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Orange Goblin: Back From The Abyss

Heavy Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

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Candlelight Records
Words: Craig Hartranft  Added: 02.10.2014

England's Orange Goblin have been rumbling and pummeling along for nearly 20 years with their brand of heavy metal. This has caused some UK journalists to call the band legends in heavy metal, others have decided to cast aside any references to stoner or doom metal from the band's current sound.

Orange Goblin: dig that Kiss t-shirt.

This is all rather noble, and probably appealing to the band. Who wouldn't want to be considered legendary in their own time? It's also all rather moot arguments and observation (probably just like what is about to follow).

With recent albums, I've merely considered Orange Goblin a metal band that efficiently blends heavy riffs, Sabbath-like thud among others, with the simplicity of rock groove. Toss in some speedier moments as with The Devil's Whip or Bloodzilla or some heavier, quite catchy, melodic metal anthems like Heavy Lies the Crown, to confuse the stucking foners and UK press punters, and you have Orange Goblin just mucking up the works. A monkey in the wrench as it were.

Fundamentally, underneath it all, Orange Goblin is a heavy band with big riffs and arumbling, pummelling presentation. Mostly, however, without the moments of levity or differential segues in contrast to the heaviness, this motif seems to run together, even turn in upon itself. But the odd thing is that Oranger Goblin has never sounded quite this focused and interesting at the same time. Basically, I'm not sure what to make of any of this. Except to say that Goblin fans can clean out their bongs (like that's going to happen), get ready to toke down on their best reefer, and crank this up.

Orange Goblin - Sabbath Hex

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Orange Goblin fans can clean out their bongs (like that's going to happen), get ready to toke down on their best reefer, and crank this up.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]