Forged in Steel: Crying Steel Return with Agent Steel

Forged in Steel: Crying Steel Return with Agent Steel

A Highwire Daze Interview with Luca Ferri & Paolo Nocchi of Crying Steel

Crying Steel has always stood as one of Italy’s most enduring heavy metal forces — a band forged in the early ’80s, tempered through decades of lineup changes, and still prowling with the same fire that fueled their classic beginnings. With their new album Agent Steel arriving this Friday via Pride & Joy Music, the veteran outfit is charging into 2026 with renewed purpose, fresh stories, and a lineup that blends legacy and new blood in all the right ways.

From the cosmic concept behind the album to memories of touring with Vicious Rumors, to the nearly 40‑year shadow cast by On the Prowl, drummer Luca Ferri and guitarist Paolo Nocchi sat down with Highwire Daze to talk history, evolution, and the strange joy of being kidnapped by an alien queen from Planet Grinder in the name of rock and roll.

Since we have two members of Crying Steel here, let’s start with introductions. Tell me who you are and what you do in the band — starting with Luca.
Luca: I’m Luca, and I try to play drums in the band.

Paolo: Hi, I’m Paolo. I’m one of the two guitar players. The other guitarist is Franco, but he isn’t with us today.

Your new album Agent Steel is coming out this Friday, and it’s your second release with Pride & Joy Music. How did you originally wind up signing with them?
Luca: Very simply — we sent them our music package, and they liked it. They decided to release the first record, Stay Steel, and since we’re here talking about the second one, I suppose they were satisfied.  So we sent them the new material, and they decided to continue with us. No special stories — just a straightforward process.

The new album is called Agent Steel. Is there an overall story or concept behind that title?
Luca: Yes — the story is mine.  There’s a planet called Planet Grinder, where the inhabitants suffer from deep emotional depression. The queen sends her best agent into the universe to find a solution.  Agent Steel lands on Earth and discovers Crying Steel playing amazing rock and roll. She kidnaps the band and brings us to her planet — and after our concert, the inhabitants are happy again. But at the end of the story, we’re not sure if we want to return to Earth… because Planet Grinder is inhabited entirely by females. So we’re tempted to stay.

The new album was engineered by Roberto Priori from Danger Zone — a band I really like. How did he become involved?
Luca: Roberto is an old friend. Crying Steel and Danger Zone started around the same time. We played many shows together, drank many beers together, and became friends.  He’s also a great technician, so working with him was an easy choice. He understands our sound perfectly.

Paolo: He’s a sure thing.

The bonus track “No One’s Crying” features Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear. How did that come about?
Luca: Very easily — as it usually is with great professional singers. We contacted him, he liked the song, he recorded it, and he even made a video for it.  The result is outstanding. We’re all huge fans of Ralf, so hearing him sing a Crying Steel song was a great emotion for us.

Paolo, you’ve been in the band since 2022. How did you end up joining?
Paolo: I was a longtime fan — since I was a child. I first saw them in 2003 at their reunion show in Bologna.  Later, JJ — the former guitarist — told me they were looking for someone new. He asked if I wanted to join.  Our manager contacted me, I studied the parts, JJ helped me learn the songs, and after some rehearsals the band said, “Okay, you’re in.” It was like a dream come true.

Tell me about your newest vocalist, Tiziano Sbaragli, and how he joined the band.
Paolo: When our previous singer left, we needed a replacement. We already knew Tiziano from other bands.  We asked him to help with a few gigs, and we liked him immediately. He’s a vocal coach, a talented musician, and a Crying Steel fan.  So we asked him to join — and he was very happy to do it.

A few years ago, you opened for Vicious Rumors. How did those shows go?
Luca: Very well. They’re a great band and very nice to play with. Everything ran smoothly — no problems at all.  Maybe the special thing is that nothing happened. Usually something goes wrong on tour, but not this time.

Paolo: We talked with them a lot — very polite, very friendly people.  And we also became friends with Q5 last year. I still chat with some of them on Facebook.

Next year marks the 20‑year anniversary of The Steel Is Back! What do you think of that album now?
Luca: From a band point of view, things are very different now — only Franco and I remain from that era.  Musically, it’s a very direct album. The songs are straightforward and hit you in the face from start to finish.
As a comeback album, it captured our live energy perfectly.

Paolo: Absolutely.

And now nearly 40 years since On the Prowl — what comes to mind?
Paolo: It’s a milestone — not just for Crying Steel, but for Italian heavy metal.  The songs are strong, the writing was perfect for the time, and the album has aged incredibly well.

Luca: For us, it was our masterpiece. Everything went smoothly — the writing, the recording, the playing.  It might still be our best‑selling album. And yes — we are the Black Panther on the cover.

You and Franco have been together since 1983. What keeps that partnership strong?
Luca: We still have fun playing together.  When we’re together, we talk almost exclusively about the band — about music, about Crying Steel. We live in a kind of crystal bubble. Maybe that’s the secret.

Have you ever played in the States?
Luca: Not yet — but we want to.  Every week I see Shazams from Boston, New York, Houston… and I think, “I want to be there.”  We had a call about a small tour 15 or 20 years ago, but nothing happened.  If you can help us, we’re ready.

What do you hope the rest of 2026 brings for Crying Steel?
Luca: We’re planning re‑editions of older albums, maybe special packages and vinyl. We’ve started touring in Italy and hope to expand into Europe.

Paolo: And I hope we can play in the USA. That would be a dream come true.

Luca: But first we have to return from Planet Grinder. Maybe we can ask Elon Musk for a ride back.

Ken: We’ll await your arrival back on Planet Earth…

In Conclusion

With Agent Steel, Crying Steel proves that longevity isn’t just about survival — it’s about staying hungry, staying curious, and staying loud. Whether they’re revisiting early milestones, forging new alliances, or dreaming of finally bringing their music to American stages, Luca and Paolo radiate the same passion that launched the band more than four decades ago.

And as they prepare for tours, reissues, and whatever adventures await them on Earth — or on Planet Grinder — one thing is certain: Crying Steel remains a band built on heart, humor, and heavy metal spirit. The Panther still prowls, and 2026 may be its fiercest hunt yet.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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