BIOGRAPHY

Virgin Black is a gothic doom metal band formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1993. Virgin Black currently consists of the founding members and main songwriters Samantha Escarbe (lead guitar, cello) and Rowan London (keyboard, vocals), with Grayh (bass) and Luke Faz (drums) joining in 2007. The group explains the meaning of its name as “the juxtaposition of purity and humanity’s darkness”.

After the release of a self-titled demo album in 1996, the group began gaining international recognition with 1998’s “Trance” EP, signing with The End Records a year later.

Boasting a complex cinematic sound both gothic and metallic in nature, their debut album “Sombre Romantic” followed in 2000 and saw their core lineup augmented by choirs and string sections in the studio, the better to embellish their grandiose mood metal.

The second album “Elegant…And Dying” (2003) has a sad, epic but romantic sound. The extremely emotional arrangements are further enhanced by Rowan London’s unique mournful yet poetic singing style. The songs are presented with numerous angles and at times coming out as soundtrack scores, at others as classical compositions or even as subtle weeping lullabies that make the music as dynamic as it is dark and passionate!