Speaking as both a metalhead and Chicagoan, to say the passing of Trouble frontman Eric Wagner was devastating would be an understatement. Trouble’s 1990 self titled is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time, and I saw Eric fronting his Trouble offshoot band, The Skull, more times than I could count. Over these years, I only had a few personal encounters with the man himself. Most of them took place outside Reggies, Chicago’s heavy metal mecca, where he’d smoke a bowl before taking the stage to his legion of adoring fans. The most memorable instance, however, was before a Glenn Hughes show at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.
Eric was standing at the bar with a few friends, enjoying a drink before the show, only to be interrupted by this teenage shithead shouting, “OH MY GOD! ERIC FROM TROUBLE! I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!” I’m sure you can guess who that shithead was. Yes, for whatever reason or another, I went full blown Wayne’s World. How did Eric respond? With a smile and a laugh, of course! Mind you, not a malicious “look at this loser” laugh (although it certainly would’ve been warranted), but rather an amused laugh, because even he couldn’t believe his music had that effect on people. That’s the type of guy Eric Wagner was: humble, honest, and down to earth…
…which is why when the promo link for his posthumous solo album, In the Light of Mourning, arrived in my inbox, I couldn’t bring myself to open it. I waited days and eventually weeks. It wasn’t until one morning when my thoughts were weighing heavily that I said, “Alright, let’s give this a shot.” You see, Wagner’s music has offered me much solace and comfort over the years. If I was just sitting on an entire album’s worth of songs that could further heal my broken soul, I’d be doing both myself and Eric a disservice.
When I finally got around to putting the album on, I couldn’t help but let a bittersweet smile creep upon my face. The slow melodic doom of the opening “Rest in Place” felt like being reunited with a long lost friend, and in a way, it was. Wagner may be gone, but here was his signature voice emitting from my speakers, in all its doom metal glory. As if this isn’t awesome enough, he’s joined by a band of co-conspirators, all of whom hold a special place in Wagner’s history. There’s former Trouble bassists Ron Holzner and Sean McAllister, Blackfinger bandmates Dave Snyder and Chuck Robinson, and even a cameo from legendary Pentagram guitarist Victor Griffin.
Despite being a doom metal album at it’s core, Lonely Light explores a vast array of sounds and style, each one presenting itself as a musical chapter in the Eric Wagner story. “Maybe Tomorrow” and “Isolation” boast hazy stoner metal grooves reminiscent of Kyuss, Corrosion of Conformity, and even what Trouble was attempting come the mid 90s. “Strain Theory” and “Walk with Me to the Sun” come off as classic Trouble with their lumbering riffs, sharp soloing, and foreboding atmosphere. There’s even two heart wrenching ballads, one doom (“In the Lonely Light of Mourning”) and one symphonic (“If You Lost it All”), before Wagner takes us back to the beginning with the closing, “Wish You Well”. My favorite cut on the album, “Wish You Well” is a furious doom-thrasher that wouldn’t sound out of place on Psalm 9 (1984).
These various forms of metallic expression are tied together by superior musicianship, Wagner’s vocals, and his equally haunting lyrics. It’s no secret that Wagner was always on the philosophical and spiritual side of things. However, the lyrics of Lonely Light are especially haunting because they almost exclusively come from the perspective of a man who is “at the end of his daze” so to speak. Perhaps these introspective observations and ponderings on the afterlife came as a result of maturity? Even so, there’s no denying that 62 is far too young to leave this earthly plane, especially when you’ve still got so much left to give.
There are many people and things I’m grateful for in my life. Eric Wagner is one of those people. In the Lonely Light of Mourning is one of those things. I couldn’t think of a better final chapter in the aforementioned Eric Wagner story. I must also applaud Eric’s dedicated team of associates in making his parting vision a reality. It’s what he would’ve wanted. If I’ve taken away anything from this album it’s to live everyday like it’s your last, tell the people around you that you love them, and to always open a gift when given to you, especially one from beyond the grave. It’s rude to do otherwise.
8 out of 10
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Doom Metal
For fans of: Trouble, The Skull, Black Sabbath
I couldn’t say it better.