Sean McAllister

Sean McAllister
Background information
Birth Name	Sean McAllister
Born	5 March 1963
Occupation	Musician
Genres	Heavy Metal, Doom Metal
Instrument(s)	Bass
Years active	1980 - 1986, 2011 - Present
Labels	Metal Blade
Associated acts	Trouble, Retro Grave, Witch Slayer

Sean McAllister is a bassist from Illinois. Performing with various local acts in the Chicago area, he is best known as an early bassist for the pioneering doom metal band Trouble, specifically the band's seminal debut Psalm 9 and it's follow-up The Skull.

Biography

McAllister's music endeavors would begin with the heavy metal band Witch Slayer, whom formed in 1980. The band would notably release a demo in 1983 and appear on the Metal Blade compilation Metal Massacre IV. However by 1983, McAllister would leave the band to join Trouble. In a stark contrast to his prior band, Trouble drew from Black Sabbath for inspiration (with occasional nods to the psychedelic sounds of the late 1960s), the band used gloomy down-tuned riffs and spiritual, often openly Bible-inspired lyrics. According to the band, Metal Blade coined the term "White Metal" based on their sound to the band's disapproval.

The band toured throughout the Midwest during the early 1980s before signing with Metal Blade Records and releasing their eponymous debut (later referred to as Psalm 9) in 1984. The Skull followed in 1985 and reflected singer Wagner's struggles with substance abuse as well as growing turmoil within the group. McAllister would leave the band in 1986, with Ron Holzner taking his place.

McAllister would be largely out of the music world for years but would appear as a guest for Retro Grave, a solo project by his former Trouble bandmate Jeff Olson. In 2011 at Days of The Doomed in Kenosha, WI, McAllister would join Retro Grave, along with Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner, to perform "Victim of the Insane" in what would be the first time the three Trouble musicians had performed together since 1985.

Bands

• Witch Slayer - Bass (1980 - 1983, 2012 - Present)
• Trouble - Bass (1983 - 1986)
• Retro Grave - Live Bass (2011)

Discography

• Witch Slayer - 1983 Demo (Demo) (1983, Self-Released)
• Trouble - Live 1983 (Live Album) (1983, Midwest Heavy Metal Promotion)
• Trouble - Psalm 9 (Studio Album) (1984, Metal Blade Records)
• Trouble - The Skull (Studio Album) (1985, Metal Blade Records)

External Links

• McAllister on Discogs
• McAllister on Encyclopaedia Metallum
• McAllister on Heady Metal with Jeff Olson
• McAllister performing with Retro Grave