Agent Steel
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | John Cyriis, Chuck Profus |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs, live albums |
Agent Steel is a speed metal group originating from Los Angeles, United States, established in 1984 by vocalist John Cyriis alongside drummer Chuck Profus. Prior to their dissolution in 1988, the band produced two studio albums and one EP. They gained recognition for Cyriis' distinctive high-pitched singing style, catchy guitar riffs, rapid tempos, and lyrical themes centered around UFO phenomena.
The band reunited in 1998 without Cyriis (who briefly rejoined between 2010 and 2011) and released three additional albums before entering a hiatus in 2011. In 2018, Agent Steel reassembled once more, this time with Cyriis returning as the frontman and a completely new roster, excluding longtime guitarist Juan Garcia, who had moved on to Evildead and Body Count. This formation issued No Other Godz Before Me in 2021, marking their first studio release in fourteen years and the first featuring Cyriis in thirty-four years.
Formation and initial disbandment (1984–1988)
Agent Steel was created by John Cyriis shortly after his exit from Megadeth in 1984, prompted by creative disagreements regarding the band's "Alien concept." The name Agent Steel was officially registered by Cyriis on July 23, 1984; initially, the group performed under the name Sanctuary.
During the summer of 1984, the founding lineup recorded a demo entitled "144,000 Gone," a track composed by Cyriis during his tenure with the underground metal act Sceptre. This early lineup featured drummer Chuck Profus, guitarists Bill Simmons and Mark Marshal, along with bassist George Robb. Subsequently, guitarists Juan Garcia and Kurt Colfelt joined the ensemble. Between December 1984 and February 1985, they laid down tracks for their debut album Skeptics Apocalypse, which was released by Combat Records in June 1985. The opening song "Agents of Steel" has maintained popularity, amassing over half a million streams on YouTube as of 2020. Following internal disagreements, Colfelt departed and Bernie Versailles took his place.
The EP Mad Locust Rising was recorded in October 1985 and released in January of the following year. Shortly thereafter, Michael Zaputil replaced George Robb on bass.
In March 1986, recording sessions commenced for their sophomore album Unstoppable Force. After performing at the Aardschok Dag Festival in April and supporting Anthrax and Overkill on a European tour in May, they completed recording by June. However, release was postponed due to complications with the album artwork. Capitol Records expressed interest in November 1986 but withdrew their offer by January 1987 owing to concerns about Cyriis's dependability and instability within the lineup. Ultimately, Combat Records released Unstoppable Force in March 1987.
The band experienced further personnel changes including guitarists James Murphy and Jay Weslord as well as bassist Richard Bateman. They toured Europe alongside Nuclear Assault in June 1987. Their last show from this era is documented on the 1989 home video titled Mad Locust Rising.
In 1988, Combat Records suspended Agent Steel’s activities due to contractual disputes, effectively causing a three-year hiatus. Cyriis later stated that this suspension was unwarranted and remains without clear explanation.
Initial revival (1998–2009)
In 1998, guitarists Juan Garcia and Bernie Versailles revived Agent Steel without the approval of John Cyriis, bringing back former members Chuck Profus and Michael Zaputil, alongside new frontman Bruce Hall. Shortly thereafter, Zaputil exited and was succeeded by bassist Karlos Medina. The band unveiled their third studio album, Omega Conspiracy, on October 25, 1999. Due to legal challenges initiated by Cyriis in 2001, the group was compelled to adopt the name Order of the Illuminati. In 2002, drummer Chuck Profus left and was replaced by Rigo Amezcua. Eventually, they reclaimed the Agent Steel moniker and recorded their fourth album, Order of the Illuminati, which was released on June 10, 2003.
In 2004, Agent Steel appeared at the Dynamo Open Air festival, a performance that was later issued on DVD on March 21, 2005. The band also embarked on a European tour with After All during spring 2005. Their fifth album, Alienigma, followed on August 31, 2007.
Reunion with John Cyriis and subsequent hiatus (2010–2011)
Bruce Hall exited the band on April 24, 2010. Shortly after, on May 3, Agent Steel declared a reunion with original vocalist John Cyriis. They performed at the Thrash Domination event in Kawasaki and rehearsed classic tracks while developing new material, including a song titled "Behold...The Great Race" featuring lyrics penned by Cyriis.
On January 24, 2011, Cyriis was unable to appear at the 70000 Tons of Metal cruise due to unforeseen circumstances. In his absence, vocalists James Rivera (Helstar) and Rick Mythiasin (Steel Prophet) stepped in to perform under the name Masters of Metal. On February 24, the band announced the cancellation of their April slot at the Keep It True festival citing internal conflicts and demands from some members. Guitarist Juan Garcia clarified that Mythiasin served solely as a temporary substitute rather than a permanent vocalist addition. Festival organizers subsequently invited the group to perform under an alternate name with Mythiasin fronting.
Cyriis made a return for the Sweden Rock Festival, initially billed as his final appearance with the band; however, he later denied this claim. Despite this announcement, he continued performing with his project S.E.T.I., including an appearance at Headbangers Open Air in July.
Meanwhile, remaining members of Agent Steel carried on as Masters of Metal and released their debut album From Worlds Beyond on September 18, 2015.
Second revival (2018–present)
In November 2018, John Cyriis reassembled Agent Steel with fresh personnel and announced plans to perform at the Keep It True festival in April 2019 along with a forthcoming studio release titled 8 Lights Protocol slated for September that year. At the festival, their set was limited to just 30 minutes due to delays caused by traffic congestion, leading to dissatisfaction among fans. On June 20, 2019, the lineup was disclosed: guitarist Nikolay Atanasov joined original guitarist Bill Simmons, bassist Joe McGuigan, and drummer Dennis Kruse Strømberg. The band signed with Dissonance Productions and retitled their seventh album No Mercy from the Godz, initially targeting an October 2019 release accompanied by a supporting tour extending into 2020. By July 2019, the album's title had been altered once more to No Others Godz Before Me.
In December 2019, Agent Steel released visualizer videos for demo songs "Separation of Church and Fate" and "Way of the Mechanism". After a two-year postponement, No Other Godz Before Me finally arrived on March 19, 2021; however, it received mixed to unfavorable critical reception.
December 2021 saw the release of the single "Terminator of Souls" alongside announcements of a tour scheduled for 2022 and intentions to produce a new album in 2023—though no subsequent releases or updates have materialized as of 2024.
Agent Steel’s inaugural live album, titled Mad Locust Rising - Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1987, was issued on September 27, 2024.
On June 4, 2025, original drummer Chuck Profus passed away at age 61.
Members
Present lineup
- John Cyriis — lead vocals
- Johnny Moraes — guitar
- Ricardo França — guitar
- Marcus Dotta — drums
- Andre Mellado — bass
Past members
Discography
- Studio albums
- Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)
- Unstoppable Force (1987)
- Omega Conspiracy (1999)
- Order of the Illuminati (2003)
- Alienigma (2007)
- No Other Godz Before Me (2021)
- Live albums
- Mad Locust Rising - Live at Hammersmith Odeon 1987 (2024)
- EPs
- Mad Locust Rising (1986)
- Demos
- 144,000 Gone (1984)
- Second Demo (1984)
- Agents of Steel (1998)
- Agents of Steel 1998 demo (1998)
- Deny the Poison (1999)
- Singles
- Forever Black (2000)
- Earth Under Lucifer (2003)
- The Devil's Greatest Trick (2020)
- Videography
- Metal Hammer Roadshow 1 (1986)
- Mad Locust Rising (1989)
- Live @ Dynamo Open Air (2005)
- Mad Locust Rising (DVD) (2007)