ALBUM REVIEW: The Skull, "The Endless Road Turns Dark"

By: Andrew Field

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/09/2018
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 Turns Dark’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

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

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 titans he fronted for almost two decades.

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

TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (October 2017)

Allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of riffs, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from September, it is time for your SOUR 16. 

You know the drill by now, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based on the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below.  All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted in the red)

16). Belus - "Apophenia" (710)

“Apophenia” is a breathtaking experience, a challenging listen, and an auspicious first entry from one of the few bands with the audacity to experiment and the chops to pull it off.

15). Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – “Vol. 1” (Reissue) (744)

Imperfect though it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' bold vision

14). Unsane - "Sterilize" (756)

 This is a flawless collection of bile-soaked missives that set the standard for riff-heavy, ugly noise rock in 2017

13). Gruntruck - "Gruntruck" (812)

Gruntruck straddles that line between heavy, melodic, and noisey, not afraid to venture into Pearl Jam territory when it feels like it, then take a hard left and land somewhere near the sound of Alice In Chains.  Listening to “Gruntruck”, I think I finally understand what grunge was about.  Sure it was a trend, but bands like this just wanted to rock.  And that’s what this record does. 

12). Wormwood - "Mooncurse" (892)

Wormwood's performance on "Mooncurse" is doom in the purest sense. Purposeful pacing and incredibly weighty riffs aplenty.  As you make your way to "Passage of Fire," Wormwood's greatest traits are on full display: an impeccable grasp of timing, dark musical sequences and undefeatable heaviness

11). Blackfinger - "When Colors Fade Away" (934)

I cannot find anything to fault here. Blackfinger have delivered nine tracks of trad doom with style and finesse. Eric Wagner has put his name to another excellent doom album and this is recommended to any fans of Trouble, The Skull, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and so on out there

10). Sarke - "Viige Urh" (952)

“Viige Urh” ignites stronger than the incineration of flames; forcefully ascends high up to Valhalla— it is a projection of eternality, packed up in a form of eight tracks as ferocious as incendiaries. 

09). Merchant - "Beneath" (987)

If you’re a fan of heavy sludge, doom, and death/doom, I don’t see how you could possibly not dig this album. The production is amazing and the tone is ultra-heavy. The drums pound mercilessly, the bass hits like a 50 pound maul, and the vocals pull it all together perfectly. Give this a listen now.

08). Iron Monkey - "9-13" (1383)

"9-13" offers a shredding sludge attack and is a violent rejoinder of why Iron Monkey got its reputation as a doom/sludge vanguard. All these years later, Iron Monkey remains gritty and uncompromising. Predictions for a return were invariably high. "9-13" does not blow those expectations out of the water. Nor does Iron Monkey disappoint. For that, there's much to smile about.

07). Bell Witch - "Mirror Reaper" (1440)

With "Mirror Reaper," the music conveys the reflection back of life and of death; literally that the Grim Reaper is a facsimile of the cycle of life. As with anything Bell Witch, though, such a realization is not engaged with in a fashion that rips at the pain of loss or terror, but rather builds into a deeper, though no less excoriating, meditation on the passage of time

06). Stonebirds - "Time" (1510)

The group merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers today. "Time," far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.

05). Pänzer - "Fatal Command" (1738)

This is a similar beast to their debut- powerful but with melody, hard driving but never out and out thrash. If you are a fan of Priest, Hammerfall, Accept and of course Destruction, there will be plenty for you to enjoy here. Classic heavy metal with a modern stainless steel sheen.

04). Enslaved - ‘E’ (2045)

‘E’ could very well be the foundation for yet another great era in a discography that is already ludicrously loaded with top-tier albums.  It is a  shift made with finesse and the second half of “Storm Son” could be the basis for a whole new era of Enslaved on its own.

03). All Pigs Must Die - "Hostage Animal" (2179)

The riffs are ceaseless as Wentworth and Izzi vary from much faster chords into a war chorus of tonality. And the results are gripping at every second. It, like previous selections, is potent with APMD's militancy. Best of all, APMD made the wait well worth it.

02). Blut Aus Nord - "Deus Salutis Meae" (2381)

What is truly most evident is an extreme music group that will not be bound to definitions, or at least is willing to experiment to ascend beyond what we think we know of a genre.

