Album Review: The Skull - The Endless Road Turns Dark

We often talk of greatness as though it is a tangible quality an artist possesses, one that endures until they have run through their supply. That's not how it works. Greatness can last for a career, but more often it is a flash of inspiration that is never again seen. It is the proverbial lightning that never strikes twice. I feel that way about Eric Wagner, who fronted Trouble when they made one of the greatest metal albums ever (the 1991 self-titled), but who has also made a slog of turgid albums that tarnish that legacy. Greatness, for him, was ever so fleeting.

The first album from The Skull went back to his doom roots, and was a pedestrian affair that I can hardly remember now. His other project Blackfinger, was better, but even they could only make it one record deep before growing stale. Suffice it to say, I wasn't walking into this record expecting the second coming of Trouble, even though that's exactly what they're shooting for.

The key to this kind of doom lays in the guitar tone. Trouble had one of the best of all time, and The Skull tries to copy as much of that sound as they can. The guitars are dirty and thick, but fuzzy yet chunky as the same time. It's a sound that works well with Wagner's voice, loose and laid-back. If you push all the thoughts out of your mind, it's not inconceivable to think this record could have fit right in with "Psalm 9".

The opening title track is Wagner at his best. Both the riff and his melody are as simple as can be, which is precisely why they work. No one is trying to do too much, and every element has plenty of space to make its impact. Wagner no longer scrapes glass with his vocals, but his tone is so unique he doesn't need to do anything more than show up to put his stamp on a record. That can sometimes be his downfall, as he doesn't always craft a melody for himself that sticks like a cobweb on the edge of a raised casket lid.

Fortunately, he is more engaged on this record than the last couple he has made, which makes this a far more enjoyable listen. There aren't any surprises in store, but that's ok when the material that is here does what it's supposed to. While the debut might have been a decent enough doom record, this one sounds like an old Trouble record, which I imagine is what fans will actually want to hear. This time around, the riffs have more of the Trouble swagger, where even the slower moments have a groove to them that keeps your swaying. It's hard to make slow music that doesn't feel stagnant, which is why doom often struggles.

This is still a sow, plaintive record, but the songwriting is sharper than it was the last time out. That record was a chore to listen to, because it was so standard nothing could stand out. This record has more personality to it, which makes a huge difference. I will admit that the doom era of Trouble has always been my least favorite, this record does doom with just enough flair that it stands up well when compared to those genre classics. My expectations coming in might have been low, but by more fully embracing his past, Eric Wagner has made a classically Trouble record here. I'm impressed.