''The Skull'' is the second studio album by American
doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
band
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
, released by
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
in March 1985.
Trouble gained critical recognition for ''The Skull'' and it was followed by a successful tour. The album reflected singer
Eric Wagner
Eric Wagner (April 24, 1959 – August 22, 2021) was an American heavy metal singer, best known for his work with doom metal band Trouble.
Career
Wagner formed Trouble in 1979. He briefly left the band in the mid-1990s and formed Lid with gui ...
's struggles with substance abuse, however, as well as growing turmoil within the group. This led to the departure of bassist Sean McAllister in 1986; he was replaced by Ron Holzner during that year, who would remain with the band until their 2002 reunion. In early 1986, shortly after ''The Skull'' tour began, drummer
Jeff Olson would also leave to pursue higher education and the band regrouped with a new lineup later that year. Olson would play the Hammond organ on Trouble's third studio album, ''
Run to the Light
''Run to the Light'' is the third studio album by American doom metal band Trouble, released by Metal Blade Records on July 15, 1987, being the band's last release on that label. It was the band's first album to have Ron Holzner on bass guitar a ...
'', in 1987 and keyboards on their
1990 self-titled album, eventually fully reuniting with the band in 1993. Olson played on Trouble's sixth and seventh studio albums, ''
Plastic Green Head
''Plastic Green Head'' is the sixth studio album by the American doom metal band Trouble. It was first released on the Music for Nations label in Europe in 1995 and later distributed in the United States by Century Media Records with a bonus tr ...
'' and ''
Simple Mind Condition
''Simple Mind Condition'' is the seventh studio album by American doom metal band Trouble (band), Trouble. It was the band's first full-length studio release in twelve years, the longest gap between Trouble's studio albums to date; the band's p ...
'', released in 1995 and 2007, respectively, before leaving the band again in 2008.
''The Skull'' has been released on CD on several occasions: in 1990 by
Enigma Records
Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
History
Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/dis ...
; in 1991 by Metal Blade Records, both by itself and bundled with Trouble's 1984 debut album
''Psalm 9''; remastered and reissued by Escapi Music on October 24, 2006 with a bonus DVD containing concert footage of the band from 1985 at Malo's in Aurora, Illinois; and remastered and reissued by
Hammerheart Records
Hammerheart Records (known as Karmageddon Media between 2004 and 2010) is a Dutch independent record label specializing in death metal, black metal, doom metal and folk metal bands from around the world. The label was founded in 1995 and is current ...
, cooperating alongside Trouble, Inc., on May 20, 2020.
Recording
''The Skull'' was recorded in 1985 at two studios, Preferred Studios and
Track Record Studios
Track Record Studios is a recording studio, originally established around 1970 and located in North Hollywood, California.
Many gold or platinum records were recorded or mixed at Track Record: The Offspring's ''Ignition'' and the follow-up '' S ...
, both located in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
; the band previously recorded their first studio album, ''Psalm 9'', at Track Record Studios in February 1984. Trouble's first demo, ''1980 Demo'', had a track named "Demon's Claw," an early recording of what would later become the song "Fear No Evil," along with two other songs, "Dying Love" and "Child of Tomorrow." The band's second demo, ''1982 Demo'', included an early recording of the song "Wickedness of Man" and three tracks that would later be re-recorded for ''Psalm 9''. The band's third demo, ''1983 Demo'', also included "Wickedness of Man" as well as the song "The Last Judgment." ''Trouble Live'' was released in 1983 and had live recordings of songs that would appear on several of the band's studio albums, including four tracks that would later be on ''The Skull''. During a February 2021 interview with Trouble guitarist
Bruce Franklin
H. Bruce Franklin (born February 1934) is an American cultural historian and scholar. He is notable for receiving top awards for his lifetime scholarship in fields as diverse as American studies, science fiction, prison literature and marine e ...
