Virgins Enter the Final Fire on Crucible
Belfast’s Virgins mark both an ending and a culmination with Crucible, a new single released on January 22, 2026 that arrives alongside the announcement of their final EP and the end of the band itself. It is a moment charged with emotion and clarity, a last creative surge that distils five years of evolution into a track that feels resolute, expansive, and unmistakably theirs.
Recorded during the final months of 2025, Crucible was shaped entirely in-house, captured across two intense days in the band’s practice space. With Michael taking on engineering and production duties and Rebecca recording vocals at home, the sessions reflect a conscious return to fundamentals: a band in a room, trusting instinct and collaboration. These recordings took place just before Virgins supported Slow Crush on their Irish tour, adding further momentum to a period that would become the group’s closing chapter.
The single forms part of Light The Space Left Behind, an EP due on February 19, which represents the last material the band created together. Among those tracks, Crucible stands as the emotional and sonic centrepiece. Built from an initial sketch presented by Michael and refined collectively, the song exemplifies the band’s most collaborative phase. It carries all the hallmarks of a Virgins release while pushing their sound into new territory.
Sonically, Crucible is immersive and commanding. Walls of dreamy fuzz and distortion collide with cascading reverbs, driving bass, and thunderous drums, while ethereal vocals hover just above the storm. Yet the band resist repetition. Dave Sloan’s guitar takes on a more dominant role, unleashing a tidal wave of fuzz that counterbalances Michael’s haunting melodic lines, rich with reverse delays and glide guitar textures. Matt McMullan’s drums feel more insistent than ever, shaping the ebb and flow of the track with a sense of urgency, while Mo O’Kane’s bass acts as the gravitational centre, melodic and forceful, guiding the song through its swirling midpoint where fuzz and momentum peak. Rebecca’s vocals, more forward and pop-leaning than on previous releases, retain their celestial quality, floating softly amid the density.
For the final mix, the band turned to Allan McGreevy of New Pagans and Dullahan, working out of Badlands Studio. McGreevy brought a fresh perspective while preserving the band’s gazy core, sharpening dynamics without sacrificing atmosphere.
Beyond the single itself, Crucible carries symbolic weight. It arrives with the announcement of Virgins’ farewell show, set for February 28 at the Oh Yeah Centre, supported by Wynona Bleach and Gush. It will be a final gathering, a chance to hear these songs in the room where Virgins have always thrived: loud, enveloping, and communal.
Reflecting on the decision to end the band, Michael spoke candidly about the weight of the moment, thanking fans, collaborators, and the community that supported Virgins through five formative years. From the debut EP Transmit a Little Heaven in 2022, to the acclaimed album Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful released in 2024 on Blowtorch Records, and the success of recent single blooms, the band built a reputation for emotionally charged releases and powerful live performances. Their journey included sold-out shows at GazeFest, appearances at Stendhal Festival and Other Voices Wales, and tours supporting artists such as Slow Crush, Som, Bleach Lab, and BDRMM. Along the way, they earned widespread radio support and critical recognition, including a shortlist spot for the NI Music Prize and multiple Album of the Year mentions.
Crucible feels like a fitting final statement. It does not soften the farewell or retreat into nostalgia. Instead, it burns brightly, confident and expansive, embracing both the weight of closure and the freedom that comes with it. Virgins leave behind a body of work defined by intensity, collaboration, and emotional honesty, and Crucible stands as a powerful reminder of what they achieved together, right up to the very end.
© Thusblog
