Written by: Michelle Flynn
Band:
Title:
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The Virginmarys
Beyond the House of Fires
22nd May 2026
For a band best known for creating crushing alt-rock tracks with a heavy dose of punk, it’s a brave move by The Virginmarys to deviate so far from that path with the release of Beyond the House of Fires. The album is not acoustic, rather The Virginmarys have stripped themselves back to their very souls, with a piano and no doubt hand restraints to keep Danny from bashing the drums in his usual fashion, for company. This reimagining of their 2024 release The House Beyond the Fires focuses on the songwriting and emotion that’s always at the heart of everything The Virginmarys do. Every track has been re-worked with new melodies, rearranged lyrics and softer drum work. There’s not a drop of distortion in earshot, just Ally Dickaty and Danny Dolan laid bare.
A dreamlike piano intro to My Nettle gives way to Dickaty’s raw vocals, while Dolan’s marching-like drums lead you through Urban Seagul – which although is most in keeping with the original, the careful reworking has allowed it to create its own identity, and what an identity it is! There’s no longer any angst in Dance to the City, it’s been replaced by a Pink Floyd-esque melody behind soft vocals. The Floyd-esque vibes continue in the intro to You’re a Killer. This track first hit the airwaves when the UK was heading into a snap election in 2019 and given the current political climate, is just as relevant today. The rage has been removed, but in toning down the angst, the message in the lyrics, which are a musical assassination of our political system, have been amplified. The atmospheric guitar solo which closes out the track is an unexpected pleasure.
…Beyond the House of Fires is nothing short of a masterpiece for the Macclesfield duo…
The raw vulnerability of White Knuckle Riding and When the Lights Go Down hits you in the chest like a freight train; the piano arrangements combined with the emotion Dickaty is able to convey in his vocals makes these tracks both breathtaking and heartbreaking. There Ain’t No Future takes you to a darker, sinister place, which is carried over in the desperate melancholic vocals of Lies, Lies Lies. Dolan’s drums are more prominent on Where Are You Now, as they push the track forward.
The duo have played an Uno reverse as the album closes with Veteran Soldiers, a track which started out in life in acoustic form as a ‘thank you’ to fans, but has been reworked and is hands down the bounciest track on the album.
Beyond the House of Fires is nothing short of a masterpiece for the Macclesfield duo. I’d like to have picked a favourite track, but that has proven impossible, each stands on its own, with its own merits.
The band have also revealed a UK tour, beginning in Edinburgh on 28 May.
Ally says: “This will a be tour unlike any we have done before, recreating the intimacy of the 90’s MTV unplugged shows and showcasing all the songs from the upcoming album.We’ll also be joined by one of our favourite guitar players ‘Gareth Price’ whilst I will be playing piano throughout the set.”
28 May – Edinburgh – The Mash House
29 May – Northwich – Salty Dog
30 May – Wolverhampton – The Giffard
31 May – Leeds – Hyde Park Book Club
1 June – Barnoldswick – Barnoldswick Arts Centre
4 June – Tunbridge Wells – The Forum
5 June – Norwich – Waterfront Studio
6 June – London – The Grace
7 June – St Albans – The Horn
The Virginmarys are:
Ally DIckaty – Vocals / Guitar
Danny Dolan – Drums
Track Listing
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My Nettle
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Urban Seagull
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Dance to the City
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You’re a Killer
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White Knuckle Riding
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There Ain’t No Future
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Lies, Lies, Lies
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Where Are You Now
- When the Lights Go Down
- Veteran Soldiers