Where does The Skull end and Legions of Doom begin? The answer might be “right here”. Welcome to 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, Blood of the Sun) 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.
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.
Reborn in doom. What could possibly be more fitting for this collective of players? Open collaboration, an eye toward the future, and motivation to give this material its due on stage will likely, hopefully, keep the band busy for years to come. So much the better, then, to bear witness to this first gathering of the Legions on The Skull 3.
