The Skull

After an album like "Psalm 9", I can only imagine expectations were sky high. At this point, Trouble were starting to get some competition, as other doom giants such as Saint Vitus and Pentagram were beginning to make a name for themselves. Still, all of these bands were highly productive and had plenty of material to spare, even for a second record, and Trouble were no exception.

Most of the tracks here had already been written before they even began to record their debut, as shown by their earlier demo tapes. "Fear No Evil" is a re-worked version of "Demon's Call" from their 1980 demo (this version is heavier and more sinister sounding), "Wickedness of Man" first appeared on the 1982 tape and both "Gideon" and "The Wish" made their first appearance on the 1983 live tape (the latter is the combination of 2 tracks that were originally split called "Death Wish" (1 and 2)).

So, as expected, musically this is more of the same and a continuation of what was on "Psalm 9". Still, I feel like the intensity of the debut is missing. The ever-present ominous vibe is mostly gone and the energy of the band feels kind of lacking. The songs don't have as much variety; whereas they would change tempos quite frequently and showcase a bunch of different ideas, here they mostly stay on the same (mid) tempo, so it gets somewhat monotonous at times. The core of Trouble is still the same, though: slow, bluesy riffs alternating with a faster, thrashy pace, NWOBHM melodies with the drummer doing some lightning-fast drum fills from time to time. The songs themselves are good, and the sound is great. Maybe Trouble wanted to pick all of their better songs for their debut in hopes of making a bigger impact, so I suppose you could say this is an album of leftovers. Or maybe it was just a coincidence, who knows? A lot of people seem to really like this one, so I'm likely the one in the wrong here.

My main problem is with the 2 songs "The Wish" and "Truth Is - What Is". The former is a long, epic composition where the most interesting ideas are on the second half (making the first seem rather boring in comparison), with some nice acoustic sections throughout and a great ending, and the latter is a more bluesy song that doesn't really have much going on. Other than that, the rest of the tracks are killer. "Pray for the Dead" is a nice, sinister sounding opening, but it is certainly no "The Tempter". "Fear No Evil" is a more heavy metal-styled track that, admittedly, does get kinda repetitive. "Wickedness of Man" is classic Trouble we all know and love, on the doomier side of things, with an incredibly tasty main riff, and "Gideon" is more of the same. The closer is one heavy & ominous sounding motherfucker, though. This at least means that the album ends on a fantastic note, with 3 of the best tracks being together in the end.

Ultimately, the band could not match the energy & creativity they displayed on "Psalm 9", despite having written both records at pretty much the same time. It's not a bad album, per se, but it is a rather disappointing follow-up to their debut. I've listened to this record several times, to see if I just wasn't "in it" at the time of listening, but my opinion always remained the same. I don't know if it has to do with the overall cleaner sound this record has, but, regardless, it just doesn't hit as hard, it's not as engaging or menacing and doesn't leave much of an impact, even if there's nothing wrong with the songs themselves. This feels pretty safe in comparison. I'd still recommend this to anyone, since you can't really go wrong with classic Trouble, but you'd be better off checking out "Psalm 9" or "Run to the Light" instead.

Trouble's second album «The Skull» is a crucial and hard-hitting, highly technical album. Created in the time when the proto-doom metal sound of the 70's began being reworked by the bands of the heavy metal wave of the early 80's. The result was the incorporation of the NWOBHM style guitar in the classic Sabbath/Pentagram sounding song structure. One of the blueprints of the original Doom Metal sound is the cult and extremely underrated Illinois based «Trouble». The band was formed in 1979 and set out to play gloomy but energetic music.