01). Primitive Man - "Caustic" (2989)

"Caustic" is an ambitious project, among the band's longest and most complex to date. Like their past work, the group explores nihilism in sound that rivals some of the most hopeless metal you've heard. That unrelenting quicksand of guitars and bass is here, as are those vocals of your nightmares.  Primitive Man offer up some of its most excellent music to date, making this sprawling and charging full length worth the wait.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  October 2017’s “SOUR 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Andre Almaraz, Mark Ambrose, Ernesto Aguilar, Daniel Jackson, Theron Moore, Charlie Bulter & Ralka Skjerseth

ALBUM REVIEW: Blackfinger - "When Colors Fade Away"

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/09/2017

Label: M-Theory Audio

 

I cannot find anything to fault here. Blackfinger have delivered nine tracks of trad doom with style and finesse. Eric Wagner has put his name to another excellent doom album and this is recommended to any fans of Trouble, The Skull, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and so on out there

“When Colors Fade Away” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). When Colors Fade Away

2). Can I Get A Witness

3). All My SorrowType O

4). My Old Soul

5). After-now

6). Crossing The River

7). Beside Still Water

8). Waiting for the Sun

9). Till We Meet Again

The Review:

Blackfinger's second album once again has Eric Wagner at the helm on vocals and comes three years after their self titled debut.  The band is split between Illinois and Pennsylvania and certainly brings the Autumnal melancholy that one associates with those states. The first album was a mixture of doom and classic rock influences and reminded me of Type O Negative in some ways. This second offering, to my ears has ramped up the doom leanings.

The title track is up first and makes an effective statement of intent- it delivers downbeat and downcast doom in the Sabbath vein, while “Can I Get A Witness” also has the blood of Iommi running through its veins. The nine tracks here all sounds great; the drums are boomy and big sounding, the bass rumbles, the guitars suitably thick. Wagner is on good form as ever (when is he not?!) and he keeps his plaintive wail pitched just right- both in terms of lyrics and technical singing. References to obscure darkness, the illusion of choice and so on abound. The nursery rhyme reference in “My Old Soul” works, surprisingly, but it is the atmosphere of the album which really makes for more than the sum of its parts.

Even when the band grooves, as it does on “Afternow”, there is still an undercurrent of menace and despair- which is exactly as a doom record should be! The track is a great example of a slow groove, it features a cowbell and the solo, which is excellent. With none of the tracks exceeding six minutes and most around the four minute mark, the band has their style of arrangements down. This is not epic doom, but it is doom in the most traditional form- please note, sludge is NOT doom.

From the crawling likes of ”Crossing The River Turmoil” to the more creepy “Beside Still Water” the record does cover a fair bit of ground- but only within the sphere of trad doom. This is not a heavy metal record, it does not feature thrash inflections and has stripped away the classic rock feel of the self titled album.

By the time of the melodic “Waiting For The Sun”, the album is most definitely set in stone- melancholy vibe in terms of clean sections, lyrics and vocals, riffs that are thick and heavy with emotional weight rather than aggression. Only on the closing “Till We Meet Again” does the band press the pedal slightly closer to the metal and a fine groove it is too. Really, I cannot find anything to fault here. Blackfinger have delivered nine tracks of trad doom with style and finesse. Eric Wagner has put his name to another excellent doom album and this is recommended to any fans of Trouble, The Skull, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed and so on out there. Try to get hold of it before winter really hits as it suits the atmosphere of Autumn perfectly.

“When Colors Fade Away” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

The Skull - "The Skull" EP (Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 22/01/2016

Label:  Teepee Records

“The Skull” CD//DD track listing:

1). The Longing

2). A New Generation

3). The Skull

4). Assassin (Live)

5). Til the Sun Turns Black

The Review:

The Skull are back with this storming little EP to follow up 2014's fantastic full length “For Those Which Are Asleep”. This opens up with “The Longing” a great track, with superb production (bright and clear, uncommon in doom) and nifty lead work. For all those fans of vintage Trouble out there, this carries on in the same vein. Unsurprising, considering the pedigree. I very much like this kind of trad doom: slow when necessary, faster when needed and with a heart of heavy metal beating at its centre. “A New Generation” has a similar pulsing rhythm, with a somewhat lesser snare drum sound (being picky).

