Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released: 07/09/2018
Label: Tee Pee Records
Label: Tee Pee Records
When its all over you realise that The
Skull have upped their game to such an extent that they are no longer just
reflecting the band members past glories, but building a new legacy that is
equally as exciting as what has gone before
‘The Endless Road
1. The Endless
Road Turns Dark
2. Ravenswood
3. Breathing Underwater
4. The Longing
5. From Myself Depart
6. As the Sun Draws Near
7. All That Remains (Is True)
8. Thy Will Be Done
2. Ravenswood
3. Breathing Underwater
4. The Longing
5. From Myself Depart
6. As the Sun Draws Near
7. All That Remains (Is True)
8. Thy Will Be Done
The Review:
The
word “legend” is overused, but not in the case of Eric Wagner: the voice of Trouble,
Blackfinger and The Skull for the last 30 years.
One of doom’s most influential yet humble frontmen, Wagner is enjoying a
creative purple patch at present. Earlier this year he reactivated Blackfinger
and the resulting album was his most mature and confident release since leaving
Trouble
in 2008. If Blackfinger replaced the chug of
Trouble
with a more deliciously relaxed vibe (which was solid gold), then the new album
by The Skull
brings back the barnstorming doom of the Chicago
From the first few notes of the title track – which opens the album – you’re in instantly familiar Wagner territory. Able Lieutenant and doom bass god Ron Holzner is still at his side, anchoring the bottom end with former Cathedral drummer Brian Dixon. Over their thunderous melee guitarists Lothar Keller and Rob Wrong trade solos and huge rhythmic slabs of riffage which churn and grind with wilful abandon. It’s one hell of a beautiful sound.Third track “Breathing Underwater” is an early highlight: funeral pace doom with a chorus built around a startling guitar motif which is guaranteed to give you goose bumps. “From Myself Departs” starts like nothing else in the band’s canon, with Holzer laying down a funk bassline over which a Hendrixian riff floats (bringing to mind Living Colour or Stevie Salas Colorcode) before the band slam back into a more comfortable sturm and drang groove and full-on ‘galloping horses’ bridge section which is the best thing on the record.
Elsewhere you get the standard slower number, “All That Remains (Is True)”, which shuffles wonderfully in 6/4 time, and a massive closing boogie in “Thy Will Be Done”. When its all over you realise that The Skull have upped their game to such an extent that they are no longer just reflecting the band members past glories, but building a new legacy that is equally as exciting as what has gone before. They haven’t thrown the baby out with the bath water. But they’ve bought a modern and quite wonderful new bath.
Wagner turns 60 next April. It’s great to hear him and his compadres growing old this disgracefully. Long may they continue to do so.
“The Endless Road Turns Black” is available here
From the first few notes of the title track – which opens the album – you’re in instantly familiar Wagner territory. Able Lieutenant and doom bass god Ron Holzner is still at his side, anchoring the bottom end with former Cathedral drummer Brian Dixon. Over their thunderous melee guitarists Lothar Keller and Rob Wrong trade solos and huge rhythmic slabs of riffage which churn and grind with wilful abandon. It’s one hell of a beautiful sound.Third track “Breathing Underwater” is an early highlight: funeral pace doom with a chorus built around a startling guitar motif which is guaranteed to give you goose bumps. “From Myself Departs” starts like nothing else in the band’s canon, with Holzer laying down a funk bassline over which a Hendrixian riff floats (bringing to mind Living Colour or Stevie Salas Colorcode) before the band slam back into a more comfortable sturm and drang groove and full-on ‘galloping horses’ bridge section which is the best thing on the record.
Elsewhere you get the standard slower number, “All That Remains (Is True)”, which shuffles wonderfully in 6/4 time, and a massive closing boogie in “Thy Will Be Done”. When its all over you realise that The Skull have upped their game to such an extent that they are no longer just reflecting the band members past glories, but building a new legacy that is equally as exciting as what has gone before. They haven’t thrown the baby out with the bath water. But they’ve bought a modern and quite wonderful new bath.
Wagner turns 60 next April. It’s great to hear him and his compadres growing old this disgracefully. Long may they continue to do so.
“The Endless Road Turns Black” is available here
Band
info: facebook
