Orange Goblin – A Eulogy for the Damned (2012)

Arriving just in time to be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for Stoner Rockers, today we have Orange Goblin and their seventh full-length release “A Eulogy for the Damned”. In their first album in four years, the band returns in full-strength to deliver 10 tracks of super catchy and high-quality Stoner Rock/Metal unlike you’ve ever heard before.

Aging as a fine wine, the band shows their awesome song-writing skills that have been constantly improving over the years. Backed by the production and engineering magic of Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson, “A Eulogy for the Damned” has the band sounding at its best. Since the opening “Red Tide Rising”, the bar is set very high with catchy guitar melodies and very energetic vocals.

The band rips through tracks like “Stand for Something”, “Acid Trail” and “The Filthy and the Few” with heaps of quality riffs and a crystal clear production. The guitar work is excellent and features a nice balance between the catchiness of Hard/Stoner Rock and the power and drive of Metal music. The drumming keeps things in check and the pouncing bass guitar line is nicely tucked in the back to provide that extra kick in your speakers.

Our favorite track of this release is the Southern sounding “Save Me From Myself”, where Ben Ward delivers some excellent vocal lines. The guitar work shines again in this track and showcases Joe Hoare at the top of his game (like always). Seemingly out of nowhere, the catchy beer chugging song “Return to Mars” features cow-bell sounds that totally shakes things up, in a very creative manner.

The ballad-esque “A Eulogy to the Damned” comes of with a slight Southern influence, but its opening slower pace is what makes the song even more memorable. As the album comes to a close, we soon found ourselves hitting the play button once more, not because the album is terribly innovative or ground breaking, but because it is so damn good and show Orange Goblin at their absolute peak.

If you are a fan of the band, “A Eulogy for the Damned” will surely not disappoint you. The band keeps improving and crafting excellent and memorable songs. With a hefty dosage of guitar riffs and entertaining drum patterns, we can completely recommend this album for your Hard/Stoner Rock collection.

Release: February 14th, 2012

Country: UK