Orange Goblