Dealer – Saint (EP Review)

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Adam 'Ricey' Rice

Dealer – Saint EP
Released: February 14th, 2019

Line-Up

Aidan Holmes – Vocals
Maurice Morfaw – Guitar
Martin Wood – Guitar
Joe Dean – Drums
Gabor Toth – Bass

Dealer has surprised the heavy music scene by releasing a four-track EP titled Saint. Having only been a band for 12 months or so, it’s easy to see the love for this act shine through the community of heavy music fans in Australia as they have just ventured overseas for their first international tour.

The EP kicks off with ‘Tourniquet’, the introduction to this song is eerily similar to ‘Grotesque’ from the band’s debut EP Soul Burn (Our review here). The same samples were used in both songs which strikes me as being a lack of creativity. This newbie is ultimately quite repetitive in nature, which isn’t all bad as the track has a great rhythm and hard-hitting lyrics that are dark in nature, such as “I hold a gun to the leech as it screams for the warmth of my cold fucking soul”.

Dealer. Photo by Oversimplified Complications Photography

Dealer 2020

‘Blade In A Bullet Wound’ begins with an atmospheric undertone while vocalist Aidan sings “I see the devil in the details of another pseudo saint, here to rip out the pain like a blade in a bullet wound”. This song incorporates new aspects of the band’s sound such as a females almost robotic voice and fewer samples, with more focus on the instrumentals. With a hard-hitting breakdown during the outro, there is something here for every heavy music fan.

Moving on to the climatic intro of ‘Violent Stimuli’, this track holds true to Dealer‘s staple sound. With a fast-paced tempo, which is inclusive of blast beats, a catchy chorus with weeping guitar riffs and of course, vocalist Aidan’s staple, dark in nature lyrics such as “It’s taking it’s toll, the sense of losing control, the fucking burn on the soul” being slammed in your face.

To finish off the EP on a fast and heavy note, ‘Suffer In Rhythm’ continues the theme of pain and loss with lyrics such like “I still fucking hate myself for all the pain that you saw”. This is a theme that lyricist and vocalist Aidan has seemingly perfected, it provokes raw emotion, which as I see it, is what music is all about. A heavy breakdown concludes the song “Look to numb the pain being screamed over and over again”.

Being at a make or break point in their career, it will be interesting to see how much further these four songs can push this band on their journey of touring and releasing music.