Agent Steel

Omega Conspiracy (Candlelight)
by Martin Popoff

Virgin Steele, Steel Prophet, Crimson Glory… there are so many ways to re-address traditional metal, and most are doing it with cold confidence. The reformed Agent Steel are too, their particular take leaning into the heavy, note-dense, technical thrash end of things, following Liege Lord as mid-concern, third-tier metal obsessives, not as much updating their sound as writing better, likely through nothing more than osmosis of other ’80s records, plus any and all bands from the ’90s who are reliving the ’80s. Confused? Agent Steel aren’t. It’s all quite obvious. Do you care? That’s the trick question. As I’ve often exasperatedly remarked, on paper (after erasing the dates), Omega Conspiracy is probably more impressive than most of those records you moshed and headbanged and sweated and whiplashed to in 1985 or 1988. But being who you are now, you’re likely feeling that nagging possibility, but you can’t or don’t want to address it. That’s OK. The hardwiring of music to memories is molecularly welded shut, and what Agent Steel is trying to hoodwink you with is more about the pipe in the library and leather chairs with the captains of industry discussions of Victorian England. The brandies and Scotch taste worse than the cheap wine the ladies and the hired help are swigging back in the dining parlor.(www.candlelightrecords.co.uk)