UMUR "Mad Locust Rising" is an EP release by US, Los Angeles based power/speed/thrash metal act Agent Steel. The EP was released through Combat Records in early 1986 and it bridges the gap between the band´s debut- and sophomore full-length studio albums "Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)" and "Unstoppable Force (1987)". There has been one lineup change since the release of "Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)" as guitarist Kurt Kilfelt has been replaced by Bernie Versailles.

"Mad Locust Rising" features 4 tracks and a total playing time of 11:43 minutes (the original cassette version of the EP features the bonus track "Taken by Force", which is culled from "Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)"). The EP contains 3 originals (one of which is a very short intro track), and a cover of "The Ripper" by Judas Priest. "Mad Locust Rising" and "Let It Be Done / The Day at Guyana" are both incredibly raw and nicely fast-paced speed/thrash metal tracks with lead vocalist John Cyriis´s high pitched screaming vocals in front. Both tracks are in many ways a natural continuation from the material on "Skeptics Apocalypse (1985)". Raw, aggressive, and almost unhinged in nature, but still with a melodic sensibility, which makes both tracks catchy and memorable. Agent Steel´s cover of "The Ripper" is very true to the original and while the cover version is well performed, Agent Steel fail to put much of a personal touch to the song.

"Mad Locust Rising" features a very raw sounding production. What it lacks in clarity, it makes up for in power and savagery, and the sound perfectly suits the material. Upon conclusion "Mad Locust Rising" is a high quality release and a great addition to the band´s early discography. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Skeptics Apocalypse" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Los Angeles based power/speed/thrash metal act Agent Steel. The album was released through Combat Records in June 1985. Agent Steel formed in 1984 and "Skeptics Apocalypse" was preceded by a couple of 1984 demos.

The material on "Skeptics Apocalypse" is a raw and powerful type of speed/thrash metal, featuring hard edged heavy metal riffs and rhythms and the occasional thrashy ditto. The music also features quite a few melodic guitar elements like harmonies and leads, so while the music is generally pretty raw it´s not savage and there is a good balance between the raw and the melodic. Lead vocalist John Cyriis has a raw delivery but also a lot of melodic sensibility. He is able to perform some piercing high pitched screams and do it often. The band´s influences range from contemporary US acts like (early) Fates Warning and Abattoir, to UK acts like Judas Priest (the 2008 reissue of the album features a cover of "The Ripper" as a bonus track) and Iron Maiden. The latter influence is for example heard on closing track "Back to Reign", which sounds like early Iron Maiden but with Bruce Dickinson on vocals.

Agent Steel are a tight playing unit and there is quality on all positions in the band. Cyriis of course stands out as his vocals are front and focus of the music, and because of his strong voice and high level performance, but the rest of the band are very well playing too. "Skeptics Apocalypse" also features a well sounding production and upon conclusion it´s a high quality debut album by Agent Steel. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "144,000 Gone" is a one-track cassette tape demo by US, Los Angeles, California based speed/thrash metal act Agent Steel. The demo was released in 1984. Agent Steel formed earlier that same year and is a five-piece on this demo.

The fact that the band features two guitarists in the lineup is clearly heard on "144,000 Gone", which is a very melodic power/speed metal track in the harder edged end of the scale. Loads of harmonies and great melodic guitar work on the track. The rhythm section is well playing and drive the music forward with great power, while lead vocalist John Cyriis shows off his powerful voice and incredible vocal range. There are some ear piercing screams on this track, which can´t be described as anything else but amazing. Cyriis is a high class vocalist.

The sound production is very rough around the edges, which is to be expected from a demo from 1984, but although some details may be lost in the slightly muddy mix, you still get a good idea of what Agent Steel are capable of both songwriting wise and performance wise. In those departments the band excel on "144,000 Gone", and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 4

So I came across an 1987 Music for Nations pressing of the classic album that is Agent Steel's "Unstoppable Force". I figured I might as well pick it up and I'm glad I did.