After the 1984 impressive debut «Psalm 9» the band decided to record a follow up «The Skull». It was recorded with Eric Wagner on vocals, Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell on guitars, Sean McAllister responsible for the bass and Jeff Olson on the drums. This is what most considered «the golden» Trouble lineup. And for a good reason. The riffing and rhythm section on the album are just superb and can be easily compared to the more skilled trash and heavy bands of the decade while sounding distinctly as a doom metal records. The Christian-themed lyrics present high quality of songwriting. They are not preachy but rather tell stories of existential and spiritual nature as well as referencing the judo-christian myth as a canvas for storytelling. In the most dramatic points they have a bit of Søren Kierkegaard vibe.

The album opens with the gloomy and atmospheric «Pray for the Dead» which touches upon the subject of death and losing a person close to you. The song structure is not common for the heavy scene of the time; it has a slight progressive structure to it. And the riff carries the point across. “Fear no Evil” — is more of a sabbath-like heavy metal number. A catchy hook is in place and it creates a break between the melancholy of the album. “The Wish” opens with an acoustic interlude before the heavy and slow part starts, the drums really underline the impact of the song. And then the crystal-clear acoustic interlude in the middle changes things up, lyrics talk about suicide, and the song also leads a superb solo after which the more crushing impulse of the song returns. “The Truth is what it is” – continues the album as a second more NWOBH oriented number; it works in the context of the album and also displays the band's more blues-based roots. “Wickedness of Men” opens with a melody that later will become a staple of the doom-death bands like Dusk and Tiamat who will appear 5 years later – it’s a deep sad harmony in the beginning of the song, that shows what Trouble is all about, while the drums on the track are absolutely classic. The bass work is also solid on the song. “Gideon” speeds things up again while delivering some more biblical references in the lyrics. And then comes the title composition The Skull: because of this song alone the band may be named among the greatest of the greatest of the 80's metal. The clean cold guitars give way to the pure darkness of the riff which sets the mood for the scene of the crucifixion which is portrayed. The vocals are sincere. You feel the pain in Wagner's voice. It is also very theatrical in a good way. The faster fragments of the song remind of an extremely heavy version of Lloyd Webber’s work and are likely influenced by it. The pure sorrow and bleakness of the slower part perfectly co-exists with the hymn-like faster part.

Overall the album works as greatly as a complete conceptual record. Don't let the Christian lyrics be a drawback (as it may be for some listeners). I suggest viewing it more in the lines of a setting for storytelling and the existential feelings, like any text based on myth. The first two Trouble albums were greatly influential. Candlemass, My Dying Bride, Crowbar, Confessor and even Darkthrone have all stated in there interviews that these albums are very important for them. The band changed sound more towards stoner rock with the later albums and then split into two bands one named “Trouble” and the other called “The Skull”- both of them deserve the listener’s attention. Most importantly this album documents the moment, when proto-doom finally turned into doom-metal. It has aged well and is very accessible. A must listen for anyone into doom and heavy metal of the 80s.

Originally written for Iratus Vox Zine

I've always felt that expressing one's message through emotional appeals, especially the more forlorn, downcast sentiments, paves the way for the greatest level of introspection, and such an approach is particularly effective when the message is that of peace and love. It is in times of sorrow that one truly gains a broader perspective on life, for in order to truly love one must first suffer the pain of loss and emptiness.

This thematic overtone, characterized by its own obscurity, meshes well with the circumstances of early doom metal bands throughout the 80's, being unlike the majority of the metal scene at the time, and largely disregarded by its acolytes. The doom bands were few and scattered, and nor was doom metal an intentional or recognized subgenre until the later part of the 80's. Other than the early material of the almighty Sabbath, you had Pagan Altar and Witchfinder General in the UK, Saint Vitus and Cirith Ungol in California, Pentagram in Virginia, The Obsessed in Maryland, Nemesis/Candlemass in Sweden, and the most adherent to the philosophy expressed in the previous paragraph, Chicago's Trouble.

