Year : 2014 Style : Progressive Power Metal Country : United States Audio : 320 kbps + scans Size : 127 mb
Bio:
The band started in the middle of the 1980s in Middletown, Connecticut. The group's initial lineup consisted of Kachinsky on guitar, Gary Stocking on vocals, Wayne Faircloth on bass, and Harry Blackwell on drums; Blackwell's father was jazz drummer Ed Blackwell. Blackwell and Stocking left the group late in 1985; J.T. Tarascio joined on drums in 1985 before Kachinsky moved the group to California in 1987.Following the move Kachinsky and Tarascio reconstituted the group with bassist Vince Dennis, singer Scott Lindsenbardt, and guitarist Domenic Chavira. Lindsenbardt was quickly replaced by Nick Mantis, who was himself replaced by Rick Mythiasin; Chavira left the group about the same time Mantis did, and was replaced by Jon Paget.
Album:
Progressive Power Metal originators STEEL PROPHET (US) have made public today the cover artwork for “Omniscient”, the album that marks their come-back ten years after their last studio release.The spectacular artwork was specifically created by German artist Timo Würz and represents one of the central themes of the album: “The Tree of Knowledge”. We won’t go much into details at this stage, but as said “Omniscient” is a concept-album based on an original story written by lead guitarist and founding member Steve Kachinsky Blakmoor, and “The Tree of Knowledge” of the cover represents a very important “character” in the plot.Following Steve’s suggestions, Timo Würz has also created 12 additional original panels that will guide the listener through the whole story.in this regards, Steve adds “It was great to work with Timo. His sense of form, color and space are impeccable. He has great imagination, and his familiarity with the concepts we wanted to work with made it a perfect fit in bringing the story ideas to life.”“Omniscient” will be released by the end of June / beginning of July in Limited edition Digibook Compact Disc, Compact Disc, Limited Double LP and Digital.
Line Up:
Rick Mythiasin - Vocals - See also: Mystic-Force, Agent Steel (live), ex-Taraxacum, ex-Masters of Metal, ex-New Eden, ex-Redemption, ex-Pantera, ex-All in Vein, ex-Mythiasin, ex-Pshyco Twin Vince Du Juan Dennis - Bass - See also: Obscene Gesture, ex-World in Pain, Body Count, ex-Dia de los Muertos, ex-Tourniquet, ex-Prong (live) Chris Schleyer - Guitars Steve Kachinsky Blakmoor - Guitars - See also: ex-Comatose James Schultz - Drums - See also: Cerebellion, Psychosis, Cheva, Soulbleed, ex-New Eden
Tracklist:
01. Trickery Of The Scourge 02. When I Remake The World (A Key Flaw) 03. 911 04. Chariots Of The Gods 05. The Tree Of Knowledge 06. 666 Is Everywhere (The Heavy Metal Blues) 07. Oleander Deux 08. Aliens, Spaceships And Richard M. Nixon 09. Through Time And Space 10. Funeral For Art 11. Call Of Katahdin 12. Transformation Staircase 13. 1984 (George Orwell Is Rolling In His Grave)
Steel Prophet - The God Machine (Digipak Edition) (2019)
Year : 2019 Style : Progressive Power Metal Country : United States Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video Size : 147 mb
Bio:
'85-'87: Steel Prophet started out in the mid-eighties in Middletown, Connecticut with Steve Kachinsky on guitars and Gary Stocking on vocals as the original founders. Drummer Harry Blackwell came on board briefly. The drummer that Harry had borrowed a kit from for an early video, John Tarascio, became the new drummer. Wayne Faircloth was the band's bassist at that time. A little after this Gary Stocking left the line-up and new vocalist was Dave Brooks, with whom the band recorded the track "In The Dream" for the 1987 Iron Tyrants Waging War compilation on World Metal Records.'88-'89: In 1988, Steve and John Tarascio moved to Los Angeles, California. Here they came across vocalist Scott Lindsenbard, guitarist Domenic Chavira and bassist Vince Dennis. This line-up didn't last long either, as Nick Mantis soon replaced Scott Lindsenbard.Nick Mantis came from a local band called Ascendence. Steve and Vince caught him at a backyard party in Ontario doing a version of Fates Warning's "Apparition". Fates Warning needed a singer at the time and so Steve recommended Nick to Jim Matheos. Steve, Vince, Nick and Bill Metoyer went down to Track Record in Hollywood one night to record a version of "Quietus" as an audition tape for Fates Warning, who in the end decided on Ray Alder and Steel Prophet got Nick. This lasted for awhile until Nick succumbed to speed addiction and the band decided Domenic's playing was not up to their standards. Jon Paget came in to replace Domenic and Rick Mythiasin (who was in Pantera for a few days in their post-glam, pre-thrash phase) was chosen as Nick's successor.'90-'97: This line-up quickly released the Inner Ascendance demo in 1990, which received major accolades in Europe and eventually led to an illegal bootleg of the tape on CD in 1992. The band performed regularly in the L.A. area, opening for Armored Saint, Manowar, Fates Warning, Candlemass, Saxon, {link Flotsam & Jetsam}, Sacred Reich, etc. and headlined their own shows as well. Eventually they decided to focus on recording and play out less. About this same time the band parted ways with Jon Paget and Horacio Colmenares replaced him as guitarist.The band signed a deal with the Foundations 2000 record company, but never did release anything