Mad Locust Rising

There are albums that are called genre-defining, there are also albums that are said to have redefined a genre, and then there is Agent's Steel's brief recording interlude in 1986 dubbed Mad Locust Rising and its relationship to speed metal. Having already displayed an uncanny ability to push the limits of what was considered permissible tempo rates into the proverbial cosmos on their debut LP Skeptics Apocalypse, one would naturally ask the question "Where do we go from here?", to which the answer given is "Faster and flashier!" Maybe the band had something to prove as they'd lost one of their principle members Kurt Colfelt to a soon to be thrashing powerhouse in their own right Holy Terror, or maybe Cyriis and company just thought they'd take a biblical oriented visual of a locust plague and craft an LP that exaggerates the frenzied chaos that ensues in such a situation to the point where the locusts literally come from outer space, it's anyone's guess.

From its onset, this EP's title song "Mad Locust Rising" is an exercise in speed/thrashing distilled down to its greatest intensity. While it's debatable what was on this band's radar when this hyperspace display of riffing was being conceived, one very distinct possibility was Slayer's Hell Awaits. While the song definitely doesn't possess the dark, sinister atmosphere of said thrash metal album with subjects bordering on blackened, the sheer speed and intensity reaches a very similar level, and apart from a couple early LP offerings out of Destruction and Kreator that these guys may or may not have been aware of at the time, there was very little occupying territory this extreme in terms of sheer speed. Nevertheless, it's important to keep in mind that apart from the exaggerated tempo, musically this bears far more similarity to the melodically tinged and technical demeanor of Skeptics Apocalypse.

The accompanying B-side songs on here provide both a contrast and a reinforcement to the mold that was utterly shattered with the title song. The cover of Judas Priest's "The Ripper" is largely a perfect reproduction of the original, save the fact that John Cyriis has a somewhat smoother and more Geoff Tate leaning vocal interpretation that, nevertheless, shatters glass with the best of them. The second original offering "Let It Be Done/The Day At Guyana" presents yet another foray into light speed territory, sporting a similarly busy riff set that's about as blurring as can be and a vocal performance that defies gravity. That's actually the curious thing about this EP, despite featuring a rhythm section that's beating out a pulse like a heartbeat infused with several kilos of coke, fret board igniting guitar solos reminiscent of Kirk Hammett on crack, and all the other stuff going on that John Cyriis somehow manages to be the most otherworldly of the bunch, cleaning up his voice of any thrashing grit to that point that it sounds like a digitally precise computer killing its enemies with high-pitched sonic blasts.

Technically speaking, this album doesn't quite qualify as the magnum opus of Agent Steel given that it functions more as an extension of Skeptics Apocalypse than its own entity. But treating this as its own album and picturing what it would have sounded like had they recorded a full 30 minutes of material like this, this would have not only been the greatest thing to come out of this band, but also the most memorable thing that would ever come out of the speed metal style. Any self-respecting fan of bands like Toxik, Overkill, and Heathen shouldn't go through life without hearing these songs, if only in that they represent what those bands were doing at around this time taken to its logical conclusion. If anyone were ever to hug the afterburner of a space shuttle the way hippies do trees and live to describe the experience, it might not be too far off from what Mad Locust Rising brings to the table.

Well isn't this lovely, a little EP to bridge the gap between Skeptics Apocalypse and Unstoppable Force with some of Agent Steel's best work on board. The title track is a riff-tastic mix between speed and thrash, complete with tasty harmonised guitar parts and blistering solos. Cyriis' vocals never sounded so good, soaring right above the music but fitting perfectly. However, I always thought that the drums are too far down in the mix, yet they are competent if not spectacular in execution, mainly tapping along at a pretty rapid pace in the background.

There's unfortunately one more Agent Steel original here, Let It Be Done / The Day at Guyana. This one's a ripping number and you find you simply can't help but sing along with Cyriis here, as he really shows off his vocal talents to the max. Interestingly, the riff right at the end can be found on Unstoppable Force, as the introductory riff to the brilliant instrumental The Day at Guyana. It's intriguing to see how it developed, standing almost as a teaser for material on the following album. It's a great song off a great EP, I would say it's the thrashiest Agent Steel had been at this point, very fast yet very tight even though the quiet drums can have you believe otherwise at times.

