The remaining members of American doom metal band The Skull have announced two memorial shows in honor of late lead vocalist Eric Wagner. Karl Agell of C.O.C. Blind and Leadfoot and Scott Reagers of Saint Vitus have been invited to celebrate Wagner’s contributions to the metal genre and community. 

The two shows consist of an appearance at Midwest Metal Anthem music festival in Lombard, Illinois on August 27 as well as a performance at Hammer of Doom music festival in Wurzburg, Germany on November 18. The so-dubbed Eric Wagner Allstars will also be performing featuring Black Finger’s Chuck Robinson, Dave Snyder and Matt Cross as well as Penance’s Brian Balich and Earthride’s Greg Ball.

Wagner was hospitalized with Covid-19 induced pneumonia in mid-August last year. He passed away within a week. After his death, it was revealed that he was vaccine hesitant. The Skull and The Obsessed had just closed out their co-headlining summer 2021 tour dates before Wagner’s hospitalization and ultimate demise. 

Bassist Ron Holzner reflected on his last performance with Wagner, “During the last song of the night, Eric turned to me and pointed at me and mouthed the words, ‘Thank you, I love you.’ He has done this over the years to me… this night he did it to Henry, Lothar, and Matt as well,” He continued, adding, “I thought, wow… that’s cool. He died exactly two weeks later… I can’t stop thinking about it now.”

The Skull Fall 2022 Eric Wagner Memorial Shows
8/27 – Lombard, IL @ Midwest Metal Anthem
11/18 – Wurzburg, DE @ Hammer Of Doom Fest