Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Damned

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It’s been around four years since English stoner metal stalwarts Orange Goblin’s last album, Healing Through Fire; the main lasting effect of which being the stagnation of their live set, which has largely remained unchanged in that time (following more or less the bonus live DVD issued with that album plus the new songs). After hearing the same stuff every show for four years their fans are hankering for some new material, but nothing on A Eulogy For The Damned is as immediate as tracks like The Ballad of Solomon Eagle or They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls) from the universally-liked Healing Through Fire. Opener Red Tide Rising is a “grabber” and could in fact come straight off the last disc with a big riff and classic Ben Ward vocal but things actually start to get a bit different after that. What this means is anyone expecting to walk straight into instantly familiar territory with A Eulogy For The Damned might find themselves initially disappointed. But for Orange Goblin it could be argued that this shows them at their most creative. Their stoner sensibilites are all but abandoned on the hooky Stand For Something, pacey stoner-groover Acid Trial is all about showing off different rhythms for an OG song, and Save Me From Myself with its melodic vocals and fuzzy blues playing is simply magnificent. More familiar sounds stretch out for the seven minutes of The Fog, and later on Death of Aquarius, but otherwise the focus here is to try new things. And it’s the new things that are the real successes, culminating in the outstanding seven-and-a-half-minute title track which covers blues, chunky stoner riffs, clean and rough vocals, and everything in between via yet another superb Joe Hoare solo. There are songs here which might just be Orange Goblin’s greatest achievements since the first couple of albums set them on their way. Arguably, the whole album is their best and most refined to date. It’s certainly Hoare’s finest moment. Multiple listens are recommended to “get it” all.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2012, Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Stoner, Orange Goblin