When ‘Omega Conspiracy’ was released, it was not just a comeback after well over a decade of inactivity, it was a reinvention of what Agent Steel could sound like. Not that the album was a complete departure from what the band did before, but Agent Steel presents itself as a mildly proggy thrash metal band here rather than the “Iron Maiden on 45 RPM” with a singer that overdosed on helium approach of their eighties output. Some people were disappointed, others – including me – heard an interesting band that was better prepared for the twenty-first century than many of their peers.

Although the vocal approach and overall character of the riffs clearly roots ‘Omega Conspiracy’ in the eighties, the Nevemore-isms that would become even more apparent on its follow-ups and the mostly timeless sci-fi and conspiracy themes made it very much an album of its time. When I first heard the album at age thirteen, I actually thought it sounded futuristic. The voice of newcomer Bruce Hall was a divisive factor. His predecessor John Cyriis was iconic, but suffered from King Diamond syndrome: his highs are well-developed, but everything else lacks character and tone. Hall is expressive and has more strings to his bow, though he is a bit too loud in the mix at times.

‘Omega Conspiracy’ truly shines in its songwriting, however. Guitarists Bernie Versailles and Juan Garcia, as well as drummer Chuck Profus, took charge of writing the songs and nearly every single one of them is excellent. Sure, the ballads are a bit naff, though ‘Awaken The Swarm’ has a nicely surprising structure, but everything else is great. That much is clear when the full-on contemporary thrash assault of ‘Destroy The Hush’ storms out of the gate. This thrashy character is held up for most of the album, with the slightly off-kilter speed metal of ‘Infinity’ being the best example, while ‘Illuminati Is Machine’ and ‘Know Your Master’ became justified live staples.

However, the album has its fair share of more melodic moments. ‘New Godz’ is eighties melodic speed metal at its finest, but the true highlight of the album – and in deed Agent Steel’s career, as far as I’m concerned – is ‘Into The Nowhere’. It is a fantastic, dramatic heavy metal song with Hall contributing a particularly intense vocal performance and probably the best set of lyrics in the band’s repertoire. Elsewhere, the influence of more modern metal bands carefully makes itself known, such as in the dark and threatening ‘Fighting Backwards’ and the surprisingly atmospheric closer ‘It’s Not What You Think’, probably the most progressive track on the album.

Whether or not I would recommend ‘Omega Conspiracy’ depends on the listener. People who were turned off by eighties Agent Steel solely due to Cyriis’ vocals may want to give this a shot. Those expecting a similar idiosyncratic vocal performance may be turned off, though Hall is not that different from Cyriis. He is more balanced, which fits the songwriting on ‘Omega Conspiracy’ well. The production is another potential issue. The shrill, sharp guitar tones and surprisingly natural drum sounds fit the atmosphere of the record, but may not be for everyone. Follow-up ‘Order Of The Illuminati’ is Agent Steel’s crowning achievement, but ‘Omega Conspiracy’ has higher peaks.

Recommended tracks: ‘Into The Nowhere’, ‘Destroy The Hush’, ‘Infinity’, ‘New Godz’