SEAN PECK Discusses the New DEATH DEALER EP, Keeping Busy by Writing Two LPs Worth of Material during the Covid Lockdowns and Staying Relevant During the Decline and Resurgence of Metal in the 90s: “When I Make Records, I’m Always Worried About It Being A

Sonic Perspectives

There is something to be said for sticking to one’s proverbial guns when times get tough, and few know that better than Cage and Death Dealer screamer Sean Peck. Sharing a birth year with the godfather of grunge Kurt Cobain, his would be a far different path of swimming against the tide of detractors of old school heavy metal in the West Coast of the U.S. to forge a sound in the 90s that many would say belonged to the prior decade. Decked out with leather jackets, pummeling speed metal riffs and a glass-shattering high range to rival Rob Halford, one might go so far as to say that Sean and his musical cohorts in Cage spearheaded the North American wing of the revival of power metal that ran parallel to its much larger cousin in Europe during the latter half of the 1990s.

Fast forward about 30 years to the day of Cage’s inception, Peck has certainly kept himself busy with a number of metal projects, perhaps the most auspicious of them being his collaboration with fellow metallic banshee wailers Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest, KK’s Priest) and Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer). Then again, one would be remiss to assert that the auditory freight train on steroids that is Death Dealer has not been a major factor in the past decade. Though having the usual stylistic commonality of old school metallic sensibilities that has informed all of Sean’s projects, the different lay in the impressive array of elite metal instrumentalists rounding out the arrangement, culminating in a de facto super-group of colossal proportions. Consisting of the dueling guitar assault of ex-Manowar titan Ross The Boss and former Dungeon axe-man Stu Marshall, to speak nothing for the towering rhythm section of Symphony X’s own Mike Lepond and former Into Eternity and Witherfall kit man Steve Bolognese, this outfit is a veritable metallic pantheon onto itself.

“Fuel Injected Suicide Machine” Album Artwork

Perhaps the only thing that rivals Peck’s prowess as a metal helmsman is his firm commitment to the scene itself. Often outspoken about his advocacy for keeping the physical media end of the metal market alive and well, he has not been averse to criticizing the slavish reliance that many have developed to online streaming services of late, though he naturally sees it as a useful promotional tool that has supplanted MTV and terrestrial radio in recent years. Likewise, his drive for excellence in the metallic arts spills over into the visual aspects of his various projects, as anyone who has seen the album art of Death Dealer’s previous LPs can attest. Whether one fancies beautiful and badass women, superheroes, or depictions of epic struggles in a future dystopian setting, the packages put out by Peck’s battalion of leather clad warriors delivers them all in the most explosive of fashions.

All in all, the mythical persona put forth by Sean both on stage and in the recording studio is tempered by a good humored and down to earth alter ego that excels in the conversational setting. Sonic Perspectives associate Jonathan Smith had the privilege to catch up with this veteran of the way of sonic steel recently to discuss Death Dealer’s recently released EP, the past accomplishments of the band, the massive treasure trove of music written for the project that is yet to come, among other various subjects that is sure to leave any follower of the old school metallic ways holding all but the kitchen sink. For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post SEAN PECK Discusses the New DEATH DEALER EP, Keeping Busy by Writing Two LPs Worth of Material during the Covid Lockdowns and Staying Relevant During the Decline and Resurgence of Metal in the 90s: “When I Make Records, I’m Always Worried About It Being As Good As The Last One.” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.