Deaf Dealer - Keeper Of The Flame (1986)

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Deaf Dealer - Keeper Of The Flame (1986)

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Do you know what’s fantastic about two or three bands leading the way for an entire genre of music? No matter how you try to validate your own ideas, no matter how many other influences bring gifts to your sound, and no matter how many generations of acts before yours have made you a thirteenth cousin to those sworn bands, you’ll always feel their hot, patronizing breath on your neck, and Deaf Dealer’s collar is singed pretty badly.

While many sources have this Quebec group closely following the hoof prints of Maiden, they tend not to mention (or envision) why it is pretty asinine to think IM is the only inspiration this quintet has ever gleaned from the scene? And, mind you, this is ’86. Influenced by? Yeah, surely the Life After Death live album and everything prior to it had spun as regularly as clocks on these guys’ stereos, as they did in most of the metal public’s ear, but to disfigure Keeper of the Flame by claiming singleminded clone-ism isn’t just lack of imagination, but a lack of awareness. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who followed metal solely through corporate, convenience store magazines like Circus and Hit Parader, while thinking they were on top of things, were actually very blind to a scene that was bustling like a Middle Eastern bazaar beneath their major label headliners. “Hey, I think I hear a little Maiden in there.” You could find ‘a little Maiden’ in a Thor album, but thank you for those words of revelation. Now don’t you think they sometimes sound closer to Virgin Steele? “Who? Never heard of ‘em”. Of course you haven’t. Okay, how about Leatherwolf? “Leatherwolf?” Or a combination of the two? Okay, how about something more your speed, like maybe The Spectre Within-era Fates Warning, or for a bit of a stretch, early but more light-hearted Savatage. “Well, at least I’ve heard of those bands.” Congratulations. “Yeah, but they still sound like Maiden”. Yes, thanks again for that truly inventive observation. Dude, you do realize there were bands back then that sounded like Maiden beside Maiden, though they tended to lessen the similarities by throwing more of their own individual appeal into their sound. “Well, yeah, I guess, but it all pretty much boils down to Maiden, doesn’t it? And who’s Thor anyway?” *sigh*

Anyway, Deaf Dealer, despite some unusual major label success in their homeland with Polygram, has garnered really no recognition amongst fans or peers, then or as we close in on their 24th year of life. Keeping their earlier Death Dealer moniker probably would’ve attracted more of the raving thrash crowd, most of which would’ve scorned this lp way before melody-makers like “Dead Zone” and “Getting Ready to Go” sauntered into earshot, though the lively and agile “Don’t Get in my Way”, somewhat Tyrant (US)-structured instrumental “On the Wings of a Russian Foxbat” (yeah, it’s a plane), “The Fugitive”, and, if they managed to get this far, album closer “Caution to Kill” would’ve shown that the band isn’t the least bit deprived of an early Torch-spun energy, nor is it absent of power metal validity that’s less traditional than, say, Helstar and Virgin Steele, but exists nonetheless. Again, no thrash to be had, and the porous speed metal herb that exists is sprinkled quite frugally. But this blend of semi-melodic power metal, as witnessed in the traditionally built and compelling “Deaf Dealer”, is played well without over-complication.

Lead rhythm section Ian Penn and Marc Hayward flow easily by themselves or entwined with one another, capable of dashing off an impressive showcase of gutsy riffage with clean and stimulating strokes. Vocally hung on staunch soprano airwaves, Michael Flynn may now be just another above-ordinary minstrel wasting away in the underground’s wake, but he’s a ringer for this nine-songer that with a raspy voice would’ve dimmed in fluency, metallic poise, and maybe even allure. Well, maybe not allure, since hardly anyone I’ve come across has sought this out, but let’s say a chain-smoker, like the guy over in Krank, would’ve coughed some decorations off of this thing.

Journey into Fear, their ill-fated follow-up, has sat on the bench all this time, so the fruit of their labor boils down to this nobly titled slab - nobly titled, nobly executed, and nobly buried, but deserving of excavation and a chance to prove itself without the billion Maiden-isms people have thrown on it like a wet blanket.

by Gutterscream

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Deaf Dealer - Keeper Of The Flame (1986)

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Deaf Dealer - Keeper Of The Flame (1986)

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