The Skull

The Skull
The Skull
	; The Skull in 2018.
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres	Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock
Years active	2012 - Present
Labels	Tee Pee Records
Associated acts	Trouble, Pentagram, Earthen Grave, Retro Grave, Lid, Blackfinger, Cathedral, Saint Vitus, Sourvein, Leadfoot, Corrosion of Conformity, COC-Blind, Candlemass, Legion of Doom
Website	Official Page

The Skull is a doom metal band founded by Trouble members Eric Wagner, Ron Holzner and Jeff "Oly" Olson in 2012. Early on their sets mainly comprised of classic Trouble songs but with a debut album appearing in 2014 named For Those Which Are Asleep their set would comprise of original songs and classic Trouble. By the release of their second album The Endless Road Turns Dark, the band would perform more originals than covers.

On rare occasions the band has performed full Trouble albums such as Psalm 9, The Skull and the 1990 eponymous Trouble. In a run spanning ten years The Skull would release two studio albums and an EP. Upon Eric Wagner's death in 2021, The Skull would reform as a live band with Karl Agell (Corrosion of Conformity, Leadfoot) on vocals.

History[]

While The Skull officially began as a full band in 2012, the roots of the band's creation can be tied to a set at the 2011 Days of The Doomed festival on 18 June when Eric Wagner joined Jeff Olson, Ron Holzner and Sean McAllister to comprise a special set of classic Trouble songs.^[1] The next year the band officially formed.^[2]

The Skull headlined the Hell's Pleasure festival in Pößneck, Germany in July 2012 alongside NWOBHM band Angel Witch. In late August and early September 2012, The Skull completed a tour of the US East coast and finished that trek by headlining the Stoner Hands of Doom festival in New London, Connecticut. The Skull would follow with touring Europe again in late 2012, including co-headlining the Hammer of Doom Festival with the band Pentagram. This European tour also included performances in Germany, Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden, among others. Work would begin on new, original songs and a West Coast tour surrounding Denver Doom Fest would take place in late 2013.

In 2014 The Skull would sign to Tee Pee Records and release the single "Sometime Yesterday Mourning" which would feature a re-recording of the Trouble song "The Last Judgement" as the b-side for the song's thirtieth anniversary.^[3] The Skull released their debut album on Tee Pee Records entitled For Those Which Are Asleep in November that year.^[4] A short tour of the United States would follow along with Jeff Olson's amicable departure from the band.^[5]

In 2016 The Skull would share the stage with Sleep for two shows at Thalia Hall with a tour of Europe to follow, including three nights at Roadburn Festival. The first night was the Cul de Sac opening party alongside Jucifer, then two nights on the main stage. One night was mainly original songs while the other was a Trouble set featuring the band doing the entire Psalm 9 album.^[6] In 2018 the band is set to embark on a North American tour performing the 1990 album Trouble in it's entirety. On 19 March 2018, along with announcements of touring Europe and the US, the band's second album The Endless Road Turns Dark has been announced for an Autumn release. A planned tour in the Spring was postponed due to a combination of VISA issues and personal problems before the band would reschedule the dates with Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus) on drums. The Endless Road Turns Dark would see release on 21 September 2018 to positive reviews, a release party in Chicago the next day at Brauerhouse in Lombard, Illinois (With Macabre, Whut? and Gloryhole Guillotine as support).^[7]

The Skull would tour heavily in 2019 with Henry Vasquez on drums, sharing the stage with the likes of Weedeater, Corrosion of Conformity and Orange Goblin. Along with a marquee appearance at Muddy Roots Music Festival, the band would return to Hammer of Doom Festival to perform Psalm 9 for the album's 35th anniversary, ironically replacing Trouble who had dropped off. After a lengthy hiatus due to the CO-VID19 Pandemic, The Skull would tour North America in 2021 with The Obsessed. Following their performance at The Lost Well on 8 August, The Skull would drop off the tour and would cancel their appearance at Psycho Las Vegas when Eric Wagner would contract CO-VID19 and pneumonia.^[8]^[9] On 22 August 2021 Eric's oldest son Luke would confirm that Eric had passed away due to complications from CO-VID19 and pneumonia, aged 62.^[10]^[11]

In an April 2022 interview conducted by MetalKaoz, Ron Holzner would reveal there would be tribute shows to Eric Wagner performed by the Skull.^[12] The first show would be hosted at Reggies in Chicago on 18 June 2022, with Bruce Lamont (Yakuza) and Karl Agell (Corrosion of Conformity) filling the vocal role. A second memorial show would also be in the works.^[13]^[14]

On 17 August, two more memorial shows would be announced. The first would be on 27 August 2022 as part of the Midwest Metal Anthem^[15] while the second would be an exclusive appearance at Hammer of Doom Festival. Both sets would feature Karl Agell on vocals along with Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) as a special guest.^[16] Eventually a short tour of Europe would be composed that November.^[17] On 19 October 2022, The Skull would confirm that the upcoming tour would be the band's final shows, with exception to special shows in the future. The band would also confirm that a third studio album is in the works, with songs written by Wagner, along with further tribute shows on special occasions.^[18]

