RSS Feed


CRYING STEEL
Agent Steel

Pride & Joy Music (2026)
Rating: 7/10

We are only half way through the year and already we have a band picking up an award, in this case it is Italian veterans Crying Steel for what is, without doubt, the worst album artwork of 2026. Some of these cover designs are so bad I wonder if the band were even consulted, but if you can look beyond the art then hopefully you’ll be able to settle within the confines of Crying Steel’s latest record.

It was some time ago now that I purchased the band’s 1987 debut album On The Prowl, but since then they’ve somewhat trickled through the decades, their last opus, Stay Steel, emerging back in 2018. It’s still very steely in design, guided by original members Franco Nipoti (guitar) and Luca Ferri (drums) who have rarely settled on a steady line-up. New vocalist Tiziano Sbaragli joins other more recent recruits, Paolo Nocchi (guitar) and Marco Zirondelli (bass) who both featured for progressive death thrashers Relic.

If, like me, you don’t like the album art, then hide your eyes from the promo videos for ‘You Got The Look’, ‘Just Played On’ and ‘My Heart Still Rocks’ as the trio come packaged in migraine inducing anime-styled visuals. Musically, though, they are all adequate enough rockers which sink in immediately, even if the layers of cheese clog the throat.

Tiziano has a decent set of pipes, and the band seems happy to accommodate all in the name of macho heavy metal. ‘My Heart Still Rocks’ isn’t exactly a powerhouse; the melodic touches enable a hard rock accessibility as Tiziano attempts to scorch the tame wasteland with fire. I guess you could throw this sort of mild natured rock into the realms of Dokken.

At least with ‘Just Played On’ there’s an element of pace and energy. Tiziano shows versatility here, bringing a higher pitch and it’s the more upbeat surges which drag the album beyond potential mediocrity as ‘Coming Home’ gallops with intent over the hardened barricades of the wielding axe work.

‘To Remember’ is as equally charged, the combo shifting towards a Judas Priest, circa the 80s, glide, especially on ‘Under Cover’, but it is hard not to headbang along to the mid-tempo crunch of opener ‘The Arrival’ and personal favourite powerhouse ‘Queen Of Grinder’. Sure, there’s nothing fancy going on, just good straight down the middle Euro metal, but it’s a solid return from the Italians.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share