It has been seven years since the War Master was unleashed upon the world. Towards the latter part of the year 2020, the mighty DEATH DEALER has returned once more, to crush all those who will not bow down and bend the knee. Herein details their tales of Conquered Lands
DEATH DEALER are a Power Metal supergroup consisting of the legendary guitarist Ross The Boss (Ex-MANOWAR), bassist Mike LePond (SYMPHONY-X), vocalist Sean Peck (CAGE/THE THREE TREMORS) , drummer Steve Bolognese (BAPTIZED BY BLOOD) and guitarist Stu Marshall (PAIN DIVISION) in its current guise. The metal scene is so diverse with lyrics and themes, making it all the more enjoyable.
Marvel Comics fans will be delighted with opening track Sorcerer Supreme that has plenty of references to the master of the mystic arts. Journey across the astral plane with a hypnotising intro and let DEATH DEALER cast their spell upon you.
Every Nation is a song of strength and unity “we all get along, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong.” It shows that metal as a genre brings people from all backgrounds and beliefs together as one, which in current circumstances is a strong and uplifting message for all.
Beauty And The Blood is a tale about the victim of a vampire’s kiss and setting out to rescue her from a dark demise. Our hero details his quest against the forces of evil through the foreboding vocals of Sean Peck “like a mist in the end of sight, like a wolf with devil’s eyes, he is the master in here.”
Running With The Wolves is metaphorical of the band bonding with their audience “get in the mosh pit with the bodies piled high, this place is rocking we want you to go wild” It’s about the flow of energy between band and fan sending you into a sense of elation and energy that only live music brings: “we’ll knock you down to the ground, take you up to the sky.”
The Heretic Has Returned is a polar opposite to the opening track. A haunting tale of a witch “demons flying unto the night, evil is coming no saviour in sight” There are blistering guitar solos featured in this track, enhancing the black magic detailed within.
Conquered Lands takes it influence from the ancient undead empire of Khemri. The Tomb Kings feature in the Warhammer franchise and fans will appreciate their necromantic embrace on this track, as detailed in lyrics such as “the curse has been broken, the spell that you’ve been invoking.”
Hail to the King is an outright banger of a track with punchy chorus lines “hail, hail, hail to the king!” One can envisage plenty of crowd interaction with fists raised high in the air. It also features both bass and guitar solos and leaves opportunity to bang ones head in unison throughout.
Slay Or Be Slain With lyrics such as, “our bloody swords and shields are screaming” it instantly conjures images of war and bloodshed, with guitar solos enhancing the imagery of sheer carnage and bloodshed.
Faith Under Fire has a very thrash orientated feel. The drums are like artillery fire. Pounding shell after shell, into the heart of a battlefield from Steve Bolognese. They resonate and leap out at you amidst the combatting guitars and bass with a clash of high shrilled vocals from Sean Peck.
22 Gone is a very bass orientated track with some brilliant basslines courtesy of Mike LePond with wailing guitars from Ross the Boss and Stu Marshall alongside it for good measure. This song is of a slower pace than others of the album but reflects the poignancy of the track.
Born to Bear the Crown “we will defy and beat you down” is the stance of a band that’s slain and triumphed over all adversaries befitting of the album title.
There are clearly influences from well known horror and fantasy subjects featured throughout. Even if you aren’t familiar with these, it’s still a full-on frontal attack of heavy power metal across eleven electrifying tracks.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Martin White
Conquered Lands is out now.
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