It's been a rather chaotic ride for Los Angeles's
Agent Steel.
Arising to prominence in the mid-eighties,
their two albums and EP are regarded as 80's
classics, with a potent speed/thrash metal style and distinctive vocals
by John Cyriis leading the way.
But, amidst rumors that Cyriis was hard to work with (or for, as the
case might have been), it all ended soon after 1987's
Unstoppable Force.
Cyriis himself seemed to disappear completely off the face of the earth
(though years later he would cryptically announce a new band,
Stellar Seed, which never amounted to anything),
while guitarist Juan Garcia soldiered on with
Evildead.
Some twelve years later, most of the band, minus Cyriis, were back
in action, briefly considering a name shift to Agents Of Steel
before reverting to their regular name, and Agent Steel Mk II was
in business, starting with 1999's Omega Conspiracy.
Four years later, another name shift was considered and this time
officially announced, to Order Of The Illuminati (apparently due
to threatened legal action from the still-enigmatic Cyriis).
After a time the legal issues were resolved, once again they were
called Agent Steel, and Order Of The Illuminati became the title
of their 2003 album.
Another four years, another album (Alienenigma, in 2007),
and finally it's all come full circle, with longtime vocalist Bruce
Hall leaving the band in the spring of 2010 to be replaced by ...
John Cyriis.
Predictably, this reunion didn't last too long, with Cyriis off doing
his own thing again, but the other members continued on their own
and formed
Masters Of Metal, recording an EP and LP in 2013 and 2015.
Finally, yet another reunion was announced in January 2019, with Cyriis
at the helm with an as yet unknown lineup,
promising a new album later in the year.
That album, No Other Godz Before Me, finally was released in 2021,
though it appears that none of the musicians listed are still involved
with the band.
Recent album: Mad Locust Rising - Live At Hammersmith Odeon,
released on September 7, 2024.