The rest of the EP showcases the band's past, being split between Trouble re-recordings and live takes on material from the bands debut. Whether or not things are improved upon or just different... or even a faithful re-tread, I will leave you to decide. Personally, I enjoyed hearing the old material with a modern production “The Skull” and with the urgency of live performance “Assassin”, even if live Eric Wagner's plaintive wail is a little lost in the mix.

The quality of the material on this EP was never in doubt, The Skull are a fine, fine band and their roots shine through here. If you enjoyed the debut, ever listened to and enjoyed a Trouble album and like your doom with actual riffs and solos, getting hold of this EP is a no-brainer. Doom on, gentlemen, doom on.

“The Skull” is available here

FFO: Trouble, Blackfinger, Black Sabbath

Band info: Facebook.

The Skull - For Those Which Are Asleep (Album Review)

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 4/11/2014

Label: Tee Pee Records

‘For Those Which Are Asleep’ CD/DD/LP track listing:

01). Trapped Inside My Mind
02). The Touch Of Reality
03). Sick Of It All
04). The Door
05). Send Judas Down
06). A New Generation
07). Till The Sun Turns Black
08). For Those Which Are Asleep
09). Sometime Yesterday Mourning
10). The Last Judgment

Bio:

THE SKULL -- the new band featuring original members Eric Wagner (vocals) and

Jeff "Oly" Olson (Drums) of American Doom Metal Legends TROUBLE,

alongside longtime TROUBLE bassist Ron Holzner, guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN) and former PENTAGRAM guitarist Matt Goldsborough will release their debut album For Those Which Are Asleep on November 4 via Tee Pee Records, the NYC independent record label known for releasing landmark albums from acts such as High on Fire, Graveyard, Earthless and Sleep. 

Written and recorded this past spring, For Those Which Are Asleep features ten tracks of elemental Heavy Metal and is the first full length album to feature Wagner, Holzner and Olson since the 1995 release of TROUBLE's critically acclaimed LP Plastic Green Head. The new record's greatest strength is how well it captures the apocalyptic trudge that Trouble delivered from the first downbeat of their 1984 debut, but now unequivocally propelled by the hallmarks of a hungry new band fueled by new blood. The mighty voice of Wagner is on full display; the vocalist proving on For Those Which Are Asleep that he still wields an eerie power at the mic. Titanic riffs abound as Keller and Goldsborough weave ominous atmospheres over the molten, crushing core of Holzner and Olson's sinister strut. Make no mistake, THE SKULL are in complete command of their craft and have capably created a modern classic; a recording where atmosphere is established as drums crash, guitars blare and stories are told

The Skull is:

Eric Wagner | Vocals

Jeff Olsen | Drums

Lothar Keller | Guitar

Ron Holzer | Bass

Matt Goldsborough | Guitar

Review:

The Skull, featuring members of Trouble and named after one of that band's best albums sound like, well, you can guess! ‘Trapped inside My Mind’ kicks things off with a groove laden riff, nice bassy production and some lovely changes. Eric Wagner's voice is in fine fettle as is the erstwhile rhythm section of Holzner and Olson. Truly, the band is world class.  ‘The Touch of Reality’ demonstrates this fact amply with creeping doom riffs and excellently double tracked vocals. Nice soloing is a feature that runs throughout the record- look out for them!

‘Sick of It All’ brings a very doom laden vibe- exactly as the title suggests. The songs are hooky- in a similar way to the Blackfinger project that Wagner also put his name to.  ‘The Door’ has a dramatic piano intro that gives way to an almost Type O Negative type of track- morose and melancholy, the album is really shaping up at this point. ‘Send Judas Down’ brings grooving riffs to the table with a nice almost Fu Manchu type of looseness to it. Its dark stuff, but not unremittingly bleak and the lyrics are good too- crisis of confidence and questioning of beliefs abound.

‘A New Generation’ is almost classic rock in its bluesy approach. Again, it is memorable and retro but with a modern twist on lyrical content (access denied!). ‘Til The Sun Turns Black’ has a rolling riff and very catchy hooks to the chorus, it is Sabbathian and Troublesome (!) all at the same time. Great stuff.