with them. Steel Prophet recorded a ten song pre-production demo for Foundations 2000 on an eight-track tape recorder. This demo eventually became their first official album known as The Goddess Principle, which the Art of Music label in Germany picked up and released in 1995.Next was a five-song EP called Continuum, released in 1996, which featured the same line-up as The Goddess Principle. After Continuum was released, Steel Prophet parted ways with John and Horacio. Horacio went on to form the band New Eden.Steel Prophet added Jon Pons on guitar and Pete Parada (Gene Loves Jezebel/Face to Face/{link Engine},Halford) on drums. This line-up recorded and released Into the Void (Hallucinogenic Conception) in 1997. The record featured Agent Steel guitarist Bernie Versaille as a guest musician.'98-'99: The band signed a new record deal with Nuclear Blast Records in 1998 and released the critically-acclaimed Dark Hallucinations in the spring of 1999 with new drummer Pat McGrath (ex-{link Prototype}, Riot V, {link Killing Culture}). Guests on Dark Hallucinations included Roy Z. ({link Tribe of Gypsies}/Bruce Dickinson, Halford), Bernie Versaille (Agent Steel, Fates Warning, {link Engine}), and Joe Floyd ({link Warrior}). To support Dark Hallucinations, the band toured Europe with Gamma Ray, Edguy, the Roland Grapow Band, and also played the Wacken Open Air and Bang Your Head Festivals.'00: Kevin Cafferty came in as a temporary member to play drums on the band's next studio effort, Messiah, which was released in January 2000 with almost unanimous critical support. John Pons left shortly after the its release and was replaced by Jim Williams. Riding the momentum, Steel Prophet set about once again destroying the European live stage, this time with Lefay and {link Angel Dust} as well as hitting the festival circuit again.To keep fans at the boiling point, Genesis hit store shelves a mere seven months later, presenting fans with the entire Inner Ascendance demo plus cover songs of some of metal's most important pioneers: Accept, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Judas Priest.'01: After a quick flurry of releases, Steel Prophet took a little more time crafting their next album. With new drummer Karl Rosqvist and new guitarist Jim Williams, Steel Prophet entered Silver Cloud Studios with producer Joe Floyd ({link Warrior}) to record Book of the Dead. Upon its release, Steel Prophet finally hit the U.S. tour circuit supporting cult favorites Helstar with {link Reign of Terror} opening. The tour included a stop at Milwaukee Metalfest XV, Progpower 2, Utltrasound2001, and the Powermad festival.Book of the Dead featured the catchy opener "When Six Was Nine", the thrashy "Phobia", the ballad-esque "Burning Into Blackness" and the slightly progressive "Locked Out" to show the band's versatility and their desire to create each song as a unique experience. Book of the Dead presents ideas and sounds that at first seem incongruous, but with repeated listening, it slowly meshes into a cohesive unit of words, sounds and ideas. Book of the Dead is a collection of musical images: a recollection of the past, a comment on the present, and a arbinger of the future.'02: In February 2002, the same line-up once again entered Silver Cloud Studios with producer Floyd. While each recording has shown progression, Unseen contains the distilled essence of the previous releases while expanding the band's sound beyond the confines of traditional metal. The catchy opener "Truth", the mellow and dreamy (and almost playful) "Magenta" and the uplifting "Martyred" give the album an open, airy feel that brings light to the grittier numbers like serial killer-inspired "Killer's Confession", the anti-racist "Blackest of Hearts" and the sorrowful ballad "Among the Damned". Unseen is a virtual yin and yang of emotions. The underlying spiritual nature of the music makes it seem as if Steel Prophet is giving listeners a glimpse into something truly 'unseen'. Unseen seethes with passion and vitality, and Steel Prophet's undying hunger gives the songs on Unseen an underlying rawness and edge. The album balances its aggression and intensity, often politically-charged lyrics with dreamy '70s inspired melodies, easily creating the deepest listening experience Steel Prophet has ever delivered thus far.'03: After Unseen, the band parted ways with singer Rick Mythiasin - a 13 year old relationship had come to its end and it was time to move on for both parties. After a long search, the band finally announced the coming of new singer Nadir D'Priest, who already made himself a name throughout the late-eighties and the nineties with his involvement in LA's popular rock scene and the bands London and D'Priest. Nadir's vocal power fits right in with the Steel Prophet sound, and his delivery of the older material is without a doubt up to par with what fans expect from Steel Prophet. It's going to be exciting to see how the fans will take Nadir to their hearts, and it'll be very interesting to hear him perform on the upcoming Steel Prophet disc.Also new on board is guitarist Pete Skermetta, who steps into the band after Jim Williams left in late 2002. With the two new guys on board, a management deal with Danish-based Intromental Management, and having fulfilled their contract with Nuclear Blast, they were free to sign with any other good record company.
Album:
STEEL PROPHET are releasing their first new album in five years. (Four counting a re-release on vinyl.) From 1984, when they formed in Middletown Connecticut, they have gone through label and lineup changes, and most recently, signed RD Liapakis of MYSTIC PROPHECY, DEVIL’S TRAIN, and a whole host of other projects to make their latest album, “The God Machine”. Now based in LA, the band is hoping to release an album with a vintage vibe, borrowing sounds from Classic Metal, NWOBHM, and classic Power Metal bands.While the album brings these old-school elements to the table with gusto, whether they can stand out on their own is another question. Overall, I enjoyed the tracks where they leaned more towards that 80s style, where I picked up influences like VAN HALEN and MÖTLEY CRÜE with hints of IRON MAIDEN, MOTÖRHEAD, and GRAND MAGUS. I could blast the final track, “Life = Love = God Machine” out of my car speakers all day. It gets me pumped, it’s anthemic, and like “Thrashed Relentlessly” and “Dark Mark” (my other favorite two tracks off the album), it brought me back to that vintage sound while still maintaining its own uniqueness. I also got a “Dreams” by VAN HALEN quality to the last track; amped up to eleven with more bombast and grandeur behind it, which I enjoyed.However, when the band goes more thematic or conceptual, like in the opening two tracks, it’s hit-or-miss. The opening track seemed like the same-old, same-old I hear from this genre, as did the one after it. And while the second track, “Crucify”, had an interesting, unique solo, things were not looking good for this review when the album opened.Then, “Thrashed Relentlessly” started. I was struck by the short intro; this song wasted no time getting down to business and starting on fast guitar riffs, melodic vocals, and other vintage nods to 80s songs that made me stop and listen. Upon closer inspection, the last song, “Crucify”, sounded too on-the-nose as an IRON MAIDEN-inspired piece. “Thrashed” is more of a hybrid, and I can hear the styles combine into a unique form more.“Dark Mask” is also a soaring hybrid, and one of my favorites off this album; and it was because of the combination of influences. I also noticed that they employed good segues and motifs in each of their songs, tying them together in a cohesive work.The rest of the songs were good in creating cohesion within the album. The slower songs, “Damnation Calling” and “Buried and Broken” (while they pick up later in the song, especially “Buried”, they are the slower tracks) are solid and break up the pace of the album in a way that breaks the monotony. My one nitpick about “Buried” is that it felt longer than it was. Other items of note were the ambiance in “Lucifer” and the anthemic tone of “Fight, Kill”, which were unique and memorable parts of the album. I particularly like the harmonies in the second verse of “Fight, Kill” and how the song builds in chaos – it starts as a metronomic anthem and ends in a nearly-cacophonic thrash.Ending on a high note, as I’ve said, the final track was a personal favorite and a great closer to an album that keeps a vintage, 80s sound. The band is at its strongest when it sticks to soaring, fist-pumping songs, but can fall flat when it seems like they’re re-creating a specific band. Overall, it’s worth checking out, especially for the closer and if you’re looking for something new that sounds like old favorites.
Line Up:
R.D. Liapakis - Vocals (2019-present) - See also: Mystic Prophecy, Valley's Eve, Devil's Train Steve Kachinsky Blakmoor - Guitars (1983-present) - See also: ex-Castrofate, ex-Comatose Vince Du Juan Dennis - Bass (1988-2004, 2007-present) - See also: ex-World in Pain, Body Count, ex-Dia de los Muertos, ex-Tourniquet, ex-Prong (live), ex-Obscene Gesture Jon Paget - Guitars (1989-1995, 2015-present) John Tarascio - Drums (1985-1996, 2015-present)
Tracklist:
01. The God Machine 03:21 02. Crucify 04:04 03. Thrashed Relentlessly 04:36 04. Dark Mask / Between Love and Hate 03:09 05. Damnation Calling 05:31 06. Soulhunter 03:56 07. Buried and Broken 04:36 08. Lucifer / The Devil Inside 03:37 09. Fight, Kill 04:04 10. Life = Love = God Machine 04:03
