Death Dealer (Deaf Dealer)

Websites:  No
Origin: Jonquière, Québec, 🇨🇦
Biography:

The name “Death Dealer” means everything that threatens us and that we ignore through omission or indifference. These are all the choices we will have to make to preserve peace and harmony in this world. The Death Dealer is not a destroyer but rather an awakener of conscience who will wipe the slate clean to bring back a certain purity......
THE DEATH DEALER IS TO BE REFINED!

The heavy metal band was founded in 1981 in Saguenay, Quebec. Brothers Andy LaRouche (singer), Michel LaRouche (drummer) and guitarists Yves Pednault and Gilles Bergeron and bassist Jean-Pierre Fortin were the founders. The group started out playing a mix of cover versions and originals. This Canuck act received much more praise for its demo output, (Demo ’83 and Demo II) recorded as Death Dealer, than it did for its debut album. The group moved to Montreal from its native Jonquiere, but lost the brothers in the process.

The band was managed by Michael Meese who was the owner of Banzai Records in Montreal. After appearing on Metal Massacre IV, the Canadian band released one album. Ross Richard played on the debut record, but McGregor was credited. The members’ names were anglicised in order to have them be pronounceable to fans world-wide. A second album was recorded but remained hidden as Mercury Records declined to issue it. Morrisound Studio of Florida, USA ended up owning the rights to the record. Deaf Dealer – new name as Mercury would not work with ‘Death Dealer’ - disbanded in 1987. The Canadian band reunited as Death Dealer for one show in Jonquière, Canada on July 4, 2009 in order to play some of its original ‘80s repertoire and open for Voivod. This became a permanent affair.

Over 25 years after it was recorded, Deaf Dealer’s Journey Into Fear album was being issued on September 26th, 2014 through Cult Metal Classics Records. The album was recorded at Toronto-area’s Metalworks with Dan Johnson and Scott Burns as producers in 1987. An Unachieved Act Of God was the new Death Dealer album in 2014. Guitarist Gilles Bergeron died in 2019.

Michael Flynn: lead vocals
Ian Penn: lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Marc Hayward: lead guitar, rhythm guitar
J. P. Forsyth: bass
Dan McGregor: drums