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."
Destroy The Hush
Agent Steel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cherish your freedom
Let nothing deny you
Your enemy hides from the truth
Clings to the darkness (cowers in the shadow)
You are the essence of proof
Positive vision of strength individual
Not paralyzed
In dreams reside the fate of man
Recognize those who'll destroy
Those who will suck from your hard work and struggle
To governments you're but a toy
Anonymous mules (on whose backs they ride freely)
Give not to Caesar his tithe
Instead care for yourself, your family, your pride
You're not categorized
Not number assigned
With dreams you provide for the hope of man
[Chorus]
Revealing all their darkest crimes
(Destroy the hush)
Exposing truth through the other side
(Destroy the hush)
With strength one day we will collide
(Destroy the hush)
And in so doing we will retrieve ourselves our lives
Destroy the hush!
Imagine a world free of fear
A world where your dreams can be real as envisioned
A world where you choose what to be
Not what they make you (a monitored slave)
Those dreams will soon disappear
If we don't progress and succeed in the stifling
Of government lies
Expose what they hide
And we will provide for the fate of man
Agent Steel's "Destroy the Hush" is a song that encourages the listener not to succumb to the darkness around them, but to cherish their humanity and freedom. The song warns against those who seek to exploit others, whether they are governments or anonymous mules. It advocates for taking care of oneself and family, and not allowing oneself to be categorized or numbered. This is because the fate of man is in the hands of those who dream, who refuse to be paralyzed or compromised.
The chorus emphasizes the need to expose and destroy the hush or the silence that surrounds the darkest crimes and lies perpetuated by governments and those who seek to control others. The song envisions a world where dreams can become reality, where individuals choose their own destiny instead of being monitored slaves. However, this can only be achieved through progress and success in exposing the truth and stifling government lies.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold close the human in you
Embrace your humanity and preserve your individuality.
Cherish your freedom
Value and protect your right to freedom of choice and expression.
Let nothing deny you
Do not let anyone or anything obstruct your progress or potential.
Your enemy hides from the truth
Those who oppose you intentionally avoid the truth.
Clings to the darkness (cowers in the shadow)
They hide in the anonymity of deceit, lacking the courage to confront the truth.
You are the essence of proof
Your presence and actions serve as evidence of your character and convictions.
Positive vision of strength individual
Belief in your ability to succeed as an independent and self-reliant individual.
Not paralyzed
Not immobilized or overwhelmed by fear or uncertainty.
Not compromised
Not willing to sacrifice principles or integrity for the sake of convenience or safety.
In dreams reside the fate of man
The aspirations and ideals of individuals shape the destiny of humanity.
Recognize those who'll destroy
Identify those who seek to undermine or hinder your progress.
Those who will suck from your hard work and struggle
Those who benefit from your efforts without contributing or acknowledging your contribution.
To governments you're but a toy
Governments see citizens as expendable assets to be manipulated for their own gain.
Anonymous mules (on whose backs they ride freely)
People who are used and exploited by those in power, without any recognition or reward.
Give not to Caesar his tithe
Do not blindly follow or support authority figures or institutions without question.
Instead care for yourself, your family, your pride
Prioritize your own well-being, family and sense of dignity.
You're not categorized
You are not defined by labels or stereotypes placed upon you by others.
Not number assigned
You are not a disposable statistic or commodity to be assigned a value.
With dreams you provide for the hope of man
Your aspirations and ideals contribute to the betterment and progress of humanity.
[Chorus]
Refrain that repeats the core message of the song.
Revealing all their darkest crimes
Exposing the evil deeds and intentions of those in power.
(Destroy the hush)
Encouraging others to speak out and fight against oppression and censorship.
Exposing truth through the other side
Finding alternative means of communicating and sharing information to avoid censorship and suppression.
With strength one day we will collide
Believing that one day we will have the courage and power to confront and overthrow those in power.
And in so doing we will retrieve ourselves our lives
By standing up for ourselves and our rights, we will reclaim our lives and destinies.
Imagine a world free of fear
Envisioning a future where we are not oppressed, controlled or intimidated by those in power.
A world where your dreams can be real as envisioned
A future where our aspirations and ideals can become reality without any hindrance or suppression.
A world where you choose what to be
A society where individuals have the freedom and autonomy to make their own choices and define their own identities.
Not what they make you (a monitored slave)
Not being reduced to mere cogs in the machinery of surveillance state and control.
Those dreams will soon disappear
Warning that our hopes and aspirations will fade away if we do not confront and resist tyranny.
If we don't progress and succeed in the stifling
If we do not overcome the obstacles and oppression stifling our progress.
Of government lies
Of the falsehoods and propaganda spread by those in power.
Expose what they hide
Reveal the hidden agendas, secrets and crimes of those in power.
And we will provide for the fate of man
Through our collective efforts, we can shape the destiny and progress of humanity in a positive way.
Destroy the hush!
Call to action for individuals to speak out, resist and fight against oppression and censorship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERNIE VERSAILLES, JUAN GARCIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
wesNYC
i listened to it when I was 16 years old. this song was on a compilation cd for polish metal zine called "Mystic Art". now im revisiting old songs. i really dig heavy metal now that I'm in my mid 30s.
kashgag
@TakeHold0fTheFlame I love the cover. The blue really stands out compared to other metalcovers. Agent Steel got an original take on the Illuminati-cover as well.
Rick Lindberg
Any metalhead should hear this album if they never have. Even though it's a different singer than the original Agent Steel it is just as great.
kim mcpherson
love agent steel.
Quico Arts
Great song!!
Dar Pie
zajebioza