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."
Evil Eye/Evil Minds
Agent Steel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The revenge that you seek will all come back to you
Do you know what you've done?
No justice was won
Exaulted will be who were trampled upon
There will come a time when judgement is near
The black cloud above you is clear
Instead you want locusts and plagues
A better world we can build for us all
The simple factor is life
Search for the answer it's inside of you
Your heart should anchor the rest
Evil eye...
Evil minds!
Now Armageddon is bringing you down to you knees
Fighting the ways of the truth there's no way to win
Hypocrisy festers in those who believe but decieved
What you do unto others, others will do unto you
Accepting my paybacks how long will it take
To show my intention was real
This world that we walk in is full os mistreaters
Who strip your heart, mind and soul
Your lust for revenge selfishness right
You're doing it all of spite
The things that are taken without justfull reasons
Will someday come back to me
Evil eye...
Your lust for revenge selfishness right
You're doing it all out of apite
The things that are taken without justfull reasons
Will someday come back to me
Evil eye...
Evil minds!
The lyrics to Agent Steel's song Evil Eye/Evil Minds convey a message of karma and the consequences of seeking revenge. The song implies that one's actions can come back to haunt them, and vengeance only leads to a vicious cycle of harm. The use of imagery such as the "cold mist on luminous streets" and the "black cloud above you" adds to the ominous tone of the song, foreshadowing the ultimate reckoning that is to come.
The lyrics suggest an alternative to seeking revenge, which is forgiveness and love for one's enemies. The song urges listeners to search for the answers within themselves and to let their hearts dictate their actions. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the phrase "evil eye, evil minds," pointing out that destructive thoughts and actions only lead to more negativity.
Overall, the lyrics of Evil Eye/Evil Minds are thought-provoking and cautionary, reminding listeners to think before acting on their emotions and to strive for harmony and peace rather than seeking revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
The night sheads it's cold mist on luminous streets
The darkness brings an eerie feeling even to the brightest places.
The revenge that you seek will all come back to you
If you seek revenge, you will eventually suffer the same fate.
Do you know what you've done?
Have you realized the repercussions of your actions?
No justice was won
The outcome of the situation was not fair or just.
Exaulted will be who were trampled upon
Those who were treated unfairly will eventually rise up and be honored.
There will come a time when judgement is near
You will be held accountable for your actions.
The black cloud above you is clear
The consequences of your behavior are imminent.
Love for your enemies, forgiveness you must
Instead of seeking revenge, show compassion and forgiveness towards those who wronged you.
Instead you want locusts and plagues
You desire punishment and destruction for those who you consider enemies.
A better world we can build for us all
We have the power to create a world that is just and fair for everyone.
The simple factor is life
The most important thing in life is to treat others as you would like to be treated.
Search for the answer it's inside of you
The solution to creating a better world lies within yourself.
Your heart should anchor the rest
Your actions and decisions should be guided by empathy and compassion.
Now Armageddon is bringing you down to your knees
The end of the world is near and your actions have caught up to you.
Fighting the ways of the truth there's no way to win
If you resist the truth, you will ultimately lose.
Hypocrisy festers in those who believe but deceived
Those who pretend to believe in something but are deceptive will only breed hypocrisy.
What you do unto others, others will do unto you
Treat others with respect and kindness, and you will receive the same treatment.
Accepting my paybacks how long will it take
Acknowledging the consequences of our actions can be a painful process.
To show my intention was real
Prove that your actions were done with good intentions.
This world that we walk in is full os mistreaters
There are many people in the world who treat others unfairly.
Who strip your heart, mind and soul
Their actions can cause emotional and mental harm.
Your lust for revenge selfishness right
Your desire for revenge is based on selfish reasons.
You're doing it all of spite
Your actions are motivated by a feeling of resentment and anger.
The things that are taken without justfull reasons
Things that are taken without a good reason will lead to negative consequences.
Will someday come back to me
You will eventually suffer the negative consequences of your own actions.
Evil eye...
The evil eye symbolizes the malevolent energy that comes from those who wish harm others.
Evil minds!
Evil thoughts and intentions will lead to negative outcomes.
Contributed by Anna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.