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."
Guilty as Charged
Agent Steel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our evelution stunted Earth betrayed
Trapped inside this mortal cage
Repelling masses now your soul's in rage
You're all Guilty as charged...
Guilty as charged
Eyes of fire stare into space
Carcass showing shadows grey
You're falling in, in the hands of fate
You're all Guilty as charged...
Guilty as charged
In the beginning the universe fell
Emanating the formula DNA the fraction 2/3rds
The number 23
Now we have one Adam and Eve before the jury of the Council
And she's been given her final verdict
Guilty as charged
Now you've become one of them
Nobody cares at all they'll never win
Lakes of fire forged in hate
Prepared for, for the skeptics race
You're all Guilty as charged...
Guilty as charged
The song "Guilty as Charged" by Agent Steel delves into the theme of humanity's arrogance and downfall. The opening lines of the song refer to how the evolution of mankind has been halted and the Earth has been betrayed. The mortal cage mentioned is indicative of human bodies being restricted and limited in their capabilities. The next lines talk about how people's souls are in rage and they are guilty as charged. The phrase "guilty as charged" is repeated again and again in the song, highlighting the idea that humanity is responsible for its own downfall.
The next verse describes how the eyes of fire stare into space, indicating how humans have always had a fascination with exploring the unknown. The carcass showing shadow's grey suggests that human bodies are starting to decay, and living in the final age denotes how humanity is on the brink of extinction. The next line talks about falling into the hands of fate, indicating humanity's powerlessness in dealing with the impending end. The final verse talks about how the universe fell during its inception, and how humans came into existence. The idea that Adam and Eve are on trial before the council highlights how religion has played a significant role in humanity's downfall. The song ends with the lines "lakes of fire forged in hate/ prepared for, for the skeptics race/ you're all guilty as charged", indicating that there is no redemption for mankind.
Line by Line Meaning
Genesis now we're to stay
Our existence has taken root and we are now permanent residents of this planet.
Our evolution stunted Earth betrayed
The development of our species has been halted and we feel abandoned by the planet.
Trapped inside this mortal cage
Our bodies are our prisons and we are unable to escape them.
Repelling masses now your soul's in rage
Feeling rejected by society has caused our souls to become angry and hostile.
You're all Guilty as charged...
We are all responsible for our actions and must face the consequences for them.
Eyes of fire stare into space
Burning intensity in our eyes as we gaze in contemplation of the unknown.
Carcass showing shadows grey
Our bodies are deteriorating and becoming weak, casting shadows of gray.
Living in the final age
We are in the last stage of human history and must make the most of it.
You're falling in, in the hands of fate
Our destiny is being determined by forces beyond our control and we are helpless to change it.
In the beginning the universe fell
At the start of time, the universe descended into chaos.
Emanating the formula DNA the fraction 2/3rds
The genetic code of all living things is made up of 2/3rds of the same building blocks.
The number 23
The significance of the number 23 is unknown or left to interpretation.
Now we have one Adam and Eve before the jury of the Council
Humanity, represented by the archetypes of Adam and Eve, is being judged by a higher authority.
And she's been given her final verdict
The verdict has been handed down and humanity's fate is sealed.
Now you've become one of them
By joining in with the rest of humanity, we have become just another statistic.
Nobody cares at all they'll never win
No one is paying attention to the struggles of humanity and we are destined to lose the battle for survival.
Lakes of fire forged in hate
Our anger and hatred will lead us down a path of destruction and we will have to face the consequences.
Prepared for, for the skeptics race
We are ready to face the challenges of those who doubt us or are skeptical of our abilities.
You're all Guilty as charged...
No matter how much we deny it, we are all culpable for the state of the world and must take responsibility for our actions.
Guilty as charged
We have been found guilty of our transgressions and cannot deny the consequences of our actions.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CHUCK PROFUS, GEORGE ROBB, JOHN CYRIIS, JUAN GARCIA, KURT COLFELT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind