Orange Goblin – Healing Through the Fire – 4.5/5
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With a slow release of the wah-wah before the first deep bass-filled riff, this spends no time getting you knee deep in stoner bliss, and with more than 10 years under their belt they have little in the way of a bad album to their name. They are called the kings of the UK stoner scene with good reason and this – their 6th full length release – is as good as any place to start. What they lack in uniqueness they make up for with no shortage of addictive bass lines, vocal melodies and blues-rock solos to sink your teeth into.
Wailing on the drums with no shortage of beats, he retains a perfectly suited beat that is unafraid to use the full extent of the drums in front of him; no cymbal abuse or snare in every line, he can be heard through the instrumentation, coming through loud and clear for the climactic passages where the music requires it. Supplemented with simple yet effective bass lines that are perhaps all too readily lost at times, they nonetheless supply that all important thick doom laden backing tone.
The vocals come rough and ready with a deep rasp soaring above the instrumentation to provide their addictive chorus lines, demonstrating plenty of versatility in pitch his prowess is only superseded by the guitars. With constant presence they display a thick crunchy tone, supplying riff after riff of melodic magic and no shortage in solos, his blues-rock crunch lending a much welcome rhythm to the proceedings that despite not being the most technical or original style of material, will at no point fail cease to become any the less addictive.
And that would be the intention with this release; there was never the notion of breaking new ground here, no pretence of being ‘better’ than the rest. Instead they came out to produce a piece to bang your head to, and with no shortage of style they’ve succeeded in doing just that. This is an artist that has spent time perfecting their art and this simply release clearly proves it.
Highlights: The Ballad of Solomon Eagle, The Ale House Braves, Hounds Ditch
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