‘For Those Which Are Asleep’ offers a lush arrangement and production with acoustic guitars layered with electric and a suitably dramatic chorus. This is top notch classic doom. Keller and Goldsborough do a fine job with the guitar weaving- their playing is a match for the recent Trouble album (a fine record, by the way). It makes me think that we now have two great bands to enjoy instead of one. Everyone wins!

‘Sometime Yesterday Mourning’ is a chugging beast that lumbers into some nice changes and well constructed verses. Truly, Wagner is on great form here. He delivers such a confident and assured performance. One of the great doom vocalists for sure. ‘The Last Judgement’ finishes this confident and muscular album in appropriate style- with massive riffs. This is a great band in its own right, with the songs to compete with anyone in the genre. It is doom in the old school sense of the word- Sabbath, Pentagram, Vitus, Trouble- all those bands have their place in doom history. The Skull are now busy carving their own, a great record.

Words by: Richard Maw

You can pick up a copy here

For more information:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Interview with Eric Wagner

Few can really claim or perhaps would want to be referred as a legend within any scene of music; it is hardly the moniker you set out to aspire too, as any budding musician.  “Hey, I’m going to be the next Jimi Hendrix, or Jimmy Page,” Instead for any emerging artist, you dedicate yourself to create your art, based upon the inspiration of your favourite artist or musician and if the plaudits come, well Hey, it can only help in their endeavors to forge a path for themselves.

Eric Wagner, current singer with Blackfinger and more recently, The Skull, is perhaps best known for his work with the band, Trouble formed in 1979.  Leaving the band in the mid nineties, to replaced by Danny Cavanagh, Eric would return to Trouble again some 3-4 years later, releasing his final album with the band in 2007. Held and revered by many, he was recruited as one of the many guests for Dave Grohl’s revered side project, Probot which was released in 2004.  Wagner’s tenure with Trouble would eventually come to an end in the late 00’s.  It has to be said that Eric has appeared on classic doom records, such as Psalm 9, The Skull, indeed the 2007 Simple Mind Condition by Trouble is a much underrated record.  This guy is indeed a legend within doom metal circles.

Fast forward to 2014 and Wagner is currently part of Blackfinger and what has been described as a spin off band called, The Skull, due in no small part  to presence of  former Trouble members, messers Holzner and Olson.  It is the former, which we are concentrating on today, Blackfinger.  Their S/T debut issued via The Church Within records back in January, is a classic doom record in waiting and sees Eric Wagner et al deliver one of the best debut record this year.  Indeed, Richard Maw described it best in his review “I cannot recommend this highly enough. The album, as I describe it here, may sound rooted in the 70's and classic rock/proto-metal- but there is much more to it than that. There are hooks, great performances and so on, but there is also the intangible “vibe”. I can't define it, but there is something unusual at work here. Give it a go and you may well think the same. For all those who underestimated this release: You bastards are gonna pay!” 

Well it is not often, we get to talk to doom metal royalty, until now that is.  It gives me great pleasure to present, my interview with Eric Wagner.  So sit back, light up and Doom on!!

(SL) Eric, a warm welcome to The Sludgelord.  A real pleasure to talk to you.   First of all, Congratulations! Your new record is excellent.  You must reflect upon it with a sense of a pride? 

EW) Thanks yeah I’m really proud of this record, it took a long time but it's finally here, the one thing I did learn from all this was patience,  because I wasn't born with it that's for sure

SL) What can fans look forward to from you in 2014? How is your schedule shaping up?

EW). Well the album came out on the 31st of Jan and we are starting to book some shows. If people want to hear this live, I’d be more than happy to oblige

(SL) You’ve been involved in the music for over 30 years, could you perhaps summarise your own musical journey (s) to this point and the roots behind the inception of Blackfinger?

EW). Wow it's really been 30 yrs? Man time flies when you're having fun and I guess the Blackfinger album would have never been made, if not for everything that has happened before it.  It has all lead me right here, right now I am exactly where I'm supposed to be

(SL) What springs to mind when you think about the completion of your new record, given that they were perhaps your first original songs?

EW). That it's finally finished, it took a long time from start to finish and there were times I thought it would never be done.  I guess I’ll take the blame, I just wanted it to be good.

