Posted in Whathaveyou on January 12th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Legions of Doom will head abroad next month to join Crowbar and Siverburn (mems. Taint) on a tour of UK/Ireland that, judging by all the low-ticket warnings and sellouts listed below, would seem to be hitting at just the right time. You’ll recall the band is a supergroup assemblage of parties from outfits like The Skull/Trouble, Blood of the Sun, Saint Vitus, Leadfoot and Blind-era C.O.C., and their somewhat-counterintuitively-titled-unless-you-know-the-background debut album, The Skull 3 (review here), came out in Sept. 2024.
The context there was related to bassist Ron Holzner, guitarist Lothar Keller and drummer Henry Vasquez moving forward from their prior outfit (which I’m pretty sure Vasquez was in at that point, but not 100 percent) The Skull following the 2021 passing of frontman Eric Wagner (also a founding member of Trouble, of whose banner years Holzner was an integral part). The Skull did two albums, and Legions of Doom finished the third. Golly, I wish I’d managed to be so concise when I wrote the bio for the project.
In any case, I’m curious what if anything Legions of Doom have been working on since that record, if they’ll continue to step forward from where The Skull left off and put co-vocalists Scott Reagers and Karl Agell — who generally trade out with each other onstage — left off, exploring what they can do with this lineup at this time working on a fresh batch of songs. I don’t have whats, whens or details on anything, but The Skull 3 was rad and I like rad records, so more would be cool whenever they get around to it, if they do.
Of course, if they want to roll in with Agell singing “Dance of the Dead” and Reagers pushing out “War is Our Destiny” into perpetuity like they did when I saw them in New York (review here), that’d be fine too.
Here are those dates:
Legions Of Doom + Crowbar + Silverburn are coming to the UK/Ireland next month! These shows are almost already legendary/have been selling out/upgrading since they were announced, get some details below. 🤘🤘🤘
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 28th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
I was fortunate enough to be approached by Todd Severin of Ripple Music (also an award-winning author whose novel, Deadly Vision, came out earlier this year) about this posthumous Eric Wagner 7″ a couple months ago, and wound up writing some short liner notes for the release. The main draw here is “Nothing But Blue Skies,” which is the last recording leftover from Wagner‘s solo album, In the Lonely Light of Mourning(review here), which came out through Cruz Del Sur in March 2022, following the Trouble and The Skull vocalist’s passing from covid-19 in Aug. 2021, and the yet-unreleased song is complemented by a cover of Trouble‘s “The Misery Shoes (Act II)” with Butch Balich (Penance, Argus, etc.) joining Wagner‘s solo band to pay homage.
For collectors, fans, and anyone who realizes the impact Wagner had across the decades of his tenure in the US doom underground, that is likely to be enough, and I’m not inclined to argue here. I don’t know if the liner notes are included with the 7″ or not, ultimately, but Severin put the following out abut the release yesterday and I wanted to give anyone who knows what they’re in for a heads up. Here you go:
Last year, I was approached by the members of Eric Wagner’s solo band, entrusting me to release the last song Eric recorded, at the time of his solo album, but left off that record. The band really wanted the song to be heard, and recorded a cover of the Trouble song “The Misery Shows (Act II) to be the B side in honor of his memory. I spoke to some of Eric’s closest friends, and all were on board.
So, now I’m thrilled to present to you, “Eulogy” in honor of Eric Wagner.
“Nothing but Blue Skies,” the final song recorded by Eric Wagner for his solo album, before his untimely passing. The legendary singer, and leader of Trouble cut a path through doom unrivaled by others.
Available on very limited 7″ vinyl. Release date December 12, 2025
Victor Arduini on Eulogy:
I finally can announce this release that I am honored to be a part of.
I was asked (actually I asked them 🙏..lol) to contribute the solo section for a mostly acoustic demo that was considered for Eric’s last album but was the odd song out and never completed. Then I had a recording of The Misery Shows (Act II) that was never fully finished so I got Dave Snyder to record the drums, Chuck Robinson to record bass & acoustics and my dear friend Kelly L’Heureux to add harmony vocals. But it was the vocals of my partner in doom Brian “Butch” Balich who sang his heart out and brought it all together.
Both these songs are very spiritual in nature and has deep meaning to me. Eric spent his life not afraid to speak his faith in God and I always connected with his insight and spiritual awareness. I’m blessed to be able to play a small part in this release and with all the musicians who took part. Shout out to Nick Bellmore for helping me produce it and making it shine. RIP Eric…This is for you🙏❤🙏❤
Posted in Reviews on December 13th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
It’s been almost too easy, this week. Like, I was running a little later yesterday than I had the day before and I’m pretty sure it was only a big deal because — well, I was busy and distracted, to be fair — but mostly because the rest of the week to compare it against has been so gosh darn smooth. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. This is the last day. The music’s awesome. Barring actual disaster, like a car accident between now and then or some such, I’ll finish this one with minimal loss of breath.
