Pile of Skulls
{{Infobox album
| name = Pile of Skulls
| type = studio
| artist = Running Wild
| cover = Running wild pile of skulls.jpg
| alt =
| released = 21 October 1992
| recorded = June – August 1992
| studio = Studio M, Hannover, Germany
| genre = Heavy metal, power metal
| length = 50:35
| label = Electrola
| producer = Rolf Kasparek, Karl-Ulrich Walterbach
| prev_title = The First Years of Piracy
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Black Hand Inn
| next_year = 1994
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Pile of Skulls
| type = studio
| single1 = Lead or Gold
| single1date = 7 September 1992
}}
}}
Pile of Skulls is the seventh studio album by Running Wild, released in 1992. It is their last album with guitarist Axel Morgan.
The song "Jennings' Revenge" tells about the exploits of pirate Henry Jennings.
The lyrics of "Treasure Island" are based on the book of the same title by 19th century author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pile-of-skulls-mw0000244937 |title=Running Wild - Pile of Skulls review |last=Huey |first=Steve |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=2021-05-14 }}
| rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev2Score = 7/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = 1 August 2007 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | pages=372–373 |isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}
| rev3 = Rock Hard
| rev3Score = 9.0/10{{cite magazine |title=Review Album: Running Wild - Pile of Skulls review|magazine=Rock Hard |year=1992 |last=Kühnemund|first=Götz| issue=66| url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/running-wild-pile-of-skulls_232749.html|accessdate=2017-01-04 |language=German}}
| noprose =yes
}}
Pile of Skulls was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. Steve Huey of All Music Guide called it one of Running Wild's strongest efforts. While calling it too ambitious, he thought Pile of Skulls combined the group's trademark pirate subject matter with a unifying concept about corruption and abuse of power throughout history.
In a 2013 interview, Rolf Kasparek spoke about the song "Bloody Island" from the 2013 album Resilient and explained that the demo version of the song would've been a great fit on the album.
Track listing
Music and lyrics written by Rolf Kasparek, except "Pile of Skulls" by Kasparek and Axel Morgan and "Win or Be Drowned" by Kasparek and Piotr Smuszynski.
{{track_listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Whirlwind
| length1 = 4:52
| title2 = Sinister Eyes
| length2 = 5:06
| title3 = Black Wings of Death
| length3 = 5:17
| title4 = Fistful of Dynamite
| length4 = 4:06
| title5 = Roaring Thunder
| length5 = 5:56
}}
{{track_listing
| total_length = 50:35
| headline = Side B
| title6 = Pile of Skulls
| length6 = 4:39
| title7 = Lead or Gold
| length7 = 5:06
| title8 = Jennings{{'-}} Revenge
| length8 = 4:17
| title9 = Treasure Island
| length9 = 11:14
}}
{{track_listing
| total_length = 58:13
| headline = CD Edition
| title1 = Chamber of Lies
| note1 = Intro
| length1 = 2:21
| title2 = Whirlwind
| length2 = 4:52
| title3 = Sinister Eyes
| length3 = 5:06
| title4 = Black Wings of Death
| length4 = 5:17
| title5 = Fistful of Dynamite
| length5 = 4:06
| title6 = Roaring Thunder
| length6 = 5:56
| title7 = Pile of Skulls
| length7 = 4:39
| title8 = Lead or Gold
| length8 = 5:06
| title9 = White Buffalo
| length9 = 5:17
| title10 = Jennings{{'-}} Revenge
| length10 = 4:17
| title11 = Treasure Island
| length11 = 11:14
}}
{{track_listing
| total_lengt = 63:13
| headline = Japanese CD Bonus Track
| title12 = Beggar's Night '92
| length12 = 5:00
}}
{{track_listing
| total_length = 67:02
| headline = 1999 Bonus Tracks
| title13 = Hanged, Drawn and Quartered
| length13 = 4:38
| title14 = Win or Be Drowned
| length14 = 4:17
| title15 = Uaschitschun '92
| length15 = 4:53
}}
;The 2017 Remastered version contains a second disc, featuring the following songs
{{track listing
| title1 = Beggars' Night
| note1 = 1992 Alternate version
| length1 = 5:01
| title2 = Hanged, Drawn and Quartered
| note2 = From the Lead or Gold EP
| length2 = 4:38
| title3 = Win or Be Drowned
| note3 = From the Lead or Gold EP
| length3 = 4:17
| title4 = Uaschitschum '92
| note4 = 1992 Updated version
| length4 = 4:53
| title5 = Whirlwind
| note5 = 2003 Re-recorded version
| length5 = 4:54
| title6 = Treasure Island
| note6 = 2003 Re-recorded version
| length6 = 11:16
}}
Personnel
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
!scope="col"|Chart (1992) !scope="col"|Peak |
| {{album chart|Germany4|54|id=31564|artist=Running Wild|album=Pile of Skulls|rowheader=true|accessdate=2017-04-10}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Running Wild}}
{{Authority control}}