Year : 2020
Style : Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 133 mb
Bio:
It's hard to argue with the pedigree of a band that includes members that worked with Manowar, the Dictators, Rob Halford, Lizzy Borden, Udo Dirkschneider, and Cage. And that's exactly who the members of the newly launched Death Dealer were previously associated with - vocalist Sean Peck, guitarists Ross the Boss and Stu Marshall, bassist Mike Davis, and drummer Rhino.As evidenced by their debut album, 'Warmaster,' Death Dealer's mastery of authentic metal has been put to use straight away. "The Death Dealer sound is a mighty combination of five very talented, seasoned musicians," explains Ross. "It's classic power metal with the brutal edge of thrash, speed, and precision."In an era where computer technology is king, it was through the internet that Death Dealer was formed. Ross: "Death Dealer formed early 2012 when Stu Marshall and Sean Peck who had collaborated previously, met Mike Davis and Rhino when on tour in California. Stu was blown away by Sean's vocal abilities and a bond was formed. Around February, Sean would send me messages on Facebook now and then, and Stu started talking to me as well. The conversation quickly went to, 'Hey Ross, would you like to play on some songs we've done?' I said sure, not knowing what it would sound like.""Well, after they sent the first tune over, I was blown away, then Stu and Sean tell me they want me to join this band, called Death Dealer. I say, 'Who else is in the band? They say, 'Rhino on drums.' I'm in! Stu goes, 'It was either you or we would have approached KK Downing to be on guitar.' Wow!" As heard on such tunes as "Death Dealer," "Never to Kneel," and "The Devil's Mile," for fans of authentic, no-holds-barred, manly heavy metal, 'Warmaster' is an absolute godsend. And soon, Death Dealer will be converting metalheads worldwide to their cause. "Our future plans? Obviously to put Death Dealer on the worldwide metal map, and to engage large crowds and render them shocked and satisfied."And according to Ross, fans attending Death Dealer performances can expect a set list that will draw upon more than just material from 'Warmaster.' "Death Dealer will play other tunes - especially some classic Manowar tunes that I have written. Also, you never know what cool rock n' roll tune we could deliver. This band is deadly serious, but humor and fun are a big part of our makeup."Make no mistake about it, Ross the Boss has returned with a vengeance, as heard throughout the killer debut release from Death Dealer, 'Warmaster.'With the debut slated for an early 2013 release, these five will forever be known as Death Dealer!
Death Dealer is:
Ross The Boss: Does this legend require an introduction? While with Manowar, Ross not only influenced legions of aspiring musicians, but he was also part of classic albums that have sold more than four million copies worldwide. In addition to releasing two acclaimed albums with the Ross The Boss band, New Metal Leader and Hailstorm, he recently toured with ex-Dictator band mates as a member of Manitoba.
Rhino: This one-man wrecking crew built his reputation as the drummer for Manowar, Holy Hell and most recently Angels of Babylon. Rhino is also an acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer.
Stu Marshall: The Sydney, Australia guitarist/producer achieved fame as the lead guitarist for Dungeon. He is also the mastermind behind Empires of Eden, which led to his working such metal heroes as Udo, Rob Rock, Mike Dimeo, Steve Grimmett, Zak Stevens and many more.
Mike Davis: Making a name for himself as the ‘go to guy’ in his days with Lizzy Borden, so when the Metal God himself, Rob Halford, put out a call for bassists, producer Roy Z knew Mike was the perfect fit. Known for both his abilities and killer live stage presence, Mike was also Death Dealer’s first and only choice.
Sean Peck: One of metal’s most illustrious voices, Peck recently celebrated his band Cage’s 20th anniversary. Referred to as “The man of a thousand voices,” he has been compared to such names as Halford and Dickinson, and this assemblage of talent allows him to show off every part of his God-given instrument.