Main gripe: It's not long enough: I'm aware it's only an EP but we want more! Sadly, Unstoppable Force was an inconsistent work, and overall it doesn’t quite hold it's ground musically when compared to this. Also, note the very nice cover of the ripper. From their sound Agent Steel were obviously huge fans of Priest. They did the song more than justice here as I'd say it is just a little bit better than the original, Cyriis' vocals just give it that extra bite.

This is mandatory for any Agent Steel fan, and stands out like a gem in their early era as the highlight I'd have to say. Like I stated, the only problem is it's too short.. But, credit where credit's due as it's top quality for what it is. Nice one lads!

The transition between the linear Skeptics Apocalypse to the drastically more dynamic Unstoppable Force can easily be seen here. Bringing in guitarist Bernie Versailles who would consistently stay with the band from here on seemed to be the start of the bands true maturity.

Mad Locust Rising contains a handful of elements from both Cyriis albums. They go even slightly beyond Skeptics speed which is already downright insane, then in comes the brilliant hooks and leads that were layered throughout Unstoppable Force. On top of all this, Cyriis nails the vocals and is more proficient than ever before, leaving his raspy slip-ups behind. The endless riffage, the unexpecting hooks, the lightning fast and blistering leads that come out of nowhere appearing on multiple occasions, completely over the top soaring vocals - an obvious speed metal classic. It just makes you wonder if the band would have taken this direction with their next release, just how downright insane Unstoppable Force could have been. Regardless, you can't complain with what the album became, another obvious classic from the Godz.

Let it be Done follows a similar suit and is nothing but pure relentless speed metal madness. It would have been great to see this one make it on Unstoppable Force, it seems to open up for their instrumental perfectly. The Ripper seems like an obvious choice to cover, a favorite in the speed realm among many. Cyriis hits every note perfectly as if Halford were singing it again himself, while the rest of the band is dead on with the original for an excellent cover. It easily works here and doesn't feel out of place.

Mad Locust Rising is usually a favorite among many fans, if you haven't heard this one yet you should do yourself a favor and track down this marvelous EP at once.

“…their mating has started, there’s no way to stop them…”

Shortly after the band’s debut humdinger, Skeptics Apocalypse, smoked across the sky and dove kamikaze-style onto your noggin, the five-piece lost guitarist Kurt Colfelt to the future of Holy Terror and without missing a riff replaced him with fellow speed broker Bernie Versailles.

Whether the band could produce another Gatling gun of an album without Colfelt was unknown, and with 18 year old Versailles yet unproven to the hordes, it would take this inexpensive three-tracker to not only hold the fort, but to show their flag was still there. With colors flying, the band shoots cannons triumphantly into the air (which end up landing on nearby innocent villages).

Why a locust as the centerpiece is anyone’s guess, but after the boisterous title cut (with its very brief, almost non-intro, “The Swarm is Upon Us”) pounces, a sewer grate could’ve been the ep’s crux and no one would’ve cared. “Mad Locust Rising” seems to almost uncoil at the start, like something quickly evolving into the creature it will become, and with a thrust born of speed, the blitz is on. John Cyriis still possesses seldom disputed eccentric and diamond-shattering range, keening over Garcia's and Versailles' guitars with riffage mirror-like and layered with vicious elegance few duos can match, and Colfelt isn’t excluded from that short list. A churned, up-turning cessation slows the patented velocity (3:23-3:43, becoming one of my favorite twenty second stretches in all of metal, believe it or not), corralling it within range of a stellar four-tier yelp to end the song on a, well, high note.

While “The Ripper” isn’t one of Judas Priest’s more turbulent tracks, its real focus is to present a contrast to the quintet’s usual mega-speed ruckus, an obviously traditional song that brings the band back down to Earth, and the cover is like the original looking at its reflection in water. They sail back into the stratosphere with “Let It Be Done”, jet power fueling more speed metal carnage laced with impressive musicianship and continuity that is often overlooked when speaking of this group. “The Day at Guyana” is apparently the disciplined, repetitious, and melodic last half minute of “Let It Be Done”, a server of little purpose that will be squeezed into the future grooves of '87's Unstoppable Force, but will be extrapolated into its own almost seven minute instrumental.

These two sleep-depriving originals and emblematic cover kept AS at the forefront of the scene while introducing their new find that had no problem filling shoes. Wings flexed, the locust continues to feast come full-lengther number two.

“…the scabs of the lustful, the womb is distrustful…”

R.I.P. – Bob “Gilligan” Denver, little buddy, 9/6/05