Agent Steel

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Agent Steel
Agent Steel at the Bang Your Head Open Air 2008
Agent Steel at the Bang Your Head Open Air 2008
General information
origin Los Angeles , United States
Genre (s) Speed ​​metal , power metal , thrash metal
founding 1984, 1999
resolution 1988, 2011
Website www.agentsteelonline.com
Last occupation
John Cyriis
Juan Garcia
Electric guitar
 Bernie Versailles
Robert Cardenas
Rigo Amezcua
former members
singing
 Bruce Hall
Electric guitar
 Kurt "Kilfelt" Colfelt
Drums
 Chuck Profus
Electric bass
 Karlos Medina
Electric bass
 George Robb
Electric guitar
 John god
Electric guitar
 Silvio Golfetti
Electric guitar
 Mark Marshal
Electric guitar
 Bill Simmons
Electric bass
 Mike Zaputil
Electric bass
 Richard Bateman
Electric guitar
 Jay Weslord
Electric guitar
 James Murphy
Singing (live)
 Rick Mythiasin
Electric guitar (live)
 Tim Thomas
Singing (live)
 James Rivera

Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles , California that was formed in 1984. The band was known for the very high vocals of the band's founder John Cyriis. They reunited in 1999 before disintegrating in 2011. The group was briefly active for legal reasons under the names Masters of Metal and Order of Illuminati .

history

The band was formed in August 1984 by singer John Cyriis along with drummer Chuck Profus, bassist George Robb and guitarists Mark Marshall and Bill Simmons. After the first demo 144,000 Gone , which was released in the summer of 1984, both guitarists left the band, Marshall later being heard with Savage Grace . Kurt "Kilfelt" Colfelt and Juan Garcia joined the line-up as replacement guitarists. Garcia played like Cyriis before with Abattoir and replaced guitarist John Gott, who had only joined Agent Steel for a short time. Various appearances followed, including the first as a support act for Slayer in September 1984 at the Country Club in Los Angeles. A few gigs later she also played as an opening act for Raven . In addition, the band played various other gigs in the US, including a concert in which Blessed Death acted as the opening act. The group also played at a festival in Montreal with Metal Church , Exodus and Slayer. In 1985 the debut album Skeptics Apocalypse followed , which was recorded in January 1985, which was released in the US on Combat Records and in Europe on Roadrunner Records . Then guitarist Colfelt left the band again to form the band Holy Terror . In May 1986 the band went on a tour of Germany together with Overkill and Anthrax , which was supported by the Metal Hammer . The EP Mad Locust Rising , which was recorded in October 1985, featured a new guitarist with Bernie Versailles (later with Fates Warning ) and a new bassist with Michael Zaputil. At the same time, Cyriis attracted attention by claiming that according to the Mayan calendar , the end of the world was imminent in 2011. In November 1986 it was announced that Capitol Records had an interest in the band, but it should never come to a contract. This was followed by the second album Unstoppable Force in 1987, which was mainly recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa . Since Cyriis had meanwhile moved to Florida in order to be "closer to the Bermuda Triangle ", and Garcia, Versailles and Zaputil refused to move there as well, Cyriis renewed the cast. After guitarists James Murphy and Jay Weslord and bassist Richard Bateman (ex- Nasty Savage ) joined the band, the band played for the first time in this new line-up in Germany and also played in the Bochum colliery with Nuclear Assault and Atomkraft and then left on a European tour with Overkill and Anthrax. The band also played in London with Onslaught and Nuclear Assault. Some band members were arrested in Arizona in December 1987 after allegedly mistreating a 17-year-old roadie . Members tied him to a bed and urinated on him while setting off fireworks on his chest. However, the members were released a short time later because the victim declined to file a lawsuit. In March 1988 the band broke up because Cyriis founded the band Pontius Prophet together with drummer Profus. Juan Garcia then played for EvilDead .

In 1999 the band got together again to perform at the Wacken Open Air . In addition, Century Media re-released all previously released albums. The group consisted of guitarists Juan Garcia and Bernie Versailles and drummer Chuck Profus, EvilDead bassist and singer Bruce Hall. With this line-up, the next album, The Omega Conspiracy , was released via Metal Blade Records . In the spring of 2000, another European tour followed with Riot , Anvil and Domine . Since there was a legal dispute over the band name with the former singer Cyriis, who claimed the name for himself, the band played a few gigs under the name Order of the Illuminati. The band eventually came to an agreement, however, so Cyriis named his new project Stellar Seed. In 2001 drummer Profus left the band and was replaced by Rigo Amezcua. After the band had signed a contract with Scarlet Records , the album Order of the Illuminati followed in 2003 . This was followed by a European tour, including together with Exodus, Nuclear Assault and God Dethroned , but half of the tour was canceled. The group also played in Hamburg , where in addition to the three bands mentioned, Grave , Mortician , Occult , Callenish Circle and Prospect were also there. In 2005 the band played together with After All in Germany . In mid-2006 the band signed a contract with Mascot Records , which in 2007 released the album Alienigma . This was followed by a European tour with Vicious Rumors in September . In May 2010, singer Bruce Hall left the band to devote himself to Steel Prophet , after which John Cyriis returned to the band. In the same year the band made appearances in Japan with Overkill, Exodus, Nevermore , Outrage and Sanctuary . In January 2011, singer Cyriis couldn't take part in the 70,000 Tons of Metal , so James Rivera from Helstar and Rick Mythiasin from Steel Prophet helped out. In February 2011, the reunification fell through due to disputes between Cyriis and the rest of the band and a planned appearance at the Rock Hard Festival was canceled. For legal reasons, the band performed their appearance on the 2011 Keep It True under the name Masters of Metal, with Rick Mythiasin again working as a singer.

