History
In 1983 a demo 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 John Camps who is believed to be John Cyriis, a founder of Agent Steel. Taken By Force also appeared on the Metal Massacre IV compilation from Metal Blade.
John Camps left Sceptre (which then disbanded) and went on to join Abattoir as their vocalist under the name John Syriis, which soon changed to John 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 Sill Simmons joined the band as the two guitarists with George Robb on bass. This line-up recorded the 144,000 Gone demo in 1984.
Various guitarist changes occurred after the demo until ex-Abattoir guitarist Juan Garcia and future Holy Terror guitarist Kurt Colfelt 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 John 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.
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 Recording Studios 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. John Cyriis and Chuck Profus went to Tampa, Florida; while Juan Garcia, Bernie Versailles and Michael Zaputil who were annoyed with Cyriis stayed in California.
John Cyriis and Chuck Profus hired guitarists James Murphy and Jay Weslord as well as bassist Richard Bateman for a European tour. The tour was partly a success; however, some of the audiences did not seem to appreciate Agent Steel's more melodic approach to heavy metal (in comparison to harsher thrash metal). The final show of the tour with Nuclear Assault (which had the UK thrash metal band Onslaught as the opener) at Hammersmith Odeon on the 20th of June 1987 was recorded live and released as a video later that year.
Internal problems with the band and also the lack of appreciation by many metalheads during the tour caused the band to end in 1988.
After the band broke up in 1988 Chuck Profus and John Cyriis joined and formed a number of projects both together and separately.
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 John Cyriis's but the clean sung vocals remained in Agent Steel.
Agent Steel recorded Omega Conspiracy in 1999 which was there 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.
In september of 2007 they released their fifth full length album, titled 'Alienigma'.
On May the 3th, 2010, the band announced the comeback of Cyriis with the following statement:
As some of you may, or may not have already heard the news that AGENT STEEL has parted ways with vocalist Bruce Hall. We as a band would like to acknowledge the accomplishments together with Bruce and the (3) three solid metal offerings; 'OMEGA CONSPIRACY', 'ORDER OF THE ILLUMINATI', and 'ALIENIGMA'. Together we had the fortune of touring and sharing the stage in some amazing places and visited some breathtaking countries. Bruce dedicated over a decade to AGENT STEEL and for this he should be recognized, and we part on good terms. We as a band still have the fire and passion to deliver the metal goods to fans from the past, present and future. We had been writing new material for the next chapter of AGENT STEEL, and after the news got out that we separated from Bruce; we were contacted by original singer; CYRIIS. Call it destiny; call it what you will, but now the communicative channel is open between AGENT STEEL and vocalist CYRIIS; we are in talks about an imminent AGENT STEEL reunion tour possibly involving summer/fall 2010 appearances and an extensive '2011' Metal-blitz. Honestly, we do not know how long this reunion will last; however this could be the long awaited destiny of AGENT STEEL originally interrupted, so long as everything moves forward in an evolving good working climate. Our objective regarding this AGENT STEEL reunion is attached with the intentions of providing the opportunity to not only the dedicated fans, but also to a whole new generation of metal fans the chance to see AGENT STEEL live on stage with CYRIIS; the original voice on the classic ‘SKEPTICS APOCALYPSE’, ‘UNSTOPPABLE FORCE’, and ‘MAD LOCUST RISING’ releases. The legacy continues...stay tuned."
Chosen To Stay
Agent Steel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Freed from your shadow
Approaching the lights,
Still burned your darkness
And so It's time...
You can't hide forever
You'll run,
Until it's too late...
And you're awaiting the pain,
So it's clear...
You've chosen... You've chosen to stay...
Satisfied for tomorrow
Living blinded today.
Still burned by your hatred
And those who lead you astray
A prisoner of the circle
Bound by your chains of your claims,
Assuming all that surrounds you
Can relinquish the pain.
YOU CAN'T WIN living within
YOU can't HIDE what's really inside
Ws your weakness, Your conscience it haunts you
You've Chosen To Stay...
