Agent Steel - Omega Conspiracy

These days, it seems that everyone is so eager to return to the "glory days" of metal, most notably, what is being labeled thrash metal. Well, not that I even want to dare to compare Agent Steel to anything retro-thrash, since they';ve been around since 1984, but while hearing this album, a whole slew of memories surrounding my late eighties SPEED metal days came flooding back. Remember knowing that fine line between speed and thrash? It was there, for bands like Kreator were certainly thrash, while Xentrix was not. This difference is best exemplified by Omega Conspiracy, an album so tightly written and executed that even Bruce Hall';s higher shrieks can';t deter me from loving this album to no end! Bernie Versailles (known more recently for his work in Fates Warning) and Garcia form the mandatory twin guitar attack, yet manage to stay away from intensive maidenisms, instead issuing forth a constant buzzsaw of heaviness so killer, I can';t even describe it. The rhythm section is exactly how it should be, powerful and supportive, yet not overpowering the main six string elements. Lyrically, X-files material here, the band speaking of behind the scenes things from which you can draw your own conclusions. To put it simply, there are few albums that I review which would have made me grateful to buy, and this is one of them, more amazing to think that this is an album made by a band who just went through a 10+ year hiatus.