Set against the last two Quarterly Reviews, one of which went 10 days, the other one 11, this five-dayer has been mellow and fun. As always, good music helps with that, and as has been the case since Monday, there’s plenty of it here. Not one day has gone by that I didn’t add something from the batch of 50 releases to my year-end list, which, again, barring disaster, should be out next week.
Quarterly Review #41-50:
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Cosmic Fall, Back Where the Fire Flows
After setting a high standard of prolific releases across 2017 and 2018 to much celebration and social media ballyhooing, Berlin jammers Cosmic Fall issued their single “Lackland” (review here) in mid-2019, and Back Where the Fire Flows is their first offering since. The apparently-reinvigorated lineup of the band includes bassist Klaus Friedrich and drummer Daniel Sax alongside new guitarist Leonardo Caprioli, and if there was any concern they might’ve lost the floating resonance that typified their earlier material, 13-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Lucid Skies Above Mars” allays it fluidly. The more straightforwardly riffed “Magma Rising” (4:31) and the tense shuffler “Under the Influence of Gravity” (4:38) follow that leadoff, with a blowout and feedback finish for the latter that eases the shift back into spacious-jammy mode for “Chant of the Lizards” (12:26) — perhaps titled in honor of the likeness the central guitar figure carries to The Doors — with “Drive the Kraut” (10:34) closing with the plotted sensibility of Earthless by building to a fervent head and crashing out quick as they might, and one hopes will, on stage. A welcome return and hopefully a preface to more.
It doesn’t seem inappropriate to think of Weather Systems as a successor to Anathema, which until they broke up in 2020 was multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Daniel Cavanagh‘s main outlet of 30 years’ standing. Teamed here with Anathema drummer/producer Daniel Cardoso and producer Tony Doogan, who helmed Anathema‘s 2017 album, The Optimist (review here), Cavanagh is for sure in conversation with his former outfit. There are nuances like the glitchy synth in “Ocean Without a Shore” or the post-punk urgency in the rush of highlight cut “Ghost in the Machine,” and for those who felt the Anathema story was incomplete, “Are You There? Pt. 2” and “Untouchable Pt. 3” are direct sequels to songs from that band, so the messaging of Weather Systems picking up where Anathema left of is clear, and Cavanagh unsurprisingly sounds at home in such a context. Performing most of the instruments himself and welcoming a few guests on vocals, he leads the project to a place where listening can feel like an act of emotional labor, but with songs that undeniably sooth and offer space for comfort, which is their stated intention. Curious to hear how Weather Systems develops.
Assembled by bassist Ron Holzner and his The Skull bandmate, guitarist Lothar Keller, Legions of Doom are something of a doom metal supergroup with Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun) on drums, Scott Little (Leadfoot) on guitar alongside Keller, and vocalists Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) and Karl Agell (Leadfoot, Lie Heavy, C.O.C.‘s Blind LP) sharing frontman duties. Perhaps the best compliment one can give The Skull 3 — which sources its material in part from the final The Skull session prior to the death of vocalist Eric Wagner — is that it lives up to the pedigree of those who made it. No great shocker the music is in the style of The Skull since that’s the point. The question is how the band build on songs like “All Good Things” and “Between Darkness and Dawn” and the ripping “Insectiside” (sic), but this initial look proves the concept and is ready and willing to school the listener across its eight tracks on how classic doom got to be that way.
The first offering from Netherlands mellow psych-folk two-piece Myriad’s Veil brims with sweet melody and a subtly expansive atmosphere, bringing together Utrecht singer-songwriter Ismena, who has several albums out as a solo artist, and guitarist Ivy van der Meer, also of Amsterdam cosmic rockers Temple Fang for a collection of eight songs running 44 minutes of patiently-crafted, thoughtfully melodic and graceful performance. Ismena is no stranger to melancholia and the layers of “When the Leaves Start Falling” with the backing line of classical guitar and Mellotron give a neo-Canterbury impression without losing their own expressive edge. Most pieces stand between five and six minutes each, which is enough time for atmospheres to blossom and flourish for a while, and though the arrangements vary, the songs are united around acoustic guitar and voice, and so the underpinning is traditional no matter where Pendant goes. The foundation is a strength rather than a hindrance, and Ismena and van der Meer greet listeners with serenity and a lush but organic character of sound.
