THE SKULL - For Those Which Are Asleep

November 18, 2014, 9 years ago

(Tee Pee)

Mark Gromen

Rating: 8.0

review heavy metal the skull

THE SKULL - For Those Which Are Asleep

Basically old Chicago doomsters Trouble, minus the guitar tandem that currently keeps that moniker alive. After hearing just a few bars, emotions got the best of me, hoping the entire record would sound like “Trapped Inside”. Much like the storied career of their ex-band, the music veers in several different directions, all loosely categorized under the “doom” umbrella. True to their heritage, the opener revives the classic groove inherent on the first few albums, before the Eric Wagner's talking vocals and more trippy style (re: Plastic Green Head) surface on “The Touch Of Reality”. Slow, punishingly heavy: that's how “Sick Of It All” begins, before opting for lilting, acoustic guitar and Beatles-esque harmonies, mixed with the occasional bass rumble, before ultimately ending in a voiceless interlude where they're completely rocking out. In that regard, it's similar to the Geffen era Trouble material. More atypical, thanks to the buzz and prominent piano, there's “The Door”, which probably should have remained shut. A chunky riff defines “Send Judas Down”, more Wagner monotone delivery and in the later third, plenty of wah wah pedal guitar. “A New Generation” is another stab (slab?) of the Green Head variety. “Till The Sun Turns Black” sounds like Trouble trying to play the blues, while the title track follow-up begins with Wagner atop jangly acoustic guitar, but quickly locks into a hypnotic bottom end drone. Killer stuff! A different, gritty guitar tone leaps out of “Sometime Yesterday Mourning”, more grungy than doomy. The debut ends with a lethargic cover of Trouble's “The Last Judgment” (off '83 Metal Massacre compilation), albeit it's supersonic, compared to the original. As with many reformations/reimaginations of bands, if this release allows them to tour and perform a handful of old Trouble tunes (in addition to the best moments here), it's all worth it. Let the music fester in the skull!



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