DEAF DEALER from Quebec, Canada is another one of these amazing 1980’s bands that didn’t get the recognition that they deserved. Maybe because they weren’t from the US or UK, or maybe because they didn’t dress up as women and played pop-hard rock. Who knows?
Based in Quebec, Deaf Dealer started in the early ’80s as Death Dealer, and made an appearance on the legendary compilation “Metal Massacre IV” in 1983 with the song “Cross My Way”. A short time later, the original singer Andre Larouche was replaced by Lalonde and the band changed its name to DEAF DEALER. They released a highly acclaimed debut in 1986 under the title “Keeper Of The Flame” and in 1987 they recorded eight songs that were never released. Soon after the recordings were completed, the group disbanded.
“Journey Into Fear”, by the Canadians has been Canada’s best kept metal secret. The album was originally tracked in 1987 at the world-famous Toronto studio Metalworks with Dan Johnson and Scott Burns as producers, but Mercury Records apparently refused to release this maserpiece (again probably because the lack of ’looking like drag queens’ that was the flavor-of-the-month at this period in time.)
A few cassette copies were circulated in the metal underground, and the LP eventually gained a cult status, with many fans going as far to call it “the greatest metal album never officially released.” “Journey Into Fear” features the distinctive bass playing of bass virtuoso Jean-Pierre Fortin, coupled with great guitar lines by Marc “Hayward” Brassard and Yves “Ian Penn” Pedneault along with classic vocal lines by Michel “Flynn” Lalonde. Combined with way-ahead-of-its-time power drumming by Dan “Mc Gregor” Gregoire, the effort definitely deserves a spot among the greatest heavy metal creations of the ’80s.