Never short on attitude, “I Only Play 4 Money” — “If you take my picture/Your camera’s smashed/You write me fan mail/I don’t write back,” etc. — leads off Michael Rudolph Cummings‘ latest solo EP, the four-track Money with a fleshed out arrangement not unlike one might’ve found on 2022’s You Know How I Get (review here), released by Ripple Music. From there, the erstwhile Backwoods Payback frontman, Boozewa anti-frontman and grown-up punk/grunge troubadour embarks on the more stripped down, guy-and-guitar strums and contemplations of “Deny the World” and “Easier to Leave,” the latter with more than a hint of Americana, and “Denver,” which returns to the full band, classic-style lead guitar flourish, layered vocals and drums, and perhaps even more crucially, bass. It’s somewhere around 13 minutes of music, all told, but that’s more than enough time for Cummings to showcase mastery in multiple forms of his craft and the engaging nature of what’s gradually becoming his “solo sound.”
Basking in a heavygaze float with the lead guitar while the markedly-terrestrial riff chugs and echoes out below, Moon Destroy‘s “The Nearness of June” is three and a half minutes long and the first single the Atlanta outfit founded by guitarist Juan Montoya (MonstrO, ex-Torche, etc.) and drummer Evan Diprima (also bass and synth, ex-Royal Thunder) have had since guitarist/vocalist/synthesist Charlie Suárez joined the band. Set across a forward linear build that quickly gets intense behind Suárez‘s chanting intertwining vocal lines, delivered mellow with a low-in-mouth melody, it’s a tension that slams into a slowdown in the second half of the song but holds over into the solo and fadeout march of the second half as well as it builds back up, the three-piece giving a quick glimpse of what a debut full-length might hopefully bring in terms of aural largesse, depth of mix and atmospheric soundscaping. I have no idea when, where or how such a thing would or will arrive, but that album will be a thing to look forward to.
Billed as Coltaine‘s debut LP — the history of the band is a bit more complex if I recall — Forgotten Ways is nonetheless a point of arrival for the Karlsruhe, Germany, four-piece. It is genuinely post-metallic in the spirit of being over genre completely, and as Julia Frasch makes the first harsh/clean vocal switch late in opener “Mogila,” with drummer Amin Bouzeghaia, bassist Benedikt Berg and guitarist Moritz Berg building the procession behind the soar, the band use their longest/opening track (immediate points) to establish the world in which the songs that follow take place. The cinematic drone of “Himmelwärts” and echoing goth metal of “Dans un Nouveau Monde” follow, leading the way into the wind-and-vocal minimalism of “Cloud Forest” at the presumed end of side A only to renew the opener’s crush in the side B leadoff title-track. Also the centerpiece of the album, “Cloud Forest” has room to touch on German-language folk before resuming its Obituary-meets-Amenra roll, and does not get less expansive from that initial two minutes or so. As striking as the two longest pieces are, Forgotten Ways is bolstered by the guitar ambience of “Ableben,” which leads into the pair of “Grace” and “Tales of Southern Lands,” both of which move from quieter outsets into explosive heft, each with their own path, the latter in half the time, and the riff-and-thud-then-go 77 seconds of “Aren” caps because why the hell not at that point. With a Jan Oberg mix adding to the breadth, Coltaine‘s declared-first LP brims with scope and progressive purpose. It is among the best debuts I’ve heard in 2024, easily.
Zagreb-based veteran heavy rockers Stonebride — the four-piece of vocalist/guitarist Siniša Krneta, bassist/vocalist Matija Ljevar, guitarist Tješimir Mendaš and drummer Stjepan Kolobarić — give a strong argument for maturity of songwriting from the outset of Smiles Revolutionary, their fourth long-player. The ease with which they let the melody carry “In Presence,” knowing that the song doesn’t need to be as heavy as possible at all times since it still has presence, or the way the organ laces into the mix in the instrumental rush that brings the subsequent “Turn Back” to a finish before the early-QOTSA/bangin’-on-stuff crunch of “Closing Distance” tops old desert tones with harmonies worthy of Alice in Chains leading, inexorably, to a massive, lumbering nod of a payoff — they’re not written to be anything other than what they are, and in part because of that they stand testament to the long-standing progression of Stonebride. “Shine Hard” starts with a mosh riff given its due in crash early and late with a less-shove-minded jam between, part noise rock, answered by the progressive start-stop build of “March on the Heart” and closer “Time and Tide,” which dares a little funk in its outreach and leaves off with a nodding crescendo and smooth comedown, having come in and ultimately going out on a swell of vocals. Not particularly long, but substantial.