Chosen To Stay...
You can't go on earning
Unless you have paid,
You're not who decides this
It's not In Your hands
Beware burning bridges
This one's made of steel,
You might need to cross me
And then the void will be real...
YOU CAN'T WIN living within
YOU can't HIDE what's really inside
Ws your weakness, Your conscience it haunts you
You've Chosen To Stay...
Chosen To Stay...
The opening lines of the song "Freed from your shadow, Approaching the lights, Still burned your darkness" refer to the singer of the song breaking away from the negative influences surrounding them and moving towards positivity. However, the negativity still affects them and they must face the pain and consequences of their actions. The song talks about the choice that the singer has made to stay in the current situation, despite the pain and suffering it causes them. They are satisfied with what they have and refuse to change, blinded by their own hatred and the influence of others.
The lyrics also make references to the concept of karma and the idea that one must pay for their actions before they can achieve true success. The line "You can't go on earning unless you have paid" hints at the idea that the singer must face their pain and suffering before they can move on and succeed in life. The line "Beware burning bridges, this one's made of steel" warns the singer to be careful with the relationships they form and the path they choose, as the consequences of their choices will be long-lasting.
Overall, the song is about the struggles of overcoming negative influences in one's life and the choice one must make to move towards positivity, despite the pain and suffering it may cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Freed from your shadow
You have broken free from someone or something that was holding you back.
Approaching the lights,
You are moving towards something new and hopeful.
Still burned your darkness
You are still haunted by the pain and negativity of the past.
And so It's time...
You have reached a crucial turning point in your journey.
You can't hide forever
You cannot run or hide from your problems forever.
You'll run,
You may try to escape from your troubles, but they will catch up with you eventually.
Until it's too late...
If you wait too long to face your problems, they may become too big to handle.
You've chosen the moment
You have made the decision to confront your issues head-on.
And you're awaiting the pain,
You know that facing your problems will be difficult and painful, but you are ready to do it anyway.
So it's clear...
It is evident that you have made your choice to confront your problems.
You've chosen... You've chosen to stay...
You have decided to stay and face your problems rather than running away from them.
Satisfied for tomorrow
You are content to defer your happiness and satisfaction until the future.
Living blinded today.
You are currently living in a state of ignorance or denial.
Still burned by your hatred
You are still consumed by negative emotions, such as anger and resentment.
And those who lead you astray
You have been influenced by people who have misled or misguided you.
A prisoner of the circle
You are trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts and actions.
Bound by your chains of your claims,
You are held back by your own limitations and self-imposed restrictions.
Assuming all that surrounds you
You believe that your environment or circumstances are responsible for your problems.
Can relinquish the pain.
You hope that changing your situation will alleviate your suffering, but you know this may not be enough.
YOU CAN'T WIN living within
You cannot overcome your problems if you continue to live in denial or complacency.
YOU can't HIDE what's really inside
You cannot hide your true feelings or desires, even from yourself.
Ws your weakness, Your conscience it haunts you
Your own weaknesses and regrets continue to trouble and affect you.
You've Chosen To Stay...
Once again, you have made the decision to face your problems rather than avoiding them.
Chosen To Stay...
You are committed to confronting your problems and finding a solution.
You can't go on earning
You cannot continue to gain or achieve unless you are willing to put in the necessary work or effort.
Unless you have paid,
You must first make sacrifices or pay your dues before you can reap the rewards.
You're not who decides this
You are not in control of everything that happens to you.
It's not In Your hands
You cannot always influence or dictate the outcomes of your life.
Beware burning bridges
Be careful not to destroy your relationships or opportunities through your own actions.
This one's made of steel,
The stakes are high and the consequences of your decisions are significant.
You might need to cross me
You may need to rely on others or seek help in order to overcome your problems.
And then the void will be real...
If you do not address your problems or seek help, you may end up feeling empty or unfulfilled.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind