How this band can reform without front space cadet Cyriis and call itself Agent Steel is beyond this writer. Needless to say, Cyriis returns from his UFO long enough to legally set the band straight before taking off again. Skeptics Apocalypse was initially meant to be a mini-LP. Right from the start, the high-pitched shrieks of vocalist Cyriis were a source of debate within the metal scene. Publicity and the band's music being favourable, Agent Steel's brand of powerful speed metal soon took off. The music was not the only thing to take off. Cyriis was seeing UFO's everywhere, believed to be in contact with the aliens, insisted the band wear orange space suits on stage to be ready for alien abduction, signed autographs always as 2011 for the year he would be 'back', took his mother on the bus with him for the European tour (insisting she'll never get another chance) and pretty much developed a reputation for being hard to work with.

Shortly after the formation, the Los Angeles-based band opened for Slayer and signed with Combat Records. This based on the 144,000 Gone demo of 1984. After the debut, the new line-up (Kilfelt was off to work on Holy Terror) recorded the Mad Locust Rising MLP. At this point, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth invited Cyriis to audition for the vocalist slot for his band. In 1987 the band moved to Florida ostensibly to be closer to the Bermuda Triangle. The move left some members back in California and it was a newer line-up that toured Europe with Overkill and Anthrax. Guitarist James Murphy was on the road with the band (and Cyriis' mom), an event which left him traumatized; for years denying his involvement in the band.

Rumour had it that Combat finally snapped after Cyriis was caught in an S&M episode with a roadie. After a few follow-up bands, Cyriis disappeared and even the reformed line-up's best efforts years later could not locate him. The band reformed in 1998 by Juan and Chuck. Believing Cyriis is not in the solar system any longer, the band signed to Candlelight Records and issued a new album in 2000 - complete with a extra terrestrial cover art! - only to hear from Cyriis' lawyer. In the meanwhile the band had celebrated its return by performing at the Wacken Open Air Festival. The band's new singer, Bruce Hall, was introduced to the band by Bernie Versailles who had worked with the vocalist in the past. In the ensuing year, the band had to change its moniker due to legal pressure.

Cyriis re-emerged in 2002 with the exotic speed metal band Stellar Seed (originally dubbed Outer-Gateways) from Florida. He went under the Max Havlock name now. Simultaneously Stellar Seed contacted Metallian to deny John Camps to be the actual civil name for the former Agent Steel singer. According to this contact, the man's given name is Max Havlock. Order Of The Illuminati readied a new album for 2003 with drummer Rigo Amezcua, original drummer Chuck Profus having left the business earlier that year. In the meanwhile, Order Of The illuminati had reached a settlement with Cyriis allowing them to use the name Agent Steel once again. As part of the settlement, Cyriis issued a statement endorsing the new line-up.

Order Of The Illuminati appeared in the summer of 2003 through the band's own AOS/Artillery Music. The record was given a release in Europe by Scarlet Records and in Japan by King Records. In the autumn of 2003, Agent Steel dropped off the Bonded By Metal Over Europe Tour following unspecified disagreements with its booking agency. The tour continued without the Americans. Later in 2003, the band issued a new four-song EP. The release featured three classic songs re-recorded that year (Mad Locust Rising, Unstoppable Force and Agents Of Steel), as well as the title track to the new album Order Of The Illuminati.

The band's DVD Live @ Dynamo Open Air was released at the beginning of 2005 and featured live footage from band's appearance at Dynamo Open Air 2004 festival in Holland and also a few songs from the warm-up show at the Effenaar in Eindhoven and some bonus material. The band was also planning on releasing a new album in 2005. In the meanwhile, Steel Prophet recruited Bruce Hall. Of note, Ray Alder of Fates Warning had replaced former Steel Prophet singer Rick Mithyiasin in Redemption.

The band signed to Mascot Records in the summer of 2006. The band entered the studio with Bill Metoyer to record a new album. Profus and Robb regrouped as Obscene Gesture in 2006.

Hellion’s Ann Boleyn and Agent Steel’s guitarist Juan Garcia joined Détente members Caleb Quinn (guitar), Steve Hochheiser (bass) and Dennis Butler (drums) to perform as Détente at July 2008’s Headbangers Open Air festival. Whiplash, Agent Steel and Nekromantheon were playing a one-off show on August 13, 2009 at Smuget in Oslo, Norway. Amoral pulled out of a proposed autumn of 2009 tour with the band claiming a lack of information.

AGENT STEEL - ORDER OF THE ILLUMINATI - AOS/ARTILLERY MUSIC
Agent Steel's fourth album overall, and second since the five-year old comeback, is called Order Of The Illuminati should the biography be believed. The fact that the album itself makes no mention of a title aside, Order Of The Illuminati was the name the band had chosen after being litigated against by former singer John Cyriis. All legal clouds now out of the sky, the band's newest line-up has issued an album with fifty-seven minutes worth of precise Agent Steel heavy metal.
The writing is impeccable, the musicianship top notch and new-ish singer Bruce Hall is fully adept at hitting all the right high notes. The problem here is the genuine lack of passion. The quintet does a perfect job of hitting all the right notes and delivering all the requisite genre must-haves, but sadly forgets that passion, untamed feeling and uninhibited behaviour are tenets of heavy metal. What the new Agent Steel delivers is still better than what bands like Judas Priest, Metallica, In Flames, etc. etc., who have forgotten their roots, deliver. Sadly, Order Of The Illuminati is formulaic.
The album kicks off with Avenger which is a good speed metal barnstormer. Vocalist Bruce Hall comes closest here to the vintage screams of John Cyriis. The song wins brownie points for reminding the listener of the glory days. The fourth song is called Enslaved and is one of the harder songs on display on the album. The song's heartfelt vocals and proficient soloing make for one of the better tracks immortalized here. Another above average song is the heavier Forever Black. Otherwise, Order... is a CD full of average moments begging for the band to let loose. This album has proven the band's competent mastery of its respective instruments - not to mention interesting and intellectual lyrics. May album number five be an exercise in the mastery of heavy metal power and passion. - Ali "The Metallian"