Toad Venom will acknowledge their new mini-album, Jag Har Inga Problen Osv…, was mixed and mastered by Kalle Lilja of Welfare Sounds studio and label, but beyond that, the Swedish weirdo joy psych rock transcendentalists offer no clue as to who’s actually involved in the band. By the time they get down to “Dogs!” doing a reverse-POV of The Stooges‘ “I Wanna Be Your Dog” in classic soul style, they’ve already celebrated in the rushing bliss and Beatles-y Mellotron break of opener “Jag har verkligen inga problem (så det måste vara du),” taken “One Day You Will Be Perfect” from manic boogie to sunny Californian psych/folk rock, underscoring its chorus with a riff that could easily otherwise be black metal, dwelled in the organ and keyboard dramaturge amid the rolling “Mon Amour” — the keys win the day in the end and are classy about it afterward, but it’s guitar that ends it — and found a post-punk gothy shuffle for “Time Lapse,” poppish but not without the threat of bite. So yes, half an album, as they state it, but quite a half if you’re going by scope and aesthetic. I don’t know how much of a ‘band’ Toad Venom set out to be, but they’ve hit on a sound that draws from sources as familiar as 1960s psychedelia and manages to create a fresh approach from it. To me, that speaks of their being onto something special in these songs. Can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the second half.
Following up on the organ-and-fuzz molten flow of “Radio Radiation” with the more emotive, Rolling Stones-y-until-it-gets-heavy storytelling of “Antihero,” Berlin’s Sacred Buzz carve out their own niche in weighted garage rock, taking in elements of psychedelia without ever pushing entirely over into something shroomy sounding — to wit, the proto-punk tension of quirky delivery of “Revolution” — staying grounded in structure and honoring dirt-coated traditionalism with dynamic performances, “No Wings” coming off sleazy in its groove without actually being sleaze, “Make it Go Wrong” revealing a proggy shimmer that turns careening and twists to a finish led by the keys and guitar, and “Rebel Machine” blowing it out at the end because, yeah, I mean, duh. Radio Radiation is Sacred Buzz‘s first EP (it’s more if you get the bonus track), and it seems to effortlessly buck the expectations of genre without sounding like it’s trying to push those same limits. Maybe attitude and the punk-born casual cool that overrides it all has something to do with that impression — a swagger that’s earned by the time they’re done, to be sure — but the songs are right there to back that up. The short format suits them, and they make it flow like an album. A strong initial showing.
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 31st, 2024 by JJ Koczan
As per Halloween tradition, the venerable Maryland Doom Fest has posted its as-of-now-complete lineup for next year’s edition, and MDDF 2025 looks like a rager. Set to unfold its massive billing across June 19-22 in the riffy epicenter of Frederick, Maryland, the fest will highlight newcomers and established acts alike, as veteran outfits like The Skull and Apostle of Solitude, Hollow Leg, Curse the Son, and others make returning appearances and new incarnations like Legions of Doom, Ages and High Noon Kahuna feature familiar players in new contexts. Always cool to see bands like Thunderbird Divine and Spiral Grave doing the thing, and I’ll admit that my eyebrows went up when I saw Virginia’s Lord would be playing, as I’d yet to encounter word of a reunion from that most chaotic of sludge metal outfits. Sonolith and Demons My Friends and Sons of Arrakis and plenty of others will be traveling for it — Ogre! — so I would expect some tours to be forthcoming, and Sun Years, whose Nov. tour begins — wait for it — tomorrow, will feature.
It’s a family reunion you probably already have on your calendar, so don’t let me keep you from perusing the poster and getting stoked on what you find. From Crystal Spiders to B&O Railroad, there’s both a lot here and a lot here to like, and always more waiting to be discovered by those bold enough to show up to Cafe 611 early in the day. Check it out:
MARYLAND DOOM FEST 2025 – June 19-22, Frederick, MD
WE JOURNEY FROM THE HEAVY UNDERGROUND AND STAGES ACROSS THE WORLD TO ASSEMBLE IN FREDERICK, MARYLAND, FOR A JOYOUS CELEBRATION OF DOOM, GROOVE, AND THE ALMIGHTY RIFF.
JOIN US.
After such a magnificent 10th anniversary celebration of #4daysofdoom in 2024, which involved reorganizing and coordinating two stages in one venue (Cafe 611), we are beyond stoked to share The Maryland Doom Fest 2025 roster and marvelous promotional artwork.
The art design was created by one of our Maryland natives in the local music scene—Ben Proudman, the Frederick, MD-based master artist at Key City Tattoo (IG: @tattoosbyprdmn). Ben is also the drummer for the powerful bands Thonian Horde and Foehammer. Our very own Bill Kole (IG: @BillyDiablo) handled the color design and layouts again this year. He majestically brought this piece to life!
Explore the heavy musical talent of these bands and performers and be prepared for the nonstop riffage party in June! Talent beyond words!!! We can’t wait for our doom community to congregate next summer!!!
