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The Skull Stream “The Longing” & “The Skull” from New EP

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on January 20th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the skull

In Fall 2014, Chicago doomers The Skull offered up their debut album, For Those Which are Asleep (review here), on Tee Pee Records. For a few years prior, the band had been kicking around as a solid five-piece, mostly playing out with takes on classic material from Trouble, of which vocalist Eric Wagner (who also has a new solo album out) and bassist Ron Holzner were members during what might be called that band’s peak era. The Skull has seen a number of other players come and go around WagnerHolzner and guitarist Lothar Keller, including former Trouble drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson and guitarist Matt Goldsborough, who has filled in with Pentagram for Victor Griffin. And their evolution continues in 2016. Their new self-titled five-song EP, called simply The Skull, finds the trio of KellerHolzner and Wagner joined by former Pentagram drummer Sean Saley and Witch Mountain guitarist Rob Wrong and presents the first new studio material from the group since For Those Which are Asleep in its leadoff track “The Longing.”

The classic doom swing of Trouble‘s landmark works lives on in The Skull — not to mention Trouble, who are also still active — but even as Wagner and Holzner continue to pay homage to what that band did, The Skull has its own progression under way as well. The LP showed that and the EP does likewise, whether it’s the high-low pairing of vocal the skull the skull eplayers in the chorus or the solo shredded out over the song’s transmoded “Hole in the Sky” riff. “The Longing,” which lives lyrically up to that title in describing a particular kind of soul torture, is paired with a remake of the Trouble song after which The Skull are named, taken from the 1985 sophomore outing of which it also served as the title-track. A cover, since Wagner is the only member tying the band to the album (Sean McAllister played bass on that record), tapping into Trouble‘s Christian lyrical themes and meeting them with an updated tonality, production, and sense of depth in the mix, which remains even in the furious thrashing apex late in the track, in which the guitars put on another clinic and Wagner pushes his voice to the point of breaking without going over that line.

Admittedly, the new studio material — these two songs — is a draw, but 2016 will see considerable touring from The Skull as well, and in addition to the perhaps-underappreciated “A New Generation” from For Those Which are Asleep, the recently-recorded live tracks “Assassin” (another Trouble cover, from Psalm 9) and “Til the Sun Turns Black,” captured just last month at Reggies in Chicago, make a solid case for the band’s live dynamic, even with this still-new lineup, and as they make ready to head to Europe for the first time — not before they represent their hometown in supporting Sleep at Thalia Hall on Jan. 27 — it seems apparent they chose to name the EP The Skull not just because of the Trouble tune they’re covering on it, but because of how well it represents the various sides of what they do, whether that’s reinterpreting a classic, forging ahead in developing their own identity, or bringing both to the stage with vitality that helped craft that legacy in doom in the first place.

The Skull‘s The Skull EP is out Jan. 22, and its studio tracks are available now to stream on the player below. More info on the release follows, as well as The Skull‘s tour dates, of which there are many.

Please enjoy:

New song, “The Longing” and updated take on “The Skull”. Also, ‘A New Generation” + 2 live tracks, recorded 12.4.15 in Chicago.

THE SKULL recently recorded two songs for a 7″ single for Tee Pee Records to be released in April. “The Longing” is a bluesy doom metal traditional Skull song while B-side “The Skull” is an updated version of the classic song that originally appeared on Trouble’s 1985 record of the same name.

1. The Longing
2. A New Generation (from “For Those Which Are Aleep”)
3. The Skull
4. Assassin (LIVE in Chicago)
5. Til the Sun Turns Black (LIVE in Chicago)

“Having named the band THE SKULL after the classic horror movie of the same name it seemed fitting to do an updated version of a song I co-wrote called “The Skull” for its 30 year anniversary,” commented vocalist Eric Wagner. ” Its the perfect B-side and Lyrically resonates in the World we live in Now….and it happens to be the name of our band. Funny how that works out.”

THE SKULL recorded their packed concert December 4th at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago and picked two additional songs to add to the new EP/CD. “Till the Sun Turns Black” a heavy Bluesy number and the crowd favorite “Assassin” will join “The Skull” and “The Longing” (from the 7″) as well as the single “A New Generation” from their critically acclaimed debut record “For Those Which Are Asleep.”

“We are eagerly anticipating having the EP in our hands and for sale at our SOLD OUT pre-tour show with SLEEP at the Thalia Hall in Chicago, added bassist Ron Holzner. This year is starting off with a bang and gonna be a busy one.”

THE SKULL ON TOUR:
Jan 27 Thaila Hall Chicago, IL w/ Sleep
Feb 26 Little Devil Tilburg, Netherlands
Feb 27 Poppodium Q-Factory Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 29 Underground Koln, Germany
Mar 01 Forum Bielefeld, Germany
Mar 03 Klubsen Hamburg, Germany
Mar 04 Bandhaus Leipzig, Germany
Mar 05 JUZ Klex Greifswald, Germany
Mar 06 Ucho Gdynia, Poland
Mar 08 Paunchy Cats Lichtenfels, Germany
Mar 09 Chemiefabrik Dresden, Germany
Mar 10 Cassiopeia Berlin, Germany
Mar 11 Framus & Warwick Music Hall Markneukirchen, Germany
Mar 12 Backstage München, Germany
Mar 14 Explosiv Graz, Austria
Mar 15 Museum Obchodu Bratislava, Slovakia
Mar 16 Dürer Kert Budapest, Hungary
Mar 17 Viper Room Wien, Austria
Mar 18 Weekender Club Innsbruck, Austria
Mar 19 Freakclub Bologna, Italy
Mar 20 Jubez Karlsruhe, Germany
Apr 14 Roadburn Festival Tilburg, Netherlands
Apr 15 Roadburn Festival Tilburg, Netherlands
Apr 16 1000Fryd Aalborg, Denmark
Apr 17 Stengade København N, Denmark
Apr 19 Truckstop Alaska Gothenburg, Sweden
Apr 20 Revolver Oslo, Norway
Apr 21 Onkel Aksel Kristiansand, Norway
Apr 22 Tribute Sandnes, Norway
Apr 23 Inside Bergen, Norway
Jun 18 HellFest Clisson, France

The Skull on Thee Facebooks

Tee Pee Records

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