Having released a series of demos and and making an appearance on 1983's Metal Massacre IV compilation, Trouble paved the way for their landmark debut album, Psalm 9. From these releases, it was clear that Trouble, while undeniably metal, had a different creative vision. Firstly, their lyrics centered around positive themes expressed through the Christian perspective. Singer Eric Wagner noted he had been brought up Christian and did not see fit to write lyrics of darkness and evil as the first wave black metal bands of the time had done, since there was genuine trouble to be addressed in the world. Second, Trouble's sound was obviously quite doomy, as even when they weren't playing at a crawl, their music still carried a sense of longing and despair, influences the band said they had picked up from the darker side of the NWOBHM and slower heavy rock before it. Furthermore, their image was more redolent of hippie culture than the metal community's favored attire in the 1980's, leaving no doubt that they identified more with the ideals of mutual understanding and concern for all their fellow humans than they did the hard-headed shunning of perspectives other than one's own that was the attitude of thrash metal at the time.

All of this paves the way for what is unequivocally the quintessential doom metal album, and Trouble's darkest yet most wholesome moment, 1985's The Skull. Being slightly more focused, sorrowful, and philosophical than its predecessor, it proves to be the epitome of the genre at its finest. "Pray For the Dead" crescendos in and uses such a tortured, melancholic melody to descend into its grooving doom riff that it portrays exactly what it feels like to mourn the loss of a loved one, and yet it feels oddly comforting at its sentimental, uplifting chorus, truly making the most of despondency.

Beyond this monumental opener, The Skull is quite a well-balanced release, with faster cuts like "Fear No Evil" still keeping the doom feeling consistent through the use of Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin's winding dual guitar harmonies, and mid-tempo pieces like "Truth Is What Is" offering a break from the more emotionally intense doom of the album's centerpieces such as "The Wish" and "The Skull". The former is one of the most powerful anti-suicide songs ever conceived, with an incredibly strong doom riff conveying the feeling of unending depression from day to miserable day. However, despite being such a massive slab of melancholy, this song still manages to be healing and introspective, and it does not feel like an 11 minute song due to how well structured it is. "The Skull", meanwhile, creates a truly menacing and ominous atmosphere with its somber acoustic guitar chords, surely an influence on Candlemass' acoustic segments on their masterpiece Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.

The mention of the latter band brings me to my next point, that being that The Skull is hugely influential to all future doom, especially the likes of Candlemass ("Darkness in Paradise" nearly borrows a riff from "Wickedness of Man"), Cathedral (Forest of Equilibrium is like The Skull but more bleak and extreme, but also oddly comforting), Solitude Aeturnus (literally Trouble if they were epic doom instead of traditional doom), and Crowbar (the intro to "Planets Collide", "The Lasting Dose"). One can even hear the sorrow-oozing guitar lines in the doomy drudge of bands like Autopsy and spot the influence of Trouble.

The distinctive, near-falsetto singing of Eric Wagner and the dual guitar sound of Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin also make Trouble's sound unmistakable and incredibly memorable, with the capable rhythm section of bassist Sean McAllister and drummer Jeff Olson enhancing the experience even further. This remarkable musicianship is one thing that makes Trouble stand out so much and makes The Skull, with its seven perfect songs, feel like the very definition of true doom metal focused on superb songwriting and conveying an ultimately positive and uplifting message. These characteristics all embody the hippie-like nature of traditional doom metal perfectly and make Trouble my absolute favorite doom band, with The Skull being my pick for not only their best album, but the best and most essential doom metal album of all time. It feels so real, grounded, intentional, philosophical, and honest that it is a monument to all the goodness that humankind has to offer, solidified by the wisdom of its lyrical content and its tremendously powerful heaviness.

"Close your eyes, look into your mind. See yourself as you really are..."

