DEATH DEALER – Reign Of Steel (2026) *HQ*
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Heavy metal supergroup DEATH DEALER, featuring members like Sean Peck (Cage), Ross “The Boss” Friedman (Manowar), master shredder Stu Marshall (Night Legion, Arkenstone), top bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), and drummer Steve Bolognese (ex-Witherfall) will unleash their new CD “Reign Of Steel“.
Set for release on January 23, 2026, via Massacre Records, the new album offer ten tracks of powerful, uncompromising U.S. melodic metal with intricate guitar work and high-octane vocals. The album showcases the band’s signature style, blending heavy riffs with epic themes.
These cats know how to deliver the goods, the classic U.S. power metal DNA is pleasantly present all over, and the result is fresh, modern, and consistently well-crafted. Music of relentless speed and ferocious power, built on a rhythmic core that moves with the solidity yet flexibility of a finely honed steel blade, boasting the UNIQUE, magical guitar touch of Ross “The Boss” and the unbelievably untouchable voice of Peck.
DEATH DEALER’s music is based on the aggressive, charging ’90s JUDAS PRIEST attitude and the sharp speed reminiscent of PRIMAL FEAR and FIREFORCE, those distinctive moments of theirs—whether built on catchier, more recognizable patterns, or on the provocatively wild push to their absolute limits.
The new album opens impressively with “Assemble”, a rousing call for molten-hot metal that grabs you by the throat instantly. There’s a strong continuation with “Devil’s Triangle”, which carries that subtle oddness along with shifts in rhythm and tone that deliver an ornate side of DEATH DEALER that stands out effortlessly and majestically.
Next comes “Riding On The Wings”, where the tempo drops and the focus shifts to a catchier expression and an anthemic chorus. Then “Bloodbath” arrives with supersonic velocity and relentless blasting, pure metal kick.
Logically, “Raging Wild And Free”, despite its title, lowers the intensity again but keeps the melody in a SAXON-styled, hymn-like mode, managing to balance the development and musical storytelling of the album extremely well.
Next is “Blast The Highway”, which, now framed within the album, gains a different dimension compared to when I heard it alone as a single. It doesn’t offer any grand surprise, but it serves the flow excellently and injects renewed energy into the tracklist.
The tone shifts with “Compelled”, a midtempo track with a menacing character, and although simple in structure, DEATH DEALER manage to transform it into one of the strongest tracks of their upcoming work.
“Dragon Of Algorath” arrives to once again bare the band’s sharp, bloodthirsty teeth, biting down hard with a fierce, sweeping piece where Sean Peck haunts our ears with unbelievable screams, while the Friedman / Marshall duo truly embroider their guitar solos!
The album closes with its longest tracks, both surpassing six minutes. And they are both amazing pieces of metallic edge. “Sleeping Prophet” is a slow, heavy, imposing piece with classic heavy metal strength, a dynamic outburst in the middle, and a haunting bassline leading into a wonderful solo. Truly, literally CLASSY material. We Love it.
The record ends with a definitive power song, the fantastic “Reign Of The Night”, where DEATH DEALER display their objective capabilities once again in the best possible way—another personal favorite.
“‘Reign Of Steel’ is a crushing piece of metal delivered by a killer band.” Ross The Boss Friedman declares proudly. And I agree 100% without a shred of doubt.
Because, ultimately, “Reign Of The Night” is more than a worthy successor to “Conquered Lands“, which marked the first evolution in the band’s sound after their first two albums. This evolution continues on the new record, with the band sounding tight and spirited, with many very good songs and an unwavering appetite for a merciless, boundless heavy metal orgiastic feast.
From a production standpoint, “Reign Of Steel” comes to life under the co-production of Stuart Marshall and Sean Peck, whose combined vision shaped the album’s aggressive precision and melodic grandeur. Mixing and mastering were handled by Chris Themelco at Monolith Studios, giving the record its massive, high-impact sound.
Highly Recommended
01 – Assemble
02 – Devil’s Triangle
03 – Riding on the Wings
04 – Bloodbath
05 – Raging Wild and Free
06 – Blast the Highway
07 – Compelled
08 – Dragon of Algorath
09 – Sleeping Prophet
10 – Reign of the Night
Sean Peck– vocals
Stu Marshall – guitars
Ross The Boss – guitars
Mike LePond – bass
Steve Bolgnese – drums
Pre order:
shop.season-of-mist.com/death-dealer-reign-of-steel-cd-digibook