Keller, Holzner, Vasquez and Agell, along with Scott Reagers and Scott Little (Leadfoot) would form a new doom metal supergroup known as Legion of Doom. Along with announcing their first shows set for June 2023, The Skull would remain active for several announced shows in 2023, namely Fists of Riffs in Louisville and The Maryland Doom Fest.^[19]

Members[]

Ron Holzner - Bass, Backing Vocals (2012 - 2021, 2022 - Present)
Lothar Keller - Guitar, Backing Vocals (2012 - 2021, 2022 - Present)
Henry Vasquez - Live Drums (2018 Summer USA Tour, 2019 - 2021, 2022 - Present)
Karl Agell - Live Vocals (2022 - Present)
Scott Little - Guitar (2023 - Present)

Past and Live-Only Members[]

Eric Wagner - Lead Vocals (2012 - 2021) (Died 2021)
Jeff Olson - Drums (2012, 2013 - 2015)
Brad Sabathne - Drums (2012)
Kevin Tarpey - Drums (2012 - 2013)
Michael Carpenter - Guitar (2012 - 2014)
Glen Drover - Guitar (2013)
Matt Goldsborough - Guitar (2014 - 2015, 2021, 2022)
Chuck Robinson - Guitar (2014)
Willie Max - Guitar (2015)
Sean Saley - Drums (2015 - 2016, 2018 Trouble Tour)
Rob Wrong - Guitar (2015 - 2019)
Steve Hanford - Live Drums (2016) (Died 2020)
Brian Dixon - Drums (2017 - 2019)
Chad Walls - Live Drums (2018 - 2019)
Alex Johnson - Guitar (2019 - 2020)
Bruce Lamont - Live Vocals (2022)
Scott Reagers - Live Vocals (2022)
Johan Längquist - Live Vocals (2022)

Discography[]

Albums[]

For Those Which Are Asleep (2014, Tee Pee Records)
The Endless Road Turns Dark (2018, Tee Pee Records)

EPs[]

The Skull (2016, Tee Pee Records)

Singles[]

Sometime Yesterday Mourning (2014, Tee Pee Records)

Tours[]

The Skull East Coast North American Tour (2012)
The Skull European Tour 2012 (2012)
The Skull West Coast North American Tour (2013)
For Those Which Are Asleep USA Tour 2014 (2014)
The Skull March 2015 USA Tour (2015)
The Skull 2015 West Coast Tour (2015)
For Those Which Are Asleep European Tour 2016 (2016)
Fall 2016 North American Tour (2016) (With Saint Vitus, Witch Mountain)^[20]^[21]
November of Doom (2016) (Witch Mountain intended as support but canceled.)
November 2017 Mini-Tour (2017)
The Skull Plays Trouble (2018)
2018 European Tour (With Acid Muffin, Castle) (2018)^[22]
2018 North American Tour (2018; Postponed)^[23]
June 2018 North American Tour (With Earthride, Hyborian) (2018)^[24]
The Endless Road Turns Dark European Tour (With Acid Muffin, Castle) (2018)^[25]
April 2019 North American Tour (With Weedeater, High Tone Son of a Bitch)^[26]
The Wolf Bites Back North American Tour (with Orange Goblin) (2019)
A Quest To Believe, A Call To The Void (With Corrosion of Conformity, Witch Mountain, Mothership) (2019)^[27]
Psalm 9 35th Anniversary Tour (2019)^[28]
2021 North American Tour (With The Obsessed; Partially canceled) (2021)
2022 Shows (With Diggeth) (2022)

Links[]

References[]

V·T·E The Skull
Current Members	Ron Holzner • Lothar Keller • Henry Vasquez • Karl Agell • Scott Little
Selected Past Members	Eric Wagner • Jeff Olson • Matt Goldsborough • Chuck Robinson • Sean Saley • Rob Wrong • Brian Dixon
Studio Albums	For Those Which Are Asleep • The Endless Road Turns Dark
Other Releases	Sometime Yesterday Mourning • The Skull
Associated Bands	Trouble • Blackfinger • Lid • Retro Grave • Earthen Grave • Debris Inc. • Pentagram • Cathedral • Saint Vitus • Blood of the Sun • Corrosion of Conformity • Leadfoot • COC-Blind • Legion of Doom

[1] The Obelisk

[2] Blabbermouth

[3] The Sleeping Shaman

[4] Blabbermouth

[5] Blabbermouth

[6] The Obelisk

[7] Facebook

[8] The Skull Facebook

[9] Loudwire

[10] Metal Addicts

[11] The Obelisk

[12] MetalKaoz

[13] MetalKaoz

[14] Setlist.fm

[15] Facebook Event

[16] The Skull Facebook

[17] MetalKaoz

[18] Metalkaoz

[19] Lambgoat

[20] Metal Shock Finland

[21] Tee Pee Records

[22] Pioneer Music Press Facebook

[23] The Skull Facebook

[24] BraveWords

[25] Facebook

[26] Weedeater Facebook

[27] The Skull Facebook

[28] The Skull Facebook

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