"Unstoppable Force" is the band's scond full-length effort following up on the debut "Skeptics Apocalypse" and the EP "Mad Locust Rising". While definitely similar in style and sound to the preceding releases in blending traditional metal and speed metal and combining more conventional song structures with more innovative ones, it seems to me that "Unstoppable Force" leans more towards traditional heavy metal than speed metal. Moreover, the song structures also strike me as a tad less innovative.

That said, this is still a magnificent album showcasing great musicianship - in particular on the part of the guitarists Juan Garcia and Bernie Versailles who treat the listener to both great riffing and awesome guitar solos as well as the occasional twin lead melody. In comparison to the debut album, the solos strike me as a bit more melodic with less focus on speed. The drums are also a bit more varied than on the debut. All of this probably owes to the fact that there are more midtempo songs than speed metal songs on this album. John Cyriis' vocals are still in the vein of Geoff Tate on this album, and the lyrics are still in the realm of sci-fi, UFOs and conspiracy theories, so there's not much new here. While all the songs are great on this album, the highlight to me is the instrumental "The Day at Guyana" (which is also found on "Mad Locust Rising"). With its dynamic borderline progressive structure, it's a real musical journey.

The production is very similar to that on the debut and on the preceding EP. So it's very 80s but there is less reverb than on your standard 80s metal release and a bit more richness. Thus, it should appeal to both old school 80s metal fans and younger fans of more contemporary metal.

The cover artwork is kind of weird, depicting what seems to be a bunch of laser beams blasting through rocks. It looks like something out of a sci-fi B-movie, so I suppose it does fit the overall lyrical themes of the album. So, yeah, a bit cheesy looking, but I also kind of like it. The logo still looks awesome in all its 80s glory. I can't decide whether I prefer this gold version or the silver version on the debut album.

In any case, if you are a fan of old school heavy metal and don't mind high-pitched pseudo-operatic vocals, then you should grab this album if you come across a version of it.

Time Signature CoVinyl Part 3

I was lucky enough to find a reasonably priced 1985 Roadrunner pressing of this album in fairly good condition so I figured I might as well grab it.

And I'm glad I did, because - despite all the UFO and conspiracy theory cheese associated with Agent Steel - this is actually a very good speed metal release which offers a mix of high tempo speed metal bangers and mid-tempo traditional metal tunes. After a theatrical spoken intro in the form of 'The Calling', 'Agents of Steel' kicks in. This track was a bit of a hit back in the day, and it's easy to hear why. It's short, simple, aggressive and catchy. It's probably the most conventional track on the album which progresses from more traditionally structured tracks towards more innovative ones with a track like 'Children of the Sun' having an almost Mercyful Fate quality to it and 'Back to Reign' blending Maiden-style metal with a more aggressive approach.

The production is fairly typical of a mid 80s release, which means that you will have to live with the reverb that people overused back then. Fortunately, some restraint has been shown, so the reverb - while there - is not really too bad. Overall, the album actually has a quite rich production. The wongwriting is not quite consistent with some tracks being simplistic and others being more complex, but that just makes for some welcome variation overall. John Cyriis' vocals fall somewhere between a young Geoff Tate and King Diamond; some listeners might find his style too cheesy, but I quite like it. The listener is treated to some pretty good dual guitar lead sections as well as blistering fast thrash metal style guitar solos, and there are actually a lot of pretty cool riffs on this album too, in particular in the midtempo tracks.

I quite like the cover artwork which, with its picture of part of Earth's surface seen from space, combines simplicity with a sense of almost Lovecraftian dread. You know, what could be out there watching... waiting... that sort of stuff. It's not the kind of artwork that you can spend hours looking at of course (unlike, say, "Somewhere in Time" or "Powerslave"), but it fits the lyrical themes of the album pretty well. Also, I mean, the Agent Steel logo is fucking awesome in all its 80s glory, and placing the album title smack in the middle is a bold move as well.

Overall, this is a great speed metal release which should appeal to fans of not only speed metal but also traditional heavy metal and thrash metal as well as early power metal. Younger fans of contemporary retro speed metal should definitely go back and check this one out to. If you find a copy - be it an original one or one of the rereleases (or even a digital copy) - do yourself a favor and grab it.