Steel Prophet started as a name in 1983 with Steve Kachinsky Blakmoor(g) and Gary
Stocking(v) as the main forces. At first Steve came up with the name Hard Prophet but
with the big metal boom at the time it was changed to the present moniker. The band
was formed out of a love for all things psychedelic and a preoccupation with God,
Satan and metal. Harry Blackwell(son of well known jazz drummer Ed Blackwell) came
on board due to a love for metal and psychedelics, but didn't last due to a poor drum
set and one bad trip. The drummer that Harry had borrowed a kit from for an early
video; John 'J.T.' Tarascio became the new drummer. A little after this Gary Stocking
left the band for having gotten falling down drunk at a video shoot, a recording session
and a major gig at a large venue(he also got chased out of the place by security).
By 1987 Steve decided to move to California with or without the band, only J.T. went
along for the ride. Here they came across Scott Lindsenbardt a Savatge styled
screecher dubbed 'Echo Man' by Vince Dennis, who incidentally became the new bass
player , replacing Wayne Faircloth who stayed in Connecticut. A second guitarist was
added named Domenic Chavira and Steel Prophet was ready to make a few waves,
very few actually, because everybody hated Echo Man. J.T. insisted he would not play
another gig until Echo Man was gone, exit Scott... The next singer was Nick Mantis
who was first seen as a member of Ascendence. Steve and Vince caught him at a
backyard party in Ontario doing a version of Fates Warnings 'Apparition'. Fates
needed a singer at the time and so Steve recommended Nick to Jim Matheos. Steve,
Vince, Nick and Bill Metoyer went down to Track Record in Hollywood one night to
record a version of 'Quietus' as an audition tape for Fates. Fates decided on Ray
Balderama and Steel Prophet got Nick. This lasted for a while until Nick succumbed to
speed addiction and Domenic's playing proved too sloppy. Jon Paget came in to
replace Domenic and Rick Mythiasin(who was in Pantera for a few weeks in their post
glam, pre thrash phase) was chosen as Nick's successor.
This line up quickly released 'Inner Ascendance' which received some notice in the
States, but mostly in Europe. The band gigged constantly in the L.A. area, opening for
the likes of Armored Saint, Man-0-War, Fates Warning, Wrathchild, Candlemass,
Excel, Sacred Reich, etc. and headlined their own shows as well. Gradually they
became burnt out on the live scene. Everyone got involved in side projects for a time.
About this same time the band got really fed up with Jon Pagets whining and foot odor
and he left the band. He was replaced by Horacio Colmenares.The band signed a deal
with the Foundations 2000 record company, but they waited forever to receive their
budget and so ditched them. Steel Prophet then recorded their own 10 song album
called "The Goddess Principle" and sold it to the Art of Music label in Germany.
Next was a five song ep entitled "Continuum" which featured the same line up as "The
Goddess Principle". After "Continuum" was released Steel Prophet parted ways with
JT and Horacio. Horacio went on to form another well known band called New Eden.
Steel Prophet added Jon Pons on guitar and Pete Parada(ex-Gene Loves Jezebel)on
drums. This line up recorded and released "Into the Void(Hallucinogenic Conception)",
which also featured ex-Agent Steel guitarist Bernie Versye guesting on the song "Hate
2". The band signed a new record deal with Nuclear Blast Records in 1998 and
released the critically acclaimed "Dark Hallucinations" in the spring of 1999. The band
then toured with Gamma Ray and Edguy to support "Dark Hallucinations". The year
2000 will see the release of their second record for Nuclear Blast entitled "Messiah".