Time slots, ticket sales, stage rosters, sponsors, and vendors will be presented by year’s end. — 💀DooM💀
THE SKULL + PSYCHOTIC REACTION + APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE + LEGIONS OF DOOM + COMPRESSION + CRYSTAL SPIDERS + HIGH NOON KAHUNA + RED BEARD WALL + WITCHPIT + STRANGE HIGHWAYS + AGES + SUNYEARS + HOLLOW LEG
FUTURE PROJEKTOR + ALL YOUR SINS + SONOLITH + SPIRAL GRAVE + LORD + SABBATH WARLOCK + GALLOWGLAS + SONS OF ARRAKIS + CROP + HOVEL + OGRE + DREADSTAR + THUNDERBIRD DIVINE + WYNDRIDER + SUN MANTRA + KULVERA + STYGIAN CROWN + CURSE THE SON + BENTHIC REALM + HOLY ROLLER
BLOODSHOT + DUST PROPHET + VANISHING KIDS + BLOOD AND EARTH + FIGHT THE FOLD + DAYTRIPPER + B&O RAILROAD + BAILJACK + COKUS + NEW DAWNS FADE + COMA HOLE + FLORIST + ABEL BLOOD + SEASICK GLADIATOR + ENTIERRO + HEX ENGINE + DEMONS MY FRIENDS + ABOMINOG + VRSA + HIGH HORSE CALVARY
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 18th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
There’s a lot going on here. First, I won’t pretend not to have heard the forthcoming debut album, The Skull 3, from doomly supergroup Legions of Doom. I wrote the bio. Twice. The part below that starts “Where does…” and ends talking about David V. D’Andrea (there was more, but whatever). Set to issue through Tee Pee Records, it is intended on the part of bassist Ron Holzner and guitarist Lothar Keller to pick up where The Skull left off.
Indeed, much of the material began as songs coming together for a third The Skull LP prior to the death of frontman Eric Wagner in 2022. Now, with vocalists Karl Agell (Lie Heavy, Leadfoot, ex-C.O.C.) and Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) alternating in lead-singer roles, and Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun, the latest incarnation of Pentagram, etc.) on drums, Legions of Doom pull another step away from being taggable as a ‘Trouble-offshoot’ while keeping the spirit of The Skull‘s take on traditional doom alive. Much to their credit, the sound they have developed is its own thing.
The PR wire has the info on the Sanford Parker-produced record below, plus the limited EP that will precede it, plus live dates, and the lead single “All Good Things” streaming in a just-unveiled video. Album’s out Sept. 13:
LEGIONS OF DOOM: Doom Metal Super Group To Release Debut Full-Length The Skull 3 On September 13th Via Tee Pee Records; New Video/Single Now Playing, Limited Edition 7” EP Announced, And More!
LEGIONS OF DOOM will release their The Skull 3 full-length on September 13th via Tee Pee Records, today unveiling the record’s first single and preorders.
Where does The Skull end and LEGIONS OF DOOM begin? The answer might be “right here.” Welcome The Skull 3.
The 2021 passing of vocalist Eric Wagner (The Skull, ex-Trouble, Blackfinger, etc.) looms over LEGIONS OF DOOM’s debut, as The Skull guitarist Lothar Keller and bassist Ron Holzner (also ex-Trouble) pick up with material that would have been on that band’s third full-length and realize it in a different form. With Wagner’s involvement in the composition and the blessing of the singer’s family, LEGIONS OF DOOM shift further into supergroup territory by welcoming drummer Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Blood Of The Sun), guitarist Scott Little (Leadfoot) and vocalists Karl Agell (Lie Heavy, Leadfood, Blind-era Corrosion Of Conformity) and Scott Reagers (original frontman of Saint Vitus) to the fold, both celebrating Wagner’s life and creativity and finding a path of their own as they do.
“Eric had a file on his computer labeled ‘New Skull Record,’” explains Holzner, “with his lyrics allotted to these songs. I was lucky that his family was able to access the computer and share the files with me. There were extra lyrics and verses that I used to finish the songs. I wrote most of the lyrics to ‘Lost Soul,’ but I’m so happy that Eric’s family was able to access the computer and pass along the lyrics to me.”
It is fitting to the brand of doom proffered by these Legions that Wagner’s spirit is part of this record – not to mention his vocals on “Heaven” – but LEGIONS OF DOOM are more than a tribute. Just as The Skull built on the legacy of its component members in Trouble and other outfits – Keller’s contributions to songwriting have always been the secret weapon; that remains true on The Skull 3 – so too does the new group chart its own forward course. In the end, the record becomes as much a debut as it ever might have been a third album for The Skull, and the persona of LEGIONS OF DOOM is immediately distinguished through the performances of Reagers and Agell on vocals. Yes, it’s classic doom by veterans who helped define the form, but LEGIONS OF DOOM are vibrant in their revelry, and, to be blunt, they sound like a band with more to say. Don’t go into the album expecting a one-off.
