Legions of Doom began under sad circumstances. Following the passing of The Skull and former Trouble singer Eric Wagner in 2021,The Skull guitarist Lothar Keller and bassist Ron Holzner still had material written (with Wagner) that was intended for the doom group’s third album. With the blessing of the late singer’s family, the pair welcomed drummer Henry Vasquez (Saint Vitus, Pentagram) and guitarist Scott Little (Leadfoot) into the fold. Joined by dual vocalists,—Blind-era Corrosion of Conformity singer Karl Agell and original Saint Vitus vocalist Scott Reagers—Legions of Doom were ready to go.
Musically, Legions of Doom don’t stray too far from established territory and why should they? The Skull 3 is a celebration of Wagner’s life and of doom, going so far as to include the late vocalist’s performance on seventh track “Heaven.” There’s a gallop to most of the songs on The Skull 3, giving the album a very retro doom feeling. The exception comes with the aforementioned “Heaven,” a quiet power ballad that drives home a reminder of what the album is all about. The Skull 3 concludes with the massive “Hallow By All Means,” which features an organ performance by Paul Rau alongside the album’s heaviest and slowest guitar playing.
Tee Pee Records will release The Skull 3 on Friday, September 13 but you can hear it now via Decibel.
