THE SKULL To Play 2 Tribute Concerts Celebrating The Late Eric Wagner!

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Michael Juvinall in Heavy Metal // 0 Comments

Chicago doom metal heavyweights THE SKULL have announced they will be playing two tribute shows to celebrate the life of their late frontman Eric Wagner (Trouble, The Skull)! The first show will be the Midwest Metal Anthem in Lombard, Illinois on August 27th and the second show will be the Hammer Of Doom festival in Germany on November 18th. Get more details on both shows below.

From The Press Release

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 [info]

11/18/2022 Hammer Of Doom Fest – Wurzberg, DE [info]

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). Formed in 2011 to “continue the sounds and spirit of Trouble – past, present, future,” THE SKULL released their critically lauded debut, For Those Which Are Asleep, in 2014 via Tee Pee Records. Four years later saw The Endless Road Turns Black, also through Tee Pee Records. Louder Sound praised a, “veritable doom supergroup, expertly blending the soulful American blue-collar doom rock approach with the more mystical, macabre European tradition,” while Metal Injection wrote, “The crushing forward motion and roaring bottom end that has come to define this band is thrilling and the way that THE SKULL swagger forth speaks to a band who have a deep understanding of heavy metal as a greater entity.” On rare occasions the band has performed full Trouble albums such as Psalm 9 and the 1990 classic Def American release, Trouble.

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