Virtual Riot Drops Stunning 'Stealing Fire' Album on Monstercat

**Forward-thinking dubstep artist Virtual Riot is making a new home on Monstercat with the release of his debut album on the label, Stealing Fire.**

While Germany might be home to some of the best house, techno, and trance artists in the scene, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an underbelly of true talent in the bass music realm. Mannheim-based DJ and producer Virtual Riot has helped prove that over the years by releasing sensational tunes and jaw-dropping performances that have kept crowds headbanging. Now, this dubstep legend is showing off his signature sound and influences from others with the release of his debut Monstercat album, Stealing Fire.

Stealing Fire isn’t your average dubstep album. Instead, its 16 tracks showcase Virtual Riot’s artistic ability and production prowess as he seamlessly flows from one soundscape to the next to create a cinematic atmosphere. Although the album is certainly heavy on the dubstep sounds that this German producer has become known for, it also sees him dabble in other realms like midtempo, melodic dubstep, and bass house throughout the journey.

When you are inspired by other people’s work, and you take the parts you like and re-interpret and combine them with something new; when you share knowledge that was previously gatekept or unavailable except to a select few; when you listen to music to put yourself into an altered state of mind — you’re stealing fire. And you don’t have to take it away; when you do it right, it spreads and multiplies, and in the end, there is just more fire for everybody.
Virtual Riot

Tastes of Stealing Fire began to surface earlier this year when Virtual Riot dropped his massive collaboration with Rezz and One True God, “Give in to you.” From there, he dropped off two more captivating tunes, “Believe What You Want” and “Scorched Earth,” both of which left fans yearning for more as the album’s release grew closer by the day. Now that Stealing Fire has been fully unveiled, there are even more stunners to explore.

“Embark” leads the charge on the album with an eerie intro that welcomes you into this soon-to-be chaotic, bass-filled environment. There’s an undeniable groove during the intro of the album’s title track as you bump your way forward, only to get rocked by some vibrant drops along the way. “Dino Killer” is one of the album’s most unique tunes. Virtual Riot blends organic percussion with dinosaur roars and vocal stabs to build energy to peak levels before dropping everyone into a frenetic ride.

Other standouts you shouldn’t sleep on throughout Stealing Fire include “Nights On Fire (2024),” “VROOM,” and “Ridiculous,” all of which show off different sides of Virtual Riot and help strengthen his place among the top producers in the scene. Meanwhile, “Holding On To Smoke” with Raven Gray is a surprise to close out the collection with its shuffling house-forward vibe that you’ll find yourself grooving to long after it finishes.

Listen to Stealing Fire on Spotify or your preferred streaming service, grab tickets for his massive audio-visual headline tour, and follow Virtual Riot on social media for more.