Steel Prophet
| Steel Prophet | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Middletown, Connecticut |
| Genres | Power metal |
| Years active | 1984-present |
| Labels | Nuclear Blast |
| Members | Steve Kaschinsky |
Steel Prophet is an American power metal band led by the founder and main writer Steve Kachinsky.
The band started in 1984 in Middletown, Connecticut. The group's initial lineup consisted of Kachinsky on guitar, Gary Stocking on vocals, Wayne Faircloth on bass, and Harry Blackwell on drums; Blackwell's father was jazz drummer Ed Blackwell. Blackwell and Stocking left the group late in 1985; J.T. Tarascio joined on drums in 1985 before Kachinsky moved the group to California in 1987. Following the move Kachinsky and Tarascio reconstituted the group with bassist Vince Dennis, singer Scott Lindsenbardt, and guitarist Domenic Chavira. Lindsenbardt was quickly replaced by Nick Mantis, who was himself replaced by Rick Mythiasin; Chavira left the group about the same time Mantis did, and was replaced by Jon Paget.
In 1990 they released a demo album Inner Ascendance, after which time Paget left; Horacio Colmenares replaced him on guitar. This demo received great praise in the US metal underground scene over years. The very progressive style of music reminded metal fans of the critically acclaimed first three albums of the band Fates Warning (in their John Arch era). The success eventually led the band to release their first full-length album. It was called The Goddess Principle and was released in 1995. It contained completely new songs; no demo song was re-used on it. One year later, in 1996, the band released an EP called Continuum. Following this, Tarascio and Colmenares departed, and drummer Pete Parada and guitarist Jon Pons joined.
In 1997, the band released their second studio album called Into the Void (Hallucinogenic Conception). The style of music changed in a way that most of the complex song structures were replaced by simpler structures, now resembling a style that's more of a mixture between (more) Iron Maiden and (less) early Fates Warning. Steve Kachinsky often said in interviews that the change of style was a way to make the music less challenging to play live.
After largely favorable reviews, they signed with Nuclear Blast. In early 1999, Steel Prophet released their third studio album Dark Hallucinations. The album, mainly consisting of concept songs that followed the storyline of Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451, was very well received, earning top ratings in metal magazines all over the globe. Musically, the style again changed a bit more towards Iron Maiden, losing a bit of complexity in favor of speed and power. In early 2000, the band released their fourth studio album Messiah which took the style of the previous album but took it to new, more melodic and more experimental levels. The album was also very well received; even better than the previous one.
...
Wikipedia