, he stated about ''The Skull'', "We had to mix the whole album in about 8 hours". In June 2021, producer and engineer
Bill Metoyer
Bill Metoyer is an American record producer who has recorded with Slayer, Deliverance, Hirax, Morbid Angel, Trouble and Tourniquet. He has worked at Metal Blade Records for several years as house producer and currently works as A&R. He also wor ...
said about ''The Skull'' that Trouble had grown "in both musicianship and songwriting"
when compared to ''Psalm 9''.
Songs
''The Skull'', like Trouble's debut album, is significantly
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
-based for the lyrics and song titles.
Ephesians 4:31-32 is on the album's back cover. The song title "Gideon" is a reference to
Gideon
Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.
Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiez ...
from the Hebrew Bible's
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges (, ') is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom i ...
. "The Wish," lyrically, appears to be based on Psalm 13:2-3 and Psalm 94:17-19, while the song title "Wickedness of Man" is likely a reference to Proverbs 6:12. The title for "Fear No Evil" is from a section in
Psalm 23:4. The album's title track, which begins with a reference to the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
from
Matthew 26:26-28, is about the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ
The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consider ...
.
Track listing
:Previously recorded under the song name "Demon's Claw" on ''1980 Demo''.
:Live recording previously appeared on ''Trouble Live'' (1983).
:Song not included on the 1991 CD bundled with ''
Psalm 9
Psalm 9 is the ninth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." In Latin, it is known as "Confitebor tibi, Domine". T ...
''.
:Early recording previously appeared on ''1982 Demo'' and ''1983 Demo''.
;Bonus DVD
# "Bastards Will Pay"
# "Fear No Evil"
# "Truth Is – What Is"
# "Revelation (Life or Death)"
# "Psalm 9"
# "The Last Judgment"
# "Assassin"
# "Pray for the Dead"
# "
Heart Full of Soul
"Heart Full of Soul" is a song recorded by English rock group the Yardbirds in 1965. Written by Graham Gouldman, it was the Yardbirds' first single after Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton as lead guitarist. Released only three months after "Fo ...
" (
The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
cover)
# "Endtime" (Instrumental)
# "Run to the Light"
# "The Tempter"
# "Wickedness of Man"
# "The Skull"
# "Children of the Grave" (
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
cover)
# "
Tales of Brave Ulysses
"Tales of Brave Ulysses" is a song recorded in 1967 by British group Cream.
It was released as the B-side to the "Strange Brew" single in June 1967. In November, the song was included on Cream's second album, ''Disraeli Gears''. The song featu ...
" (
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
cover)
Personnel
Trouble
*
Eric Wagner
Eric Wagner (April 24, 1959 – August 22, 2021) was an American heavy metal singer, best known for his work with doom metal band Trouble.
Career
Wagner formed Trouble in 1979. He briefly left the band in the mid-1990s and formed Lid with gui ...
– vocals
*
Bruce Franklin
H. Bruce Franklin (born February 1934) is an American cultural historian and scholar. He is notable for receiving top awards for his lifetime scholarship in fields as diverse as American studies, science fiction, prison literature and marine e ...
– guitars
*Rick Wartell – guitars
*Sean McAllister – bass
*
Jeff Olson – drums
Production
*
Bill Metoyer
Bill Metoyer is an American record producer who has recorded with Slayer, Deliverance, Hirax, Morbid Angel, Trouble and Tourniquet. He has worked at Metal Blade Records for several years as house producer and currently works as A&R. He also wor ...
– producer, engineer
*
Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel (born February 14, 1961) is an American music executive. He is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for having initiated the ''Metal Massacre'' series of compilation albums in 1982 ...
– executive producer
*Gary Docken – cover artwork
*Eddie Schreyer – mastering at
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
in Hollywood, California (original version)
*Erwin Hermsen – remastering at Toneshed Recording Studio in The Netherlands (2020 version)
Notes
1. "The Wish" is split between two parts as "Death Wish 1" and "Death Wish 2" on ''Trouble Live'' (1983).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skull, The
Trouble (band) albums
1985 albums
Metal Blade Records albums