Holzner offers context: “Lothar and I wrote eighty percent of the record with Eric prior to him passing away. Karl, Henry and especially Scott Reagers wanted to finish it. Scott really didn’t want The Skull to end and insisted that we continue as The Skull as well as doing LEGIONS OF DOOM. LOD will be the main focus from here out and The Skull will play once in a while. Lo and I finished the record with a collaboration with David Snyder (Trouble, Blackfinger) on the song, [and first single], ‘All Good Things’ and wrote the newest song ‘Lost Soul’ with Henry. We also reworked Eric’s acoustic song ‘Heaven’ to go with his recorded vocals. The cover art was done by the legendary David V. D’Andrea (Samaritan Press). I told him I wanted something to represent moving on from The Skull and being reborn in LEGIONS OF DOOM…”
In advance of the record’s release, today the band unveils “All Good Things,” which also serves as the A side of a limited-edition EP set for release on August 23rd. Side B features a cover of Deep Purple’s “Into The Fire,” exclusive to the EP.
Elaborates Agell, “‘All Good Things’ holds great significance. It’s the first true LEGIONS OF DOOM song. I was granted the great honor of singing Eric Wagner’s beautiful words which telegraph hope and redemption in the midst of pain and despair. It became a sort of collaboration beyond the grave, signaling a rebirth. ‘And so dear friends, you have to carry on. All good things come to those who wait.’
“‘Into The Fire’ is one of my favorite songs by Deep Purple off of their 1970 In Rock album. Ron and I recorded a version of it years ago with Reed Mullin of Corrosion Of Conformity (RIP) and Scott Little of Leadfoot on guitar. Scott also happens to play for LEGIONS OF DOOM. We loved it then, and we loved tracking it again as a worthy B side for the All Good Things EP.”
The Skull 3 was recorded by Sanford Parker at the late Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio as well as Hyper Cube Studios, mixed by Quentin Poynter at QMP Audio, and mastered by John Scrip at Massive Mastering.
Preorders for the All Good Things EP, which will be available digitally and on Purple w/ Black Splatter 7” vinyl (limited to 500 copies), as well as The Skull 3, which will be available on CD, LP and digital formats, can be found at THIS LOCATION: https://linktr.ee/LegionsOfDoom
All Good Things EP Track Listing: Side A 1. All Good Things Side B 2. Into The Fire (Deep Purple cover)
The Skull 3 Track Listing: 1. Beyond The Shadow Of Doubt 2. All Good Things 3. Lost Soul 4. A Voice Of Reason 5. Between Darkness And Dawn 6. Insectiside 7. Heaven 8. Hallow By All Means
LEGIONS OF DOOM Live: 9/12/2024 Desertfest NYC Pre Party – Brooklyn, NY 9/13/2024 Widowmaker Brewing – Braintree, MA 9/14/2024 Chapel Of Bones – Raleigh, NC 9/20/2024 Ripplefest – Austin, TX
LEGION OF DOOM: Ron Holzner – bass Lothar Keller – guitars Scott Little – guitars Henry Vasquez – drums Karl Agell – vocals Scott Reagers – vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 3rd, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Scott Reagers, Ron Holzner, Karl Agell, Lothar Keller, Henry Vasquez and Victor Griffin are Legion of Doom. Wow, huh? I’d be interested to hear a collective count of the members of this band’s years of experience. Griffin started Death Row in 1980. Reagers goes back to the ’80s with Saint Vitus. Holzner joined Trouble in ’86. Karl Agell sang for Corrosion of Conformity circa Blind in 1991. Vasquez started out in Archie Bunker in 1997. And Keller started Sacred Dawn in 2005 and was founding guitarist for The Skull beginning in 2012. That’s arguably 150 years of doom and metal from these guys. A collection of lifers.
So you’ve got the metal-leaning style of Lothar Keller sharpening edges around the unmatched-in-doom tonality of Victor Griffin, two singers and they’re Karl Agell and Scott Reagers, Holzner locked in and smiling on bass while Vasquez is swinging away on drums? That’s a pretty serious fucking band. Every one of them a master at what they do.
And they’re gonna do a record? And play songs from everybody’s catalog? Shit that sounds good. I hope it works. They’re playing the not-to-be-confused-with Legions of Metal fest in Chicago and Hellfest in France in June. Doom on:
LEGION OF DOOM: Metal/Doom Supergroup Featuring Current And Former Members Of The Skull, Trouble, Saint Vitus, Corrosion Of Conformity, Pentagram, And More Solidifies Lineup; First Festival Dates Announced
Have you ever wanted to hear all the heavy in one place? From its origins onward?
After the untimely passing of Eric Wagner (Trouble, The Skull), one of doom metal’s most notable and esteemed singers and songwriters, The Skull bassist and bandleader, Ron Holzner, contemplated long and hard on whether it would be possible to carry on. Nine months and a lot of soul searching later, an idea was born.
