Interview with Ross the Boss

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing the one and only Ross the Boss. Well known thanks to his time in Manowar, Ross is currently playing with the epic power metal act Death Dealer. Their full-length debut album, "War Master", was just recently released and you can read my review of it at the bottom of this page. I want to thank Ross for taking the time to do this interview with Heavy Metal Time Machine as this talented guitarist does lead a very busy life!
Andy-You've had such a long and fruitful career in metal Ross. Can you tell us how you first got your feet wet as a musician?

Ross-Well I started playing piano when I was 7 then unfortunately switched to violin when I was 11. By the time I turned 13 RnR and the ladies were calling me so that put me on the path I'm still on.
 
Andy-I'm sure you've been asked this a thousand times over, but I've always wondered how did you get your nickname?

Ross-My nickname ?? Well, I can tell you I don't like it, but its more to do with me playing baseball than music! hahahahaha
 
Andy-You've seemingly done it all Ross, from playing in a punk band (which I fondly remember discovering as a teenager!) to having been a founding member of one of the greatest epic heavy metal bands of all times! Are there any moments that stand out more then others?

Ross-Good question. I'll tell you what really stands out is the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that had to occur if anything was to succeed . There was a lot of sacrifice that went down in the early days of The Dictators and Manowar, but now I look back and its very satisfying .
 
Andy-While your life almost reads like a bucket list for many are there any regrets for you? Is there anything that you never got around to that you wish you had?

Ross-Regrets? Yes. What comes to mind is the insanity of me being asked to leave Manowar weeks before the release of "Kings of Metal". We were really a good band on the brink of greatness. The following tour would have been amazing! I could imagine a live CD OMG, but alas it wasn't meant to be...oh well.
 
Andy-Your new band Death Dealer features a whose who of heavy metal veterans. From a time standpoint was it difficult to get everyone together to record "War Master"?

Ross-Actually forming DeathDealer  was very easy. With Sean , Stu, Mike and Kenny on board it was a no brainer!
 
Andy-Both you and Rhino played in Manowar, but not at the same time. How did it come about that the two of you played together on this project?

Ross-Well, as I said, when Sean told me Rhino was on board I jumped for the opportunity to be in DD, but I would have joined on the strength of our music which is the most important reason.
 
Andy-Are there plans to make this a long-term project?

Ross-DeathDealer is the band that all of us want to be in. I can tell you we are here for the long run. This is not a "project". No way!!
 
Andy-Will the band be able to tour behind this album or is that just way too impossible with every one's schedule?

Ross-Touring for DeathDealer ?? Hahahaha! Absolutely, as I said DD is our band. We will be a touring juggernaut! 

Andy-I'll leave you with the last word. Anything else you'd like to add or say to your fans Ross?

Ross- I salute my fans and hope to see everyone real soon. Spread the word DEATHDEALER!!! Thank you.

http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Death+Dealer-War+Master 

Ross the boss-Hailstorm

AFM
2010



So strap on your armor, slip on your gauntlets, and grab your weapon because former Manowar axe slinger Ross the Boss has returned with his second solo album. Actually despite the cover and most of the lyrics "Hailstorm" is a slight departure from 2008's "New Metal Leader". "New Metal Leader" didn't fall from Manowar's path, but the new album has less anthems than you may expect and falls closer to early 1980's classic style metal plus a few nods to more recent power metal. That was very surprising to me given Ross the boss' history and his last album. In fact on the go around I felt like I was need of cleaning my ears out before giving the disc a second go around. Everything seemed a little less in your face than I was figuring on as I was expecting marching armies, war cries and pounding hammers. Instead it was a bit more like a regular metal band trying to figure out what they were doing. Don't get me wrong the playing is strong because Ross the boss always has plenty of riffs to spare. I think there was a definite attempt to reach stretch the musical horizons some this time around. They pull off most of the songs, but there are a few where you are going to want to skip past. Diehard fans of Manowar and Ross the boss might be startled at first and it will likely take a few plays to warm up to it and you may have to crank the volume a little, but there is enough here to enjoy.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Angus-Warrior of the world

vs.


Ross the boss-New metal leader

**Which cover do you prefer?

Ross the boss-New Metal Leader

Candlelight
2009

It's hard to believe it's been so long since guitarist Ross the boss parted ways with Manowar. However his absence has certainly been felt over the years as Manowar seemed to have slipped from the high level they once occupied. Filling put Ross the boss's band are Patrick Fuchs on vocals and guitar, Carsten Kettering on bass and Matthias Mayer on drums. Manowar helped to define power/epic metal over two decades ago and the pounding guitars parts were a huge part of that sound. We hear much of that same sound on this album as well. Unsurprisingly the bulk of "New Metal Leader" sound like Manowar mainly around the 1985-1988 period. In fact Patrick Fuchs even sounds quite a bit like Eric Adams only with a little less range. Tracks like "God Of Dying" and "Immortal Son" sound very much classic Manowar anthems. The sound here is solid, booming metal that blatantly follows a mid-tempo 1980's metal style. The only real difference being that the production on this album might be better. So there is really nothing new or particularly unique about this album, but fans of Manowar's peak are sure to lift their fists high in the air and enjoy the majesty and cheese of this kind of music. Indeed Ross the boss never lost sight of the heavy sound and memorable choruses that were very much part of the appeal of the band that he helped form. Metal trends have come and gone over the last to decades, but I can't deny that there is still something about this kind of music that I still enjoy on some basic level.