(SL) Who handled song writing duties?

EW). I had a lot of the lyrics and melodies written before I actually put the band together.  Then we all locked ourselves in a room and worked out the music together. Everyone contributed; I love that about this album

(SL) How long was the gestation of your new/current opus from conception to delivery?  

EW).   5 long years. One thing I learned though, was patience because I sure wasn't born with it.

(SL) Using your time with Trouble as a reference point, did those experiences form the basis of the direction you wanted to take the band and how you approached writing for Blackfinger?

EW). Not really, I've never tried to write a certain way just the way I feel or what I see in that particular moment in time.  If you listen to every record I’ve done from start to finish you will see that it's all one life

(SL) The artwork is really great, was it designed with a particular physical format in mind? Who designed it?

EW). Chuck Robinson, Trouble's former bassist did it.  He sent it to me one day and asked if I wanted to use it, I thought it was great.  Little did I know at the time that it would be a glimpse into the future?

(SL) As a music fan yourself and given that music seems to be so disposal at times, how important is it to offer a great package to your fans, and yet not alienate them by producing something which is not affordable. What are your thoughts on the finished physical product? What format is/will be available? 

EW) It is available on CD and Vinyl, that's one of the reasons it took a little longer.  It was a little over time wise for 1 LP, so they wanted to make it a double.  I didn't do that, I wanted everyone to be able to afford it, so it took a while to figure it out, but we did it

(SL) .  You’re releasing this record via The Church Within Records, what particularly resonated with you in terms of working with that label? 

EW).  They just made me believe that they wanted the record more than the others that were interested 

(SL) Over the years what is the best and worst things about being in a band (s)?

EW). My favorite thing about being in a band is writing and recording a new record; I love it. The worst thing is being a poor struggling musician because of it, but I guess there is a price for everything

(SL) What are your thoughts on the current doom scene you have been affiliated with for over 30 yrs? 

EW). Its great isn't it? Gives me the opportunity to continue doing what I love. I can't believe people still want to hear what my big mouth has to say.

(SL) Influences and heroes, what are turn offs and turn on’s?

EW). Lennon, Waters and Morrison are my heroes and I love coming across music that I never heard before or that i forgot about.  It turns me on! What I hate the most is watching TV and a commercial comes on with the music of a band I grew up listening too.  The other day I saw a car commercial playing a Hendrix song; does he really need the money that bad?

(SL) The last album that kicked your arse?

EW). Don't know? I think I’d have to say the first Black Country Communion record, it reminded me of early seventies hard rock and I thought Glen Hughes sounds better than ever.

(SL) What was your first musical experience and how did that influence you in terms of wanting to be a front man?

EW). When I was about 7 or 8 my parents let me stay up late and watch Jailhouse Rock and when Elvis came sliding down that pole singing that song, I thought that's a good job.

(SL) Has their been much opportunity for Blackfinger to do live shows and is playing live  still as important today given the influences of the web and social media ?

EW). I think so, but it definitely doesn’t help me any, maybe more so with the younger audience since they grew up with it.  Us older fucks still like getting out of the house once in a while, we've done a few shows around Chicago, whenever it's time get out and have some fun

(SL) What are your survival tips for the road?

EW). Sleeping bag, flashlight, matches and aspirin.

(C) Sven Mihlan

(SL) Who are some your favourite bands you have toured with and what have been your band highlight (s) thus far

EW) There is just so much to choose from I still haven't processed it all.  It's all been good and I wouldn't change a thing, but if I had to pick a highlight I'd have to say Dynamo Open Air in 95, playing for 100,000 people was rush.

(SL) Vinyl Junkie or Ipod flunky? Discuss   

EW Vinyl junkie, I always loved looking at the album covers and everything, whilst listening to the record.  It was almost as important as the music and I'll bet my Deep Purple; Made in Japan still has seeds in it from cleaning my weed.

(SL) Finally, do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?

EW). Everything is going to be alright, I promise

Words and Interview by : Aaron Pickford

You can check out our review here and for more information check out the links below.  Thanks to Eric Wagner for taking the time to talk to us. 

For more information :

http://blackfinger.net/

https://www.facebook.com/blackfingermusic