Recalls Holzner, “I decided I want to honor the memory of Eric by playing songs that he crafted. I want his spirit to become eternal through his words and melody. And I also want to play songs from the catalogs of everyone involved.”
Alongside guitarist Lothar Keller (The Skull, Sacred Dawn) and drummer Henry Vasquez (The Skull, Saint Vitus, Blood Of The Sun), Holzner decided to reach out to his longtime comrade, vocalist Karl Agell (Corrosion Of Conformity, Blind, Leadfoot, Lie Heavy) as well as vocalist Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) and riff master general, guitarist Victor Griffin (Death Row, Pentagram, Place Of Skulls). And so LEGION OF DOOM has come to exist with an all-star lineup of doom’s most prestigious figureheads, here to share their ultimate heavy truth, taking the genre from what is known into uncharted territories.
Comments Keller, “Continuing The Skull in some kind of form seems like the right thing to do. LEGION OF DOOM is a perfect way to continue bringing doom metal to the fans! There is new music to finish and it’s important for us to follow through with bringing it out for everyone to hear.”
“This is gonna be a monster,” adds Vasquez.
“I have always gravitated towards heavier music. I have been involved with making it for over four decades,” reflects Agell. “When Ron asked me to join him in carrying on the doom metal tradition that he was part of and established first with Trouble and then The Skull, there was only one path forward. It’s been a great honor to sing Eric Wagner’s words and melodies and I truly look forward to performing songs from the massive legacy of all the members of LEGION OF DOOM.”
“It’s a great combination of experience and lineage with everyone involved,” says Griffin. “Though I prefer to avoid hype… regardless, it’s gonna be heavy!”
“Ron approached me and asked if I would be interested in participating in first a tribute to Eric Wagner who was a dear friend of mine and then a new musical adventure,” recalls Reagers. “We both concluded that we were not done with metal. How could I say, ‘no?!’ Karl, whom I respect and admire, adding his incredible vocals to this ensemble… Victor Griffin! My dear friend and bandmate Henry, the great Lothar Keller, and Ron whom I have known forever… This venture is gonna be fun. I look forward to working with these gentlemen!”
Concludes Holzner, “We are all seasoned veterans of the music business and prefer to let our music do the talking… And our music is gonna be speaking loudly! All the fans and bands…We are family. Combined, we are all the Legions Of Doom!”
LEGION OF DOOM will make its debut appearance at Legions Of Metal Fest in Chicago this June before heading overseas for a performance at Hellfest in France with more live dates to be announced in the weeks to come.
LEGION OF DOOM: 6/03/2023 Legions Of Metal Fest @ Reggies Live – Chicago, IL 6/18/2023 Hellfest – Clisson, FR
LEGION OF DOOM: Ron Holzner – bass Lothar Keller – guitars Henry Vasquez – drums Karl Agell – vocals Scott Reagers – vocals Victor Griffin – guitars
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 31st, 2022 by JJ Koczan
It’s a big ‘un. And if you’re like me, there are a couple names that stick out from the poster below, particularly Earthride and The Skull. Both are tribute sets, of course. The Skull frontman Eric Wagner passed away in 2021 after complications from a covid-19 infection and the loss of Earthride‘s Dave Sherman just a couple months ago continues to be keenly felt in and beyond the confines of the scene he called home. Karl Agell (ex-C.O.C.) will step in for The Skull, while Scott Angelacos of Hollow Leg is set to front a rotating cast of players for Earthride. You would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting occasion for honoring one’s own, except perhaps this gig in a couple weeks.
Plenty of familiar, returning acts as well as newcomers. Hippie Death Cult and will travel from the Pacific Northwest, Switchblade Jesus and Doomstress make an appearance (not the first for either) from Texas, and Red Mesa come straight out of the capital-‘desert’ Desert. Meanwhile, Faith in Jane, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Mangog, Mythosphere, Thonian Horde, Spiral Grave and plenty of others represent the Maryland home team, High Leaf and Thunderbird Divine trip down from Philly, Curse the Son (CT) and Guhts (NY) come from farther north, Hollow Leg make the trip out from Florida, and Lo-Pan, Doctor Smoke and Brimstone Coven head over from the Midwest. That’s just off the top of my head. I’m not sure there’s ever been a MDDF pulling so many bands from different parts of the country, though of course international bands have featured in the past as well.
There are always some shakeup between the first announcement and the final lineup, but so far so good here. Any way it works out, Maryland Doom Fest has nothing to prove at this point. Guaranteed banger.
Here’s the poster (oy) and the lineup, the latter in alphabetical order:
Maryland Doom Fest 2023
June 22-25 – Frederick, MD
We are proud to present to you The Maryland DooM Fest 2023 lineup roster and 2023 promotional art!!!!