Trouble are an interesting band; they fall into two categories: the doom and the Christian metal one. However, they don’t epitomize either of them fully; they tended to be quite fast and aggressive for the former, and were not enough preachy and dogmatic for the latter. I’m writing in past tense cause the band under its new form isn’t exactly the band it used to be despite the omnipresence of the old Rick Wartell/Bruce Franklin guitar duo. You know what I mean, the absence of this inimitable high-strung throat called Eric Wagner…

Yes, it’s difficult to accept the band without him wailing heart-rendingly behind the mike. His unique croon is a most characteristic feature from the band’s early repertoire that had a really auspicious start in the form of the excellent self-titled debut which combined sorrowful Sabbath-esque dirges with sudden thrashy outbursts of fury, a one-of-a-kind combination that attracted a wider range of fans. Not willing to lose the inertia, the guys nailed down the album reviewed here less than a year later. Not surprisingly, the style is pretty much the same the band further honing their original approach. The elegiac balladic beginning of the opening title-track is the best possible introduction into the sombre, dark world of the band, Wagner soaring above the proceedings with a hypnotic, levelled timbre; as the riffs become more dynamic and more intense so does the vocal performance the man hitting the higher registers with brilliant melodic tunes flying around reaching some kind of a culmination at the end. “Pray for the Dead” rises amidst a whirlwind of virtuous leads before a superb melodic inauguration announces the arrival of one of the finest doom metal anthems in the annals of the genre with the dramatic chorus, the versatile vocal exploits, the gorgeous leads, and the heavy seismic riffage.

We’ll all start praying for the dead for sure after such a masterpiece although the following “Fear no Evil” is a much faster proposition the guys bringing the winds of speed metal in a truly marvellous fashion before the magnanimous elegy that “The Wish” is, a nearly 12-min saga which begins with more balladic sorrow before the ship-sinking riffage settles in with Wagner ruling the proceedings with operatic, Robert Plant-like pathos his soulful tirades floating above the morose sea of heavy unperturbed guitars which stride is enhanced by a supreme lead break that any Shrapnel performer would die for; the more energetic delivery in the second half brings Sabbath’s more vivid material to mind with the leads providing a compelling finale. “The Truth is What is” contains one of Wagner’s most memorable lines and is another doom metal highlight with Sabbath-esque leanings and a few bluesy histrionics not to mention the fever-pitch speedy epitaph. “Wickedness of Man” starts as mournful doom at its finest, but the guys step on the pedal before long and unleash a couple of admirable impetuous gallops in the middle although the sombre heavy tone isn’t broken that much by these faster-paced additives that acquire a fuller shape on “Gideon” which rages forward with sharp cutting riffs and a wider array of rhythmic changes.

Wartell and Franklin are simply too good to be restricted to slow doomy chords exclusively. Their more proficient, also more dynamic side cries out for expression hence the frequent speedy “skirmishes” which bring some of the most dazzling guitar work ever encountered on a supposed doom metal recording, second only to Mike Wead’s pyrotechnics on the Memento Mori and Abstrakt Algebra efforts. Because of these guys’ wizardry the Trouble albums, at least the first four, stuck out of the pack easily making it hard for the audience to place them in just one particular niche. On the other hand, if you think of it, even Black Sabbath themselves experimented extensively outside the doom metal parametres (just remember “Children of the Grave” and “Symptom of the Universe” for two of the more prominent examples) leaving the “doom” tag describing the mood, the atmosphere and the overall guitar tone rather than the pace and the dynamics within. Even the leaders Candlemass have been tempted by the speed and aggression almost turning their “Ancient Dreams” opus into a thrash metal fiesta because of that. However, for our friends here the faster ways of execution have always played a significant role, and they took bigger proportions on their future works delineating them from the doom metal brotherhood.

In this train of thought this “skull” here remains their biggest legacy to said brotherhood alongside the debut. Trouble were just too “troublesome” to remain squared in the company of Saint Vitus, Pentagram and the likes although both their albums after the reformation in the new millennium have their hefty doomy vibes with the psychedelic flavour from their 90’s period still felt in the air. They have to be more careful now as they have a strong competition from The Skull… no, not the album reviewed here, the new Eric Wagner project started in 2012 which is another fine addition to the doom metal roster, paying tribute to their finest hour with the band name, and not only. The Trouble fans should be happy since they will have more than one act to follow; the doom metal parade will always find a room for one more “skull” be it slow or coming with a pleasant shade of speed.

