei der im Jahr 1981 gegründeten Formation verblieben ist, deren Songwriter… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Defeis — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: David DeFeis (* 1962), US amerikanischer Heavy Metal Musiker Doreen DeFeis (* ?), US amerikanische Opernsängerin …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • DeFeis — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: David DeFeis (* 1962), US amerikanischer Heavy Metal Musiker Doreen DeFeis, US amerikanische Opernsängerin Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselbe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Doreen DeFeis — (* in New York, USA) ist eine US amerikanische Sopranistin und Schwester des bekannten Heavy Metal Sängers David DeFeis. Leben Ihre Gesangsausbildung erhielt DeFeis an der Eastman School of Music sowie an der Juilliard School in New York. In der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Virgin Steele — Datos generales Origen  Estados Unidos, Long Island …   Wikipedia Español

  • Virgin Steele — Pays d’origine  États Unis Genre musical Heavy metal Années d activité 1981 – Aujou …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Noble Savage (album) — Noble Savage Studio album by Virgin Steele Released 1986 …   Wikipedia

  • Virgin Steele — Infobox musical artist Name = Virgin Steele Img capt = Img size = Landscape = Background = group or band Alias = Origin = USA Genre = Power metal Progressive metal Years active = 1981 present Label = Dockyard 1 Associated acts = URL = Current… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Biografien/Def–Dek — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Pursino — Edward Pursino (* 3. Januar 1963 in New York, NY, USA) ist ein US amerikanischer Gitarrist. Er ist Mitglied der New Yorker Heavy Metal Band Virgin Steele und Partner von Bandleader und Sänger David DeFeis (mit dem er auch gemeinsam zur Schule… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”