by William YorkLed by guitarist/vocalist Victor Griffin, a past member of cult favorite doom metal acts Pentagram and Death Row, the Knoxville, TN, trio Place of Skulls formed in early 2000 and is rounded out by bassist Lee Abney (also an ex-member of Death Row) and drummer Tim Tomaselli. Musically, they carry on in the tradition of Griffin's old bands as well as other doom rock/metal bands such as Trouble, the Obsessed, Saint Vitus, and, above all, Black Sabbath. Lyrically, however, they add a different slant, owing to Griffin's mid-'90s conversion to Christianity. (The name Place of Skulls, in fact, is a biblical reference.) After self-releasing an eponymous EP as well as a live album (simply entitled Live!), the band recorded their first official full-length in the year 2001 with the intention of releasing it through the Man's Ruin label. However, when that label went under in mid-2001, they switched to the L.A.-based Southern Lord imprint for future distribution.