We showcase over 50 kickass bands bringing you heavy riffs over these #4daysofdoom!!
The centerpiece art was created by Joshua Adam Hart (Earthride, Unorthodox, Revelation, Chowder, Stout, to name a few).
Josh is a career tattoo artist and is currently scheduling appointments at Triple Crown Towson Tattoo. Schedule to get ink from him at info@triplecrowntowson.com
The incredible flyer layout, coloring, and design is by our very talented Bill Kole (make sure to check out his band Ol’ Time Moonshine)!!
Above the Treachery, Akris, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Bonded by Darkness, Borracho, Brimstone Coven, Cobra Whip, Conclave, Crowhunter, Curse the Son, DeathCAVE, Doctor Smoke, Doomstress, Double Planet, Dust Prophet, Earthride, Faith in Jane, False Gods, Flummox, Fox 45, Future Projektor, Gallowglas, Grim Reefer, Guhts, Helgamite, High Leaf, Hippie Death Cult, Hog, Hollow Leg, Hot Ram, Las Cruces, Leather Lung, Lo-Pan, Mangog, Mythosphere, Orodruin, Red Mesa, Severed Satellites, Shadow Witch, Smoke the Light, Spiral Grave, Switchblade Jesus, The Skull, Thonian Horde, Thousand Vision Mist, Thunderbird Divine, Unity Reggae, VRSA, Weed Coughin, Wizzerd
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 26th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
The bottom line here is it looks like The Skull are going to keep going. Guitarist Lothar Keller and bassist Ron Holzner — the two remaining founding members following the death last year of vocalist Eric Wagner (pictured above, in purple) — teamed up with singers Karl Agell (C.O.C. Blind) and Bruce Lamont (Yakuza) for a tribute show earlier this summer, and Agell and Saint Vitus vocalist Scott Reagers this weekend will take the stage again for the same reason, except this time it’s a festival. I guess the proof-of-concept turned out alright in June.
Seems to me Holzner and Keller are well within their rights here, and if they wanted to do a record certainly with the likes of Reagers, Agell, Lamont or someone else of that ilk, I know I’d only look forward to hearing it. There’s a ways to go before they get to that point, I imagine, but creativity doesn’t stop, so maybe it’s possible sometime in the next few years.
Also of note — and the PR wire notes it below — Kulvera. Check out Brian “Butch” Balich (Argus, Arduini/Balich, Penance, etc.) and other known Wagnerian associates Dave Snyder, Chuck Robinson, Matt Cross and Earthride‘s Greg Ball getting together in homage. Those guys will decide to do an album (speculation, but a bet I’m willing to make). So as the effects of Wagner‘s death continue to ripple out, at least we’re seeing new doom born out of old doom. It’s the circle… of doom.
I leave you in the capable hands of the PR wire for details:
THE SKULL Announces Two Memorial Shows Celebrating The Life Of Eric Wagner
THE SKULL has invited vocalists Karl Agell (C.O.C. Blind, Leadfoot) and Scott Reagers (Saint Vitus) to front two memorial concerts celebrating the life and music of late singer Eric Wagner: The Midwest Metal Anthem in Lombard, Illinois on August 27th and the Hammer Of Doom Festival in Wurzburg, Germany on November 18th.
Midwest Metal Anthem will pay tribute to Wagner with two stages of music featuring THE SKULL with Agell and Reagers on vocals as well as the Eric Wagner Allstars (AKA Kulvera) featuring Chuck Robinson (Trouble, Black Finger, Eric Wagner), Dave Snyder (Trouble, Black Finger, Eric Wagner), Brian Balich (Penance, Argus), Greg Ball (Earthride), and Matt Cross (Black Finger, Eric Wagner) and the debut of Legion Of Doom featuring members of THE SKULL, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, and others playing songs from their collective past. See below for confirmed dates and further info.
THE SKULL – Eric Wagner Memorial Shows: 8/27/2022 Midwest Metal Anthem – Lombard, IL 11/18/2022 Hammer Of Doom Fest – Wurzberg, DE
THE SKULL was founded by three former members of American doom metal legends Trouble – vocalist Eric Wagner, bassist Ron Holzner, and drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson – and guitarist Lothar Keller (Sacred Dawn).
Eric Wagner passed away on August 22nd, 2021 from Covid pneumonia contracted while on tour with THE SKULL in early August 2021. THE SKULL, featuring Holzner, Keller, Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus), and Matt Goldsborough (Pentagram) performed for the first time on June 18th for a banner ceremony honoring Eric Wagner at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago, Illinois. Karl Agell (C.O.C. Blind) and Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Led Zeppelin 2) joined the band on vocals.
THE SKULL: Ron Holzner – bass Lothar Keller – guitar Henry Vasquez – drums Matt Goldsborough – guitar
