Agent Steel may not have been amongst the most successful Thrash Metal acts as far as record sales were concerned, but their unique blend of highly sophisticated and melodic Power/Thrash style was enough to help them gain the respect and appreciation of a musically ‘hungry’ underground scene back in the 80’s. One of the few Thrash Metal outfits fronted by a high-pitched vocalist, the Californian outfit made quite an impact with their two studio albums 'Skeptics Apocalypse” (1985) and ' Unstoppable Force” (1987), only to disband a year after the release of the latter. That is where my involvement with the works of this band ended, or at least so I thought.

The band’s decision to make a re-union back in 1999 should have been a happy occasion for somebody like me, but the knowledge that John Cyriis (original vocalist) was not part of the line up led to my decision not to buy the band’s next couple of releases, namely 'Omega Conspiracy” (1999) and 'Order Of The Illuminati” (2003). Even as I write these words I am not quite sure whether my decision was right or not, but if these albums sound as powerful and heavy as the band’s latest opus 'Alienigma”, then I already know what my next ‘investment’ will be.

Back in the 80s there were quite a few music journalists who would happily classify Agent Steel as a Thrash Metal outfit, but the truth is that these Californians always sounded far more melodic than what the typical fans of the genre would expect, especially in comparison with bands like Slayer and Dark Angel. Their trademark style combined rhythmical Thrash riffs with classic Heavy Metal choruses/refrains - the exact same formula that was used in the creation of 'Alienigma” and that is the reason why I believe that the old-school Agent Steel fans should really get their hands on it.

It only takes a few seconds after the opening track 'Fashioned From Dust” to realize that this band means serious business. This fast Thrashy composition betrays a certain Exodus influence – one that will become much more noticeable throughout the album. Bruce Hall’s vocals are simple but effective and even though they sound nothing like those of Cyriis, they accurately complement each composition. Moving towards a musical direction that included influences from various genres and defied restriction helped Agent Steel to sound modern while retaining their classic elements and that resulted in the creation of compositions, such as 'Wash the Planet Clean”.

Based on an epic riff that sounds as if it walked out of the 'Accident Of Birth” (Bruce Dickinson) sessions, this composition is one of the most impressive examples of how nicely Thrash and Heavy Metal influences co-exist in the band’s environment – the exact same mentality that was used behind the creation of the dark epic 'Liberty Lying Bleeding”. Fans of hyper fast riffing should check out songs like 'Lamb To The Slaughter” and 'Extinct”, both of which display some highly-skilled solo performances by the guitar wizard Bernie Versailles, but if ‘Epos’ is what makes your world turn, it will be the Omen/Manilla Road sounding guitar and vocal melodies in the brilliantly performed 'Wormwood” that will convince you of the overall quality of this release.

When I first got my hands on this release, I expected to come across a very predictable and dated album. It only took a few spins to convince me, though, that an album such as 'Alienigma” is the product of a strong and quite competitive band that respects its history, yet is not afraid to make that much needed extra step that will guarantee them a successful and prosperous career.

****

Review by John Stefanis