Agent Steel – Omega Conspiracy
Label: |
Candlelight Records – Candle038CD |
|---|---|
Format: |
CD
, Album
|
Country: |
UK |
Released: |
|
Genre: |
Rock |
Style: |
Speed Metal |
Tracklist
| 1 | Destroy The Hush | 4:14 | |
| 2 | Illuminati Is Machine | 4:59 | |
| 3 | Fighting Backwards | 4:52 | |
| 4 | New Godz | 3:07 | |
| 5 | Know Your Master | 4:47 | |
| 6 | Infinity | 5:07 | |
| 7 | Awaken The Swarm | 6:54 | |
| 8 | Into The Nowhere | 5:09 | |
| 9 | Bleed Forever | 5:38 | |
| 10 | It's Not What You Think | 6:11 |
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Tanglade Ltd
- Copyright © – Abstract Sounds
- Copyright © – Tanglade Music
- Produced At – Francisco Studios (3)
- Recorded At – Bill's Place
- Glass Mastered At – FSV – 17057
- Pressed By – Diskxpress – 03713
Credits
- A&R – Steve Beatty
- Artwork [Front & Back Cover], Art Direction – Dimitri Patelis*
- Bass – Karlos Medina
- Bass, Guest – Vince Dennis
- Booking – ABS Agency*
- Co-producer [Assisted By], Engineer – Robert Hill (8)
- Co-producer, Mixed By [Assisted By] – Agent Steel
- Design Concept [Cover Concept] – Dimitri Patelis*
- Drums, Backing Vocals – Chuck Profus
- Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bernie Versailles
- Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals – Juan Garcia (3)
- Lead Vocals – Bruce Hall (3)
- Management [ant] – New Era Business Management, Inc.
- Photography By, Layout [CD] – Mike Jennings (2)
- Producer, Mixed By, Engineer – Bernie Versailles
- Promotion [Publicity] – Stuart Ness
Notes
• Released in jewel case with 10- accordion fold.
• Track 10 spellings:
"It's Not What You Think" - fold tracklist
"Its Not What You Think" - back cover tracklist
"It Is Not What You Think" - lyrics section of the fold
• Info from the back cover:
℗ Tanglade Ltd
© Abstract Sounds/Tanglade Music 1999
• Info from the fold:
Additional musicians: Vince Dennis - bass (appears courtesy of himself, STEEL PROPHET, and Nuclear Blast Rec.)
Basic tracks recorded at Bill's Place (North Hollywood, CA) June 19th - 29th, 1999
Additional recording: somewhere in North Hollywood, CA July 1st - August 29th 1999
Mixed by Bernie Versailles, Assisted by: AGENT STEEL Sep 1st - Sep 20th 1999
Pre-production: Francisco Studios (Vernon, CA)
• Total playing time: 51:13.
• Track 10 spellings:
"It's Not What You Think" - fold tracklist
"Its Not What You Think" - back cover tracklist
"It Is Not What You Think" - lyrics section of the fold
• Info from the back cover:
℗ Tanglade Ltd
© Abstract Sounds/Tanglade Music 1999
• Info from the fold:
Additional musicians: Vince Dennis - bass (appears courtesy of himself, STEEL PROPHET, and Nuclear Blast Rec.)
Basic tracks recorded at Bill's Place (North Hollywood, CA) June 19th - 29th, 1999
Additional recording: somewhere in North Hollywood, CA July 1st - August 29th 1999
Mixed by Bernie Versailles, Assisted by: AGENT STEEL Sep 1st - Sep 20th 1999
Pre-production: Francisco Studios (Vernon, CA)
• Total playing time: 51:13.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
- Barcode (Printed): 5 016685 023383
- Barcode (Scanned, EAN_13): 5016685023383
- Matrix / Runout (Variant 1): 03713 CANDLE038CD PHD 17057 100699
- Mastering SID Code (Variant 1): ifpi LD81
- Mould SID Code (Variant 1): ifpi 8Y06
- Matrix / Runout (Variant 2): 03713 CANDLE038CD PHD 17057 100699
- Mastering SID Code (Variant 2): ifpi LD81
- Mould SID Code (Variant 2): ifpi 8Y12
Other Versions (5 of 8)
View All| Title (Format) | Label | Cat# | Country | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New Submission
|
Omega Conspiracy (CD, Album, Promo) | Candlelight Records | Candle038CD | UK | 1999 | ||
|
Recently Edited
|
Omega Conspiracy (CD, Album) | Metal Blade Records | 3984-14333-2 | US | 2000 | ||
|
Recently Edited
|
Omega Conspiracy (Cassette, Album) | Mystic Production | Myst 238 | Poland | 2000 | ||
|
Recently Edited
|
Omega Conspiracy (CD, Album) | Mazzar Records | MYST CD 271 | Russia | 2007 | ||
|
Recently Edited
|
Omega Conspiracy (LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue) | Night Of The Vinyl Dead Records | NIGHT062 | Italy | 2009 |
Recommendations
Reviews
-
Heavy power/thrash from the returning Agent Steel with new singer Bruce Hall
Released in 1999, OMEGA CONSPIRACY is the third full-length album by Los Angeles’ Agent Steel (who relocated to Florida at one point). It’s the first opus with singer Bruce Hall, who quit the band after a dozen years in 2010. Bruce apparently got frustrated by constant comparisons to John Cyriis, who sang on the first two albums, SKEPTICS APOCALYPSE (1985) and UNSTOPPABLE FORCE (1987). I’m familiar with Cyriis’ work on UNSTOPPABLE FORCE and the two prelease tracks from his 2021 Agent Steel album NO OTHER GODZ BEFORE ME, but I favor Hall because he has more diversity. Cyriis is really good, of course, but — let’s face it — he’s a one-dimensional helium singer.
With the revolving door of musicians, Agent Steel is basically guitarist/composer Juan Garcia and whoever hooks up with him, usually guitarist Bernie Versailles. Cyriis’ current version of the band, however, doesn’t include either unfortunately. Meanwhile Garcia & Versailles’ version of Agent Steel have released an EP & full length album under the moniker Masters of Metal (but they haven’t released anything since 2015).
As for OMEGA CONSPIRACY, it’s superior to UNSTOPPABLE FORCE and is akin to the power/speed/thrash of Helstar from NOSFERATU-onward. While Hall shot for a harsher, more diverse style on his third and final album with the band, ALIENIGMA (2007), he’s still very diverse on this first recording with Agent Steel.
This is a solid disc from beginning to end with lyrical themes revolving around conspiracy theories, aliens and ominous prophecies. It’s useless to cite individual songs as this is just superb heavy power/speed/thrash with melody and melancholic acoustic pieces interspersed. Kick-axx opener “Destroy the Hush” is a good frontrunner and sign of the quality metal to come. “Awaken the Swarm” is reminiscent of the approach of songs like “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “The Lady Wore Black” and “Children of the Damned.” Meanwhile “Bleed Forever” is a mournful piano-based ballad.
Fans of latter-day Helstar, as well as Sanctuary/Nevermore, Crimson Glory and Dio, should love this.
The ten tracks clock-in at just over 51 minutes.
GRADE: A-/B+
Release
See all versions
Recently Edited
Recently Edited
For sale on Discogs
Sell a copy
11 copies from €10.73