Two things have come to my attention recently. One is the genre defining magnificence of Trouble's second opus "The Skull", and the second is thrash fans un-failing quest to assert that any reduced thrashiness is unequivically a negative thing. In general, when facing hordes of baggy pantsed zombies, brain-dead hipsters and bizzare crablike deathcore dance routines this is a natural and understandable reaction. However when the osmosing party is soul crushing doom, the result is more than palatable - hence we get to "The Skull".

Trouble's second album is not a sophomore slump, it is the shedding of dead skin. In fact, the sophmore slump is a disease that rarely seems to strike in the metal realm and was near non-existent for any half decent early 80s metal band. As bands were being picked up relatively quickly by labels during that time the overall trend was for bands to evolve to a heightened plane as they honed their skills over two or three releases. This is exactly the case here where Trouble emerged from a NWOBHM/thrash doom cocoon and blossoming into a soul destroying depressive machine. Now don't get me wrong, I love every second of "Psalm 9" and will stuff that down your throat too. But god damn it, this album is a cornerstone of doom metal.

To dispell any fears right now we must look at the fact Trouble had written songs like "Gideon", "Wickedness of Man" and "The Wish" (previously titled "Death Wish I/II") before "Psalm 9" had even been released. Not only that, but the incredible guitar tone and Eric's vocals have improved since the debut so we are talking about a step up. We'll get to that in a second - lets mention the lyrics. Yes, the lyrics really are hippie infused Christian morality spiced with dark themes. And yet despite this they come across as an ingenious doom metal ploy - instead of preachy songs, they appear more like depressing stories of death and hopeless salvation, not unlike say how Nile might sing of Egyptian gods and yet it is palatable because you know Karl Sanders isn't truly trying to have you submit yourself to Ra - he's weaving a fantastical tale. If you're not struck down by the impact of Eric's grief when singing the opening of the opening lyrics:

"The one you love is dead
feeling so empty inside
I know it hurts"

...you will never know true doom. Right onto the music.

"Pray for the Dead", "Fear No Evil" and especially "The Wish" are an incredible opening force. This is doom metal, in all it's glory. The touches of NWOBHM and thrash are still there, but the tempo drops most of the time and the guitar tone is something that other bands of the period would never come close to achieving. There are neoclassical touches and harmonized leads which really bring about the desponding atmosphere, and Eric Wagner's vocals are hands down some of the best in metal. His range is good and sure he sings with good melody, but the emotive force in his vocals to back up the lyrics is the real element that's incredibly unique to the man.

"The Truth Is, What Is" has a fantastic chorus despite being a mash of riffs and continues the high trend. Surprisingly it's the next 2 pre "Psalm 9" tracks which seem more out of place, but the riffs on display still slaughter most doom and NWOBHM from around this period. Finally, just when you think they couldn't really top the power of the opening tracks comes the incredibly ominous "The Skull". Once again the riffs here are inventive, memorable and yet shine with psuedo-prog brilliance; the mind boggles that this release hasn't been praised more.

Trouble's follow up album "Run To The Light" was also a solid effort before they moved onto the depends-on-how-you-look-at-it psychedelic doom, but it was "The Wish" where they perfected 80s doom metal. Save yourself, get this god damn album.

After releasing one of the most monumental metal albums of the 80's, Trouble eased up a little for their sophmore effort, "The Skull." While their debut was an astounding mix of Black Sabbathian doom, with the twin guitars of Judas Priest, this album is more straightforward 80's metal. The guitars are not as heavy. The songs don't switch from slow to fast, they stay at about the same speed throughout. None of these songs come near the almost-thrash of songs like "The Deceiver." Nothing at all on this album seems like an improvement over their debut.

