Eric Wagner, Iconic Doom Metal Singer, Dead at 62 After Battle With COVID Pneumonia

Eric Wagner, former singer for doom metal icons Trouble and, more recently, of The Skull, has died at the age of 62 after being hospitalized with COVID pneumonia last week.

The Skull had recently been on the road with The Obsessed, but bowed out of the trek part-way through, citing the surge in COVID cases nationwide, fueled by the delta variant of the coronavirus. The group later declared they would also withdraw from their appearance at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in an announcement where it was also revealed that Wagner had been admitted to the hospital with COVID pneumonia.

Now, former The Skull guitarist Chuck Robinson, who was a member of Trouble from 2002 through 2009 as well, has announced the death of his former bandmate on Facebook.

Robinson wrote, "This morning I awoke to the worst news… We are all truely [sic] devastated.. My dear friend, band mate and brother Eric Wagner has passed. Goodnight Tempter.. We love you.."

Wagner, pictured second in from the left in the featured photo above, rose to prominence as the singer for Trouble, who were among the earliest traditional doom metal bands. He joined the band in 1981, two years after their formation, and sang on Psalm 9 (1984), The Skull (1985), Run to the Light (1987), Trouble (1990), Manic Frustration (1992) and Plastic Green Head (1995) before departing in 1997. Upon Wagner's return in 2000, Trouble eventually issued a new album, Simple Mind Condition, in 2007, which was their last with the iconic vocalist, who left again the following year.

In 2021, The Skull was formed, featuring previous members of Trouble who named the group after the 1985 record. They released two albums — For Those Which Are Alseep and The Endless Road Turns Black — in 2014 and 2018, respectively.

Loudwire extends our condolences to the Wagner family, his friends and bandmates past and present and all who knew him. Rest in peace.