Satan’s Dealer was formed in 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band was formerly known as Harbinger of the Apocalypse. This duo is made up of guitarist/ vocalist Jim Powell (Sexual Atrocities, ex-Harbinger of the Apocalypse, ex-Screaming Afterbirth, Infliction Rate), and drummer Neil Pesch (Asatta, ex-Harbinger of the Apocalypse). The band first released a demo ‘Witch Fucker’ in 2013, this demo with songs like ‘Sex, Drugs, Rock n’ Satan’ and ‘Iron Sabbath (Black Maiden)’ proved the band’s sound was much larger than any run of the mill two man band. Like their name may hint Satan’s Dealer has lyrical content that is centered around occult darkness, satan and drugs. When it comes to the bands instrumentation and vocals they incorporate influences from several different genres. You will hear some doom, stoner rock and even some thrash elements from the band. All of these with some other unique additions create the bands own personal style that has been forged over time. Satan’s Dealer has now released a follow up to their demo titled ‘Dealer Of The Gods’ which was released on June 1, 2017.
What’s better than drugs and satan? Adding a little bit of comedy to the lyrics as well. Satan’s Dealer kicks off the album with the track “Don’t Fear The Reefer” which is a sort of parody of the Blue Oyster Cult hit “Don’t Fear The Reaper”. One thing you won’t hear here is the cowbell though. The band adds a heavy dose of sludge and doom to this track. The bogged down riffs ooze through the track as Jim’s voice rings out in his gravely tone. The track picks up it’s pace near the end and changes tempo back and forth several times led by some charging riffs and thundering drum beats. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by to talk about “6, 6, Fist” being that Fist is the moniker most know me by. The song certainly picks up the pace and shows off the bands retro stoner rock influence. Jim sings “Sex, drugs, rock and satan; You know this is how I’m livin.” In addition to having a retro sound the drum stylings of Neil Pesch give the song a little bit of a punk feel as well. He is certainly the master of cymbals, and those constant beats and cymbal crashes give amazing depth to each and every track on the album. Some of these song titles might come off a little funny, but these guys are absolutely serious about their music. The track “Jesus Loves You… Everyone Else Thinks You’re an Asshole” showcases a little bit of the bands more thrashy side. Not only in the riffs but also in Jim’s voice as well. His tone is more upfront and in your face and reminiscent of a time when thrash was first gaining momentum in the music world. The riffs on this track are probably some of the best on the album. Though a bass player is absent from this group they still are able to create a substantial amount of groove which you can not only hear on this track, but each and every track.
Satan’s Dealer gives you a little bit of everything on ‘Dealer Of The Gods’. From sludge to punk and thrash to stoner rock they cover a lot of ground and even construct some unique sounds and styles within the same song. It’s easy to see their influence is all over the place, and they let their influences shine.
