Speed Metal Attack Over Oslo – Agent Steel, Tyranex, and Hypoxic at John Dee

An “Unstoppable Force” hit the heart of Oslo city when American speed metal legends Agent Steel brought their razor-sharp riffs and screaming vocals to John Dee on Wednesday, September 4. Having just moved here, I was more than a little delighted to see one of my favorite bands come to my new hometown. But amidst all the excitement, I found myself rather skeptical. How would the notoriously high-pitched vocalist John Cyriis and his band hold up 40 years after the band’s inception? Before delving into that, let us turn the spotlight on the other bands on the bill: the Norwegian groove/thrash metal quartet Hypoxic and the Swedish speed metal masters Tyranex (performing in Falun, Sweden in the photo).

When I found my way to John Dee, I quickly realized it was a cozy club. An intimate venue with a capacity of 500 attendees seemed like the perfect backdrop for an underground speed metal night such as this. The only problem was that by the time I arrived, only a handful of people were in the audience.

That didn’t seem to bother Hypoxic, whose full-on thrash metal assault was a delightful surprise. Formed in 2016, the Norwegians have thus far released one full-length album, which carries the title “A New Way of Death” (2021). I’d never come across the band before, so I tried my best to live in the moment and be open to new music.

With such strong material and energetic performance, that wasn’t too hard. Whether opting for fast-tempo punishment, heavy grooves, or more melodic moments, the quartet displayed remarkable talent. Whereas so many “newer” thrash metal bands merely sound like cheap copies of their predecessors, Hypoxic managed to sound fresh and exciting. They may not be reinventing the wheel or possess such gems as “Hangar 18” or “Angel of Death”, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show.

Based on the material performed at this show, Hypoxic has a great ear for changing things up just at the right moment. The variation in the songs and individual sections worked well for the most part, but towards the end of the show, the band moved too much into the groove metal territory for my liking. Nevertheless, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one who thought it was a good opening for the night.

After Hypoxic, it was time to welcome the Swedish speed metal band Tyranex. Formed in 2005 and led by the charismatic Linnea Landstedt, these Swedes put up a show of the highest caliber. High-octane riffs, thunderous drumming, and Landstedt’s fierce vocal delivery were the recipe for what would become the best gig of the evening.

Right from the beginning, Tyranex conquered the stage with an explosive energy that rivaled the likes of Nifelheim and Venom Inc. Despite leaning more towards traditional speed metal in the vein of Exciter, the band’s primal energy reminded me of the first wave of black metal. Dressed in studded leather and blasting away like the famous lightning in a bottle, I felt the band carry the legacy of Venom and Hellhammer. Yet between all the sharp and violent riffing, traditional heavy metal melodies emerged to bring tasteful variation.

According to the sole original member, guitarist/vocalist Linnea Landstedt, this was the first time Tyranex performed in Norway. Based on the loud applause and the sheer quality of the show, I sincerely hope it wasn’t the last. All speed and thrash metal fans deserve to experience the exceptional force of Tyranex. Just when I started to think that individual songs don’t stick with me like the classics of old, the arrangements began to show more layers. Having previously seen Tyranex in 2016 at Vernissa Thrash Fest, I’m excited to witness that they have only become better after all these years.

A small break was in place after the breathtaking maelstrom conjured up by Tyranex. At the time, we didn’t know that the break would last for over 90 minutes, as the headliner’s performance was delayed for unforeseen reasons. Luckily, Agent Steel eventually hit the stage and seemed to melt many a heart.

Kicking their set off with the intro of the latest album “No Other Godz Before Me” (2021), Agent Steel would deliver a mixed but overall enjoyable gig. Having released such classics as “Skeptics Apocalypse” (1983) and “Unstoppable Force” (1987), Agent Steel may have set the bar too high for themselves when it comes to playing live in the 2020s. The riffs, the bass, and the drumming sounded as good as ever, but a crucial part of the band seems to have rusted. Just as the latest album was criticized for poor vocal performance, John Cyriis struggled to deliver the lyrics with appropriate force.

This is puzzling for a variety of reasons. For me at least, Cyriis is the main attraction in the band. Moreover, he is the sole original member of the current lineup. It’s perfectly understandable if you can’t hit the same notes you used to 40 years ago. But when the performance lacks all the energy of the music and you randomly check your phone on stage, it’s fair to question if the band is out of its prime.

Or rather, if the vocalist is out of his prime. After complicated lineup changes, Cyriis has assembled a band whose precise and energetic performance overshadows himself. They may not have the same fierce energy as Tyranex, but the other musicians played a crucial part in making the gig as good as possible.

Even so, I enjoyed the show. Classics like “Guilty as Charged” and “Never Surrender” sent shivers down my spine, and Cyriis did an enjoyable enough job. Newer tracks didn’t seem to add much to the show, however. On the contrary, they sounded rather irritating with the strained vocal delivery. Therefore, I wonder why the band chose to end with the title track of the latest album when they had just performed the stone-cold classic “Agents of Steel”. If the point was to show that they are still going strong, the song only made me doubt that.

If I’m not mistaken, it was pretty clear that Cyriis was reading the lyrics from a teleprompt. In theory, I can respect that as long as you sing yourself. But this time, it took too much energy away from an already flat performance. Luckily, Cyriis proved to be a charismatic fellow, and the atmosphere was likable. I’m happy I got to see Agent Steel live, but Tyranex was ultimately the true highlight of the evening. In Agent Steel’s defense, their performance was partially hindered by technical difficulties. For example, the sound quality was a bit of a mixed bag, although everything sounded crystal clear during the first two gigs of the evening.

Salutations to all those who made the evening possible!