Steel Prophet had a contract with Nuclear Blast between 1999 and 2004. During this time, they released the following albums:
• Dark Hallucinations (1999, info)
• Messiah (2000, info)
• Genesis (2000, info)
• Book Of The Dead (2001, info)
• Unseen (2002, info)
• Beware (2004)
With "Unseen" Steel Prophet releases their sixth full-length studio album. After starting the band in the 80s, founder Steve Kachinsky never gave it much thought that in the year 2002 they'd still be going strong and creating the most important and vital music of their careers. 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 intense, often politically charged lyrics with dreamy 70s inspired melodies, easily creating the deepest listening experience Steel Prophet has ever delivered.
Their first three releases, combined with constant gigging in the LA area with bands like Armored Saint and Fates Warning, gained them a loyal following, but it wasn't until Nuclear Blast signed them in 1998 that Steel Prophet truly emerged as a powerful music force. Their first release for Nuclear Blast, Dark Hallucinations, was enthusiastically celebrated by fans and critics alike and has already become a modern-day classic. Following up the fervent response with a European tour supporting Gamma Ray and Edguy, Steel Prophet amazed fans with their complex sound and flooring precision. The band capped off the year with appearances at the prestigious Wacken Open Air and Bang Your Head festivals. Their growing popularity has yet to subside. Riding the momentum, Steel Prophet delivered Messiah and set about once again destroying the European live stage, this time with Lefay and 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. After a quick flurry of releases, Steel Prophet took a little more time crafting their next album. With new drummer Karl Roqvist and new guitarist Jim Williams, Steel Prophet entered Silver Cloud Studios with producer Joe Floyd (Warrior) to record Book of the Dead. Upon its release, Steel Prophet finally hit the U.S. tour circuit supporting cult favorites Helstar with Reign of Terror opening. The tour included a stop at Milwaukee Metalfest XV.
In February 2002, the band 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, dreamy (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 or the sorrowful ballad Among The Damned. Unseen is a virtual yin and yang of emotions that show the band?s versatility and their desire to create each song as a unique experience. Unseen 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. The underlying spiritual nature of the music makes it seem as if Steel Prophet is giving listeners a glimpse into something truly unseen.
Rick Mythiasin (vocals)
Steve Kachinsky (guitar)
Kevin Cafferty (drums)
Vince Dennis (bass)
John Pons (guitar)