As a result, the band continued without Cyriis under the name Masters of Metal. Guitarist Bernie Versailles also did the vocals. In 2013 Masters of Metal released a self-titled EP. On September 18, 2015, the studio album From Worlds Beyond followed

style

Agent Steel's lyrics mostly deal with topics like UFOs or aliens. Particularly characteristic was the high vocals of Cyriis, which extends over several octaves , as well as the precise playing of the instruments. The band plays classic speed metal on their debut album Skeptics Apocalypse , and the group is one of the oldest in the genre. On the album the band sounded like " Maiden on Speed". The second album Unstoppable Force, on the other hand, was far less fast, so the melody was in the foreground, with Traveler also a ballad among the songs. On the album, the band was also more demanding than on the previous EP Mad Locust Rising . On the album Omega Conspiracy , besides melodic pieces, mainly speed and thrash metal pieces dominate. The biggest difference on the following Order of the Illuminati was the new singer Bruce Hall, who put Cyriis "vocally in the back pocket". Hall made his singing very varied and remembered in songs like Insurrection of Bruce Dickinson .

Discography

  • 1984: 144,000 Gone (Demo)
  • 1984: Second Demo (Demo)
  • 1985: Skeptics Apocalypse (Album, Combat Records (USA), Roadrunner Records (Europe))
  • 1986: US Speed ​​Metal Attack (split video with Anthrax and Overkill, Metal Hammer)
  • 1986: Mad Locust Rising ( EP , Combat Records)
  • 1987: Unstoppable Force (album, Combat Records)
  • 1998: Agents of Steel (demo)
  • 1999: Omega Conspiracy (album, Metal Blade Records )
  • 1999: Deny the Poison (demo)
  • 2003: Order of the Illuminati (Album, Scarlet Records )
  • 2003: Earth Under Lucifer (Single, Scarlet Records)
  • 2005: Live at Dynamo Open Air ( DVD , Scarlet Records)
  • 2007: Alienigma (album, 2007)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d Metal Mike: Agent Steel . Speed ​​Metal at It's Best . In: Metal Hammer , January 1986, p. 88 f.
  2. ↑ Neil Jeffries: Kerrang! The Directory of Heavy Metal . Virgin Books, London 1993, ISBN 0-86369-761-5 , pp. 8 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Garry Sharpe-Young : AZ of Thrash Metal . Cherry Red Books, London 2002, ISBN 1-901447-09-X , pp. 10 ff .
  4. ↑ Alexandra Dörrie: Metal Hammer Rodshow . Anthrax Overkill Agent Steel . In: Metal Hammer , June 1986, p. 80 f.
  5. ↑ a b Metal Hammer presents the American speed freaks on their second tour of Germany . Agent Steel . In: Metal Hammer , June 1987, p. 115.
  6. ^ Eduardo Rivadavia: Agent Steel , accessed July 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Holger Stratmann: Rock Hard Encyclopedia . ROCK HARD GmbH, 1998, ISBN 3-9805171-0-1 , p. 14 .
  8. ^ Sylvie Simmons: Agent Steel . Invasion of the Bermuda Triangle . In: Metal Hammer , April 1987, p. 26.
  9. ^ Uwe Schnädelbach: Agent Steel . John and the Bermuda Triangle . In: Metal Hammer , March 1987, p. 130.
  10. ^ Uwe Schnädelbach: Agent Steel Nuclear Assault Atomkraft . In: Metal Hammer , August 1987, p. 110 f.
  11. ^ Andreas Schöwe: Agent Steel + Anvil + Riot + Domine . Munich: Metropolis (Ex-Incognito) . In: Metal Hammer , April 2000, p. 140.
  12. ↑ Armin Schäfer: Nothing but trouble . Agent Steel . In: Metal Hammer , July 2003, p. 60 f.
  13. Jump up ↑ Anzo Sadoni: Exodus + Nuclear Assault + Agent Steel + God Dethroned + Grave + Mortician + Occult + Callenish Circle + Prospect . Hamburg: market hall . In: Metal Hammer , December 2003, p. 138.
  14. ↑ a b Agent Steel at laut.de , accessed on July 14, 2013.
  15. ↑ AGENT STEEL - The Return of Cyriis! , accessed July 14, 2013.
  16. ↑ SANCTUARY, NEVERMORE, AGENT STEEL Confirmed For Japan's Thrash Domination 2010 , accessed July 14, 2013.
  17. ↑ xFiruath: Agent Steel Vocalist John Cyriis To Miss 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise , accessed July 14, 2013.
  18. ↑ RHF: Agent Steel Reunion does not take place! , accessed July 14, 2013.
  19. ↑ Oliver + Tarek: Agent Steel canceled ( memento of March 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 14, 2013.
  20. ↑ Masters of Metal To Release From Worlds Beyond in September , Bravewords from July 13, 2015, accessed on March 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ Oliver Klemm: Agent Steel . Skeptics Apocalypse . In: Metal Hammer , November 1985, p. 84.
  22. ↑ Matthias Herr: Matthias Herr's Heavy Metal Lexicon Vol. 1 . Verlag Matthias Herr, 1993, p. 11 .
  23. ^ Uwe Schnädelbach: Agent Steel . Unstoppable force . In: Metal Hammer , March 1987, p. 42.
  24. ^ Frank Trojan: Agent Steel . Unstoppable force . In: Metal Hammer , October 1987, p. 74.
  25. ^ Andreas Schöwe: Agent Steel . Omega Conspiracy . In: Metal Hammer , December 1999, p. 83.
  26. ^ Marc Halupczok : Agent Steel . Order of the Illuminati . In: Metal Hammer , July 2003, p. 97.