Agent Steel

Agent Steel is an American speed metal band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 1984 by singer John Cyriis (birth name "Jean Pierre"),and drummer Chuck Profus. The band released two full length albums and one EP before disbanding in 1988. They were most notable for Cyriis's high-pitched vocals, catchy songs, melodic riffs and fast tempos mixed in with their unusual (in heavy metal) UFO's, and differential Anthropology -as the bands song/lyrical themes. The band reformed in 1999 and has released three full length albums since.

Biography

In 1983 a demo, Produced by Dan McConomy, was released by a speed metal band named Sceptre which contained two future Agent Steel songs: "Taken By Force" and "144,000 Gone". The guitarist on this demo was called "John Camps" who is confirmed to be "Cyriis" ("Jean Pierre" ), the founder (along with "Chuck Profus")-of Agent Steel. Camps, Profus, and McConomy had all met at University Highschool in West Los Angeles. "Taken By Force" also appeared on the Metal Massacre IV compilation from Metal Blade.

Jean Pierre left Sceptre, (which then disbanded) and went on to join Abattoir as their vocalist under the name John Syriis, which soon changed to "Cyriis". He soon left Abattoir and teamed up with drummer Chuck Profus to form Sanctuary, which soon became Agent Steel. Mark Marshall (before he joined Savage Grace) and Bill Simmons joined the band as the two guitarists with George Robb on bass. In 1984 this line-up recorded once again with producer Dan McConomy, the 144,000 Gone demo-a song about the "144-degree angle" -the "BiQuintile-aspect" -in Astrology; an aspect that when present in the natal horoscope of an individual-bestows "creative,occult" inclinations. The demo was subsequently played on KLOS which got the attention of Combat Records and signed the Agent Steel to a record deal on the eve of them opening for Slayer on the "Reign In Blood" world tour at The World Famous Country Club in Los Angeles. Steve Sinclair signed the band which resulted in the iconic "Skeptics Apocalypse" LP.

Various guitarist changes occurred after the demo until ex-Abattoir guitarist Juan Garcia and future Holy Terror guitarist Kurt Kilfelt became members. The first Agent Steel full length album titled Skeptics Apocalypse was released on Combat Records in the middle of 1985.

Kurt Colfelt soon left the band after falling out with Cyriis and formed Holy Terror. He was replaced by guitarist Bernie Versailles and an EP was recorded titled Mad Locust Rising in late 1985. It was released in the USA by Combat Records and in Europe by Music For Nations. This EP contained one of a few Judas Priest cover songs that were recorded by the band, The Ripper which was also mixed by Dan McConomy.

George Robb left the band soon after Mad Locust Rising was released and was replaced by bassist Michael Zaputil. In March 1986 the band went into Morrisound Studio to record the full length follow-up to Mad Locust Rising, Unstoppable Force. The band stopped recording for a few months as they went to Europe to tour. They toured through May with Anthrax and Overkill where the split video US Speed Metal Attack was recorded. They returned in June to finish recording Unstoppable Force; however, the album was to be released in 1987 due to problems with the product.

After the recording of Unstoppable Force, the band was severed when the band members spread out across the USA. Cyriis and Chuck Profus went to Tampa, Florida; while Juan Garcia, Bernie Versailles and Michael Zaputil decided to remain in L.A. -despite the rapidly deteorating metal scene. This disenchanting metal scene climate-at the time in L.A. -is one of the main reasons which inspired Profus and Cyriis -into relocating where metal music was still alive. In Tampa-Cyriis and Chuck Profus, hired guitarists James Murphy and J.Weslord, as well as bassist Richard Bateman for a European tour. The tour was very successful. So much was the success-selling out shows in Holland/Amsterdam-That the final show of the tour with Nuclear Assault including the UK thrash metal band Onslaught as the opener-culminated in a farewell Agent Steel (with Cyriis) performance - "Video" recorded at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon - on 20 June 1987. The video was released later that year.

Soon thereafter - in early 1988, "Cyriis" (Jean Pierre), disenchanted with all the "rip-off's", and "jealousy politics" within the metal scene, disbanded "the former Agent Steel" - dissociating completely from the music business to "pursue his philosophical interests."

After the band broke up in 1988 Chuck Profus and Cyriis joined and formed a number of projects both together and separately, one them called Pontious Prophet, with an old Brazilian guitarist friend of Cyriis called Silvio Golffeti from the Brazilian thrash metal band Korzus. In 2002 Cyriis went on to form Stellar Seed with Japanese physics prof. and musical prodigy black metal-dark ambient music-guitarist/keyboardist, "Dr.Shuichi Oni". The nature of the music was ambient speed metal. The two recorded 1-live demo-song titled "The Godz of Man". Shuichi Oni, and (Cyriis) Dr.Jean Pierre, have recentlty resurfaced after having completed work on the first series of recordings for S.E.T.I -Shuichi Oni's new band. The songs are to be released on DVD-featuring visual simulations on film and art graphics- titled "Cosmology and the PK Wars: Series 1- "VAULT OF COSMIC HORRORS": Further info regarding X-Agent Steel Dr.Jean Pierre and Dr.Shuichi Oni (s-e-t-i.com)

Juan Garcia, after leaving Agent Steel, had formed the thrash metal band Evildead with ex-members of his old band Abattoir (as the band had split up by then). The band released 2 full length albums, an EP and a live album. They had reasonable success in the metal underground. Even though the band broke up, some of the members including Juan Garcia created a new band called Terror who released one album and an EP before breaking up.

In 1999 Agent Steel was reborn. Juan Garcia brought in bassist Karlos Medina that had been with him in Evildead and Terror, while Chuck Profus and Bernie Versailles returned. Bruce Hall joined the band as the new vocalist. His vocals were not as high-pitched as Cyriis's but the clean sung vocals remained in Agent Steel.

Agent Steel recorded Omega Conspiracy in 1999 which was their first album in 13 years. Their sound continued on as speed metal with some modern touches.

Chuck Profus sustained a hand injury and so Rigo Amezcua (ex-Terror drummer) filled in for him for live performances. He soon decided to leave the band and so Rigo Amezcua replaced him permanently. With this line-up the band started writing new material for their next full length album starting in 2001. The album, titled Order Of The Illuminati, was released in 2003.

Soon a mini CD was released (late 2003) titled Earth Under Lucifer, which contains the single Earth Under Lucifer and three songs recorded from live performances following the release of Order Of The Illuminati.

In 2005 Agent Steel released their first DVD which contains an entire performance at Dynamo Open Air.

Agent Steel has recently released their new album, Alienigma, in 2007.

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Original Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent Steel