ORANGE GOBLIN – A Eulogy For The Damned

Orange Goblin has been producing their brand of Metal mayhem for the past 15 years or so. They originally started out as a Stoner Rock band in the late ’90s — their music being similar to what Monster Magnet or Queens Of The Stone Age were doing at that time. Some have even considered Orange Goblin to be one of the pioneers of the British Stoner scene. Their sound has developed over the years to take on a more edgy Doom Metal or neo-Grunge approach, almost to the point where they can produce a fusion of Motorhead meets Soundgarden. Any way you slice it, Orange Goblin certainly has a no frills approach to their music; it’s heavy, loud, brutal, and filled with untamed aggression.

A Eulogy For The Damned is the band’s 7th full length album. Through the band’s discography, Orange Goblin somehow finds a way to make each new album louder and more gritty than the last. Their resolute determination to make the most testosterone-driven Metal around is a never-ending crusade, and they certainly continue to manufacture success.

Orange Goblin is led by the larger-than-life vocalist Ben Ward. His commanding presence on stage is a perfect enhancement to the Orange Goblin formula. After all, Orange Goblin prides themselves on being a superior live band and the sound of their album is very much like a raucous live performance. There is absolutely nothing technical about Ward’s vocal style … he ends up sounding a lot like Lemmy Kilmister, which can lead the listener into making many Motorhead comparisons while listening to their music. For many of the tracks, Ward simply belts out the vocals at the top of his lungs. It doesn’t matter if he is slightly out of key or slurs the lyric; that is simply the way the songs are intended to be heard.

The same argument holds true for guitarist Joe Hoare. He monotonously performs endless heavy riffs and heavy chords without much technicality … it just comes off as raw talent being played from the heart. There are not many dynamic levels to Hoare’s style; many of the tracks seem to be in a similar key, and there is a lot of repetitiveness with the limited number of chords used in each track.

One of the most interesting and unique tracks on the album is the title track “A Eulogy For The Damned.” Not only is this a slower tempo song, but it actually contains some very inspirational guitar playing. It has a classic Led Zeppelin feel to it with some Bluesy 12-string riffs and a nice solo toward the end. More tracks similar to this would certainly make the album have more formidable appeal, but it appears Orange Goblin isn’t quite ready to make that leap of faith from their branded style.

For the core fans of Orange Goblin, this album is an absolute delight and extraordinary, exciting effort. However, from a casual listener standpoint, there is something more to be desired: those dry, heaving vocals and overdone guitar riffs. It’s not likely that Orange Goblin will ever stray from their formula, so ultimately fans will either love ‘em or leave ‘em.