1. Could you tell our readers about your band Death Dealer? What kind of music do you perform, and when was it established?
Death Dealer is pure, unapologetic heavy metal. We formed around 2012 when Ross “The Boss,” Sean Peck, Rhino, Mike Davis, and myself all realized we wanted to create music that captured the power and epic energy of the classic metal we grew up on. We didn’t want to reinvent metal, we wanted to take everything we loved about it, supercharge it, and unleash it in its most extreme form. That’s Death Dealer: fast, melodic, cinematic, and aggressive.
2. Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
My early inspirations were the titans Judas Priest, Manowar, Accept, Helloween. Anything with twin guitars and soaring vocals got my blood pumping.
But seeing Yngwie Malmsteen for the first time completely rewired my brain. It showed me that guitar could be a weapon and an orchestra at the same time.
3. Who came up with the cover art for the album Reign of Steel?
The concept actually began from Sean wanting a powerful image with mech warriors. The artwork is 100% NON AI.. All hand made by Dusan Markovic.
4.Who wrote the lyrics for Reign of Steel, and how did they come to be?
Sean Peck wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies. Our process is very visual, we talk in terms of “scenes” and concepts before we ever write lines. For Reign of Steel, we wanted to expand the world we’d already built with Death Dealer: dark kingdoms, battles, fallen heroes, and the kind of over-the-top metal mythology that fans love. Each song stands alone, but the album has a unified atmosphere, like chapters in an epic film.
5.Who created the band’s logo, and who handles the graphics and website?
The Death Dealer logo was designed early on with the goal of creating something sharp, militaristic, and iconic. It had to look like it could be stamped onto armour or the side of a tank in some fantasy battlefield. Sean and I came up with the basic concept and had it perfected by an artist “Maggot Meister” who works with countless metal bands.
6. How many shows have you played? What type of gigs do you prefer—venues or festivals—and what was your best performance?
Across Death Dealer, Empires of Eden, and my past projects, I’ve played hundreds of shows.
I love both types of gigs:
- Festivals give you that massive crowd energy, tens of thousands of metalheads moving as one.
- Venues give you the raw, intimate adrenaline where you can practically feel the crowd’s breath on the stage.
One performance that stands out was a European festival where everything just clicked. This covered Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia and all over the eastern European countries. —The sound, the crowd, the energy. It felt like the music was firing electricity through the whole field.
7. What is your songwriting process?
It almost always begins with a riff or melodic idea that hits with the right emotional punch. I record tons of ideas, sometimes 20 in a month, then distill the strongest ones. Sean is a great inspiration as well with his ideas and vocal melodies that sometimes spark everything off. From there, it becomes a creative battle royale:
Sean throws in vocal melodies, Ross and I trade guitar parts back and forth, and the song grows layer by layer. Eventually, the track tells us what it wants to be.
The mission is simple: write metal that feels powerful and cinematic.
8.How would you describe your single “Blast The Highway”?
“Blast The Highway” is a high-speed, late-night metal anthem. It’s the soundtrack for tearing down an open highway with the world in your rear-view mirror. It captures that feeling of freedom, loud engines, louder riffs, and leaving everything that slows you down behind.
9.What are the main themes or messages in Death Dealer’s lyrics?
Our themes revolve around:
- Power
- Honor
- War and triumph
- Dark fantasy
- Rebels, kings, warriors, and everything epic in between
Even when the stories are fantastical, the underlying message is always about overcoming adversity and taking control of your destiny.
10.Do you have endorsements you’d like to mention?
I’ve been lucky to work with some fantastic gear companies over the years such as ESP, Ibanez PRS guitars and DSL Straps. Brands that support musicians and help us bring our sound to life. I’m grateful for everyone who keeps me armed with the tools I need to keep the riffs flowing.
11. Are there any shows or festivals coming up that you’d like to share?
We’re lining up more shows and festival appearances right now. Death Dealer is always ready to hit the road, and we’ve got some exciting announcements coming.
Keep an eye on our social media pages, we’ll reveal the dates as soon as they’re locked in.
12. How can fans contact you, and how active are you on social media?
Fans can reach us through the official Death Dealer pages and my personal socials. I do my best to reply whenever possible.
We’re active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other major platforms. You’ll find updates, behind-the-scenes moments, new releases, and the occasional gear-nerd deep dive.
