Band:	Legions Of Doom
Album:	The Skull 3
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	September 13, 2024
A review by:	nikarg

01. Beyond The Shadow Of Doubt
02. All Good Things
03. Lost Soul
04. A Voice Of Reason
05. Between Darkness And Dawn
06. Insectiside
07. Heaven
08. Hallow By All Means

A debut album that has the number ‘3’ in the title? What is this all about?

The Skull 3 is actually the third album by the band The Skull. Following the untimely death of Eric Wagner (Trouble, The Skull, Blackfinger), his spirit is kept alive through Legions Of Doom, with guitarist Lothar Keller and bassist Ron Holzner (ex-Trouble) using material that was supposed to end up on The Skull’s third full-length and reworking it. Wagner himself is involved in the composition, and actually sings on “Heaven”, a track that sounds like it was taken straight off of Manic Frustration. With the blessing of the singer’s family, Legions Of Doom are now a supergroup, featuring drummer Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Pentagram), guitarist Scott Little (Leadfoot) and two fantastic vocalists; Karl Agell, better known for being on Corrosion Of Conformity’s best album, Blind, and my favourite Saint Vitus vocalist, Scott Reagers. The addition of the new members makes Legions Of Doom sound less like a Trouble-loving side project and more like a band celebrating old-school U.S. doom metal.

The album is doomed and menacing on the bookending songs, “Beyond The Shadow Of Doubt” and “Hallow By All Means”, it is catchy and groovy, especially on the first single, “All Good Things”, on “A Voice Of Reason”, and on “Insectiside”, and it is overtly emotional on “Between Darkness And Dawn”. The presence of three vocalists offer an extra layer of diversity that is very welcome; Wagner’s voice on “Heaven” brings me tears, and Agell shines on all his tracks, pretty much owning the songs. The expressive and theatrical voice of Reagers first appears on “Lost Souls” giving the album a different perspective, and delivers a killer performance on the outstanding closer, “Hallow By All Means”. He is, for sure, one of the most important vocalists in doom metal history.

There is not much that needs to be said about The Skull 3 and there is no point in dissecting it. The music is blue-collar doom, celebrating the power of the riff, with vocals from the heavens (see what I did there?), a bass that is more abrasive than sandpaper, and drums that pound straight through the skull (see what I did there, again?).

Eric hopefully listens to this from somewhere, and sings along.

“And so, dear friends, you just have to carry on…”