And that may be the biggest problem here. The intensity is toned down, the riffs aren't as striking, and the songs themselves just aren't as memorable. Trouble just seem like they're going through the motions, none of the songs (excluding the title track) measure up to their previous counterparts. I give them credit for writing an epic, "The Wish," but it's still a rather tedious listen. Don't get me wrong, none of the songs on here are outright bad, they're just not as good, and in most cases, boring.

The one exception to everything mentioned above is the album closing title track. It starts out with acoustic guitars and creates an incredibly doomy atmosphere, even with the Christian lyrics. The song builds up until the inevitable, but still satisfying heavy crescendo at the end. Damn, that riff is good. And I don't care if you follow Satan, Buddha, or Asatru, you WILL be yelling "Christ have mercy!!" at the end.

So while this album is not a complete waste, it certainly is not worth the full price. This is not really anything different from anything that other bands were putting out at the same time, and they were doing it better. The title track should be required listening for all metalheads, but the rest of the album is far from essential.

“…close your eyes, look in to your mind, see yourself as you really are…”

Whenever a band releases a pivotal debut or any strong lp for that matter, I’m always leery of the next step in their evolution. We all know of bands that unload one killer album where just about every song has your head spinning, then for follow-ups the creative bank seems to run dry and meaningful songs flow like roofing tar = disappointment. Admittedly, these were feelings I had during the months between Trouble’s debut and the unveiling of The Skull.

While I feel The Skull isn’t at all the monument that the debut is, it’s not the band’s tombstone either. Unfortunately, some of their renown doom influence has subsided for more mid-paced or faster speeds, their overall power seems more reserved, and I'll tell you isn’t exactly what fans were expecting. What hasn’t changed over the year is the lineup, nor have their Christian ideals been abandoned and even includes a Bible passage on the back cover. This signifies that despite lyrics saying to “beware the son of Satan”, “share the love”, and other things traditional underground metal fans of ‘85 would consider cuddly and gay, those fans still take to their vibe like a bat to a flying beetle. With the debut, hardly anyone was rolling their eyes to the band’s ideals because they were busy being flattened in their sockets by their music. With their sophomore effort, whether it be Christian or the clashing messages on Hell Awaits, Infernal Overkill, Feel the Fire and other ’85 releases, the music still retains enough sledgehammer delivery to slake the one year thirst. Stryper were more image oriented and glammy, plus they weren’t helping themselves with the gaudy and inane yellow and black attack ticket.

The lp and “Pray for the Dead” rises quickly and dramatically from silence with the commanding riff that would later back the chorus and is a fine song to kick off the project. Anyone who complained the vocals were buried on the debut would be pleased to know they’ve been unearthed here. Leaving behind the doom influence for a bit is “Fear No Evil”, one of their adventurously fast tracks, but shortly afterward “The Wish” stirs with many soft-spoken acoustical interludes that accentuate the surplus of momentum and wailing solos roaming this 11+ minute epic.

Side two’s “Truth is – What Is” incorporates a pretty conventional riff, doom-tinged yet somewhat predictable before throwing the velocity into top gear. “Wickedness of Man” builds more epic proportions that fortified their debut, meanwhile mid-tempo quickness dominates “Gideon”. The title cut is more your customary epic, mingling many moods, and is something one would anticipate to finish off an lp: satiny acoustics supporting saddened vocals, heavy lethargic tragedy, anger, drama, and a forceful ending of two-toned guitar.

As a reader of this, you may be thinking that my description of these tracks is a bit lacking, perhaps even somewhat disinterested. Unfortunately, that's the way I feel about The Skull. Would I have heard this initially instead of the debut, perhaps the atmosphere of this review would've been more vibrant, but I can't help but listen to this and wonder if the band were attempting to discard some of the doom for more of the driven or spare themselves the Sabbath finger pointing and forge a sound more their own despite the success of the debut.

It would be two years before Run To The Light sees the horizon. Tune in next time.