Album:
DEATH DEALER are a Power Metal Band from Encinitas, California. This is their third full-length album and first since 2015’s ‘’Hallowed Ground’’. The band is pretty much a Supergroup with members or former members of giants like SYMPHONY X, MANOWAR, CAGE and INTO ETERNITY. It’s a who’s who of Metal Masters joining together and making music and that always grabs my attention when you know the lineage of the band members in tow.A few years back I was able to review the DENNER/SHERMANN album for Metal Temple. It was a foray for the former members of MERCYFUL FATE into something very familiar to their previous band. Their singer was Sean Peck, I didn’t know him at all but he really blew away on this album and I was able to find a bit of his discography afterwards and those CAGE albums are very good, rock solid American Power Metal albums. Last year we got the THREE TREMORS albums, the side project of Sean Peck, Tim Owens and Harry Conklin. It was a play on the Three Tenors and it was average at best, the cacophony of sounds between the dueling vocalists gave me some serious headaches. It was a good idea at the time but with the three singers singing at the same time, it was quite horrendous.So now we got DEATH DEALER, something very similar to CAGE and yet grabbing some influences here and there from the all star band members. This might be something for the long run and not just a one off band left in the dust. The album starts off with some middle eastern sounds, akin to the ‘’Powerslave’’ album back in the mid 80’s. You can tell that they really enjoyed that Egyptian theme because the album cover is full-on inspired by the Demonic Pharaohs and the undead slaves carrying that Pharaoh around through the trenches of a dark and mysterious Egypt. Though, the first song seems to be the only one relating to that theme but it’s one hell of an opener. It’s your prototypical American Power Metal, nothing overly elaborate like their European counterparts. You got that catchy chorus and streamlined bass presence yet it’s quite apparent you have those early Thrash Metal influences in tow (think ‘’Fistful of Metal’’ by ANTHRAX).‘’Every Nation’’ is just a Heavy Metal Anthem. This is the song they have to to play live when we are back to a semblance of reality. This song is all about unity, the Heavy Metal Community that are an army of one. There is no community like the Metal community, if we see someone go down in a pit, we help him up. We talk to each other during the shows even if we don’t know each other. Metal music unites us all and it doesn’t matter your race, religion, sex or age, Metal does not discriminate. Every Nation around the world has its Metal community and you rarely see any violence or pushing and shoving at concerts, there is a sense of respect between each and every one of us and it’s awesome.Two other standout songs for me on this album were ‘’Running with the Wolves’’ and ‘’Conquered Lands’’. ‘’Running with the Wolves’’ is about the connection the band has with their fans at shows. The band wants the fans to be loud and proud at shows, they feed off that pure energy. It talks about that wolfpack mentality, metal fans of the same band, that bond you have between yourselves and the band. It’s about having fun at a show, going all out and enjoying your favorite band live, no matter who it is. That’s the very basis of going to see a show, have fun, forget about your problems and just soak it all in.‘’Conquered Lands’’ is about the influences of the past. It can be knowledge, pioneers in music and literature, those are the conquered lands of the past, things that can still influence us after all those years. You learn much more from the past to craft your present, your future. Sometimes you need to have a talk with yourself and think about the past, the conquered lands of your life to know where you are going obviously. The message is very strong on this song and this song would have fit right in with the ‘’Crucible’’ album by HALFORD back in 2002. The production of this album is way better than that 2002 offering that had some serious issues! It has that same guitar sound and that methodical and slower pace of that particular album. The title track is on point and shows the variety of songs they can offer.Nothing against the rest of the songs that were really good even though ‘’The Heretic Has Returned’’ seemed to be a departure from the sound of the band. The slow rumbling of narration at the beginning was different but the song itself felt a bit rushed. It did sound like it could have been a B-Side of DENNER/SHERMANN, it has that sound and presence about it. I felt it was a bit out of place on the album, persay. ‘’Slay or be Slain’’ and ‘’Faith Under Fire’’ were clearly influenced by Ross the Boss and his years in MANOWAR. These songs have that anthemic feel about it and that 80’s style Heavy Metal aura about them.An old school vibe with a terrific singer and all star band, you can’t go wrong. If you like Traditional Heavy Metal infused with some American Power Metal, this is something you can’t miss. An all out assault on the senses with some very positive messages thrown in and a rock solid approach to Heavy Metal.
Line-Up:
Stu Marshall - Guitars (Blasted to Static, Night Legion, Ronny Munroe, Saint Lucifer, Empires of Eden, Stu Marshall, ex-Paindivision, ex-Dungeon)
Ross the Boss - Guitars (Ross the Boss, ex-Brain Surgeons, ex-Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, Manitoba, Shakin' Street, The Dictators, ex-Manowar, ex-Ancillotti (live), ex-Heyday)
Sean Peck - Vocals (Cage, The Three Tremors, Warrior, ex-Denner / Shermann, ex-Nomad)
Steve Bolognese - Drums (Ross the Boss, ex-Baptized in Blood, ex-Into Eternity, ex-Witherfall, ex-Beyond the Embrace)
Mike LePond - Bass (Affector, Burnt City, DeadRisen, Eternity's End, Eynomia, Fatal Array, Heathen's Rage, Holy Force, Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, Rivera/Bomma, Ross the Boss, Symphony X, Two Hundred Feet, Ureas, Waken Eyes, Distant Thunder, Stygia, ex-Brute Force, ex-Midnight Eternal, Ango Tasso's Air Force, Dead on Arrival, Everdawn, Mike Bino Project, ex-Ashenveil, ex-Elegacy, ex-MindMaze, ex-Painmuseum, ex-Seven Witches, ex-Sleepy Hollow, ex-Them, ex-Helstar (live), ex-Operatika Element (live), ex-Malakis Reign, ex-Last Union, ex-Rattlebone)
Tracklist:
01. Sorcerer Supreme (04:31)
02. Every Nation (03:44)
03. Beauty and the Blood (04:49)
04. Running with the Wolves (04:16)
05. The Heretic Has Returned (03:45)
06. Conquered Lands (04:39)
07. Hail to the King (04:15)
08. Slay or Be Slain (04:47)
09. Faith Under Fire (03:29)
10. 22 Gone (04:52)
11. Born to Bear the Crown (03:22)
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