Virgin Black
Virgin Black is an Australian gothic metal band, founded in Adelaide, Austrailia, in 1995. Their music combines elements of doom metal, classical music, and gothic aesthetics.
Their lineup has went through multiple changes, with David Mason and Matt Enright being the newest members of the band and Rowan London and Samantha Escarbe being the only founding members remaining.
They released 5 albums and an EP. Their latest album, Requiem - Pianissimo, went unreleased for about a decade but finally came out in late 2018.
Members:
- Rowan London (vocals, piano, keyboards)
- David Mason (guitars)
- Samantha Escarbe (guitars, cello)
- Matt Enright (drums)
Discography:
- 1996 - Virgin Black (demo)
- 1998 - Trance (EP)
- 2001 - Sombre Romantic
- 2003 - Elegant... and Dying
- 2007 - Requiem - Mezzo Forte
- 2008 - Requiem - Fortissimo
- 2018 - Requiem - Pianissimo
The band gives us these examples:
- Christian Metal: Whether they're considered Christian Metal or not is debated. Virgin Black's lyrics explore Christian and faith-based themes, and members of the band have Christian beliefs. However, the band is somewhat iffy on being considered Christian Metal, and they attempt to highlight the difference between the spiritual aspects of Christianity and the Church. Also, the lyrical content of much of their songs is actually quite dark.
- Darker and Edgier: Compared to previous albums, Requiem - Fortissimo has much more prominent death/doom influences.
- Lighter and Softer: Requiem - Pianissimo is entirely classical.
- Revolving Door Band: Only Rowan London and Samantha Escarbe are the only consistent members remaining in the band.
- The Smurfette Principle: Samantha Escarbe is the only female member of the band throughout its entire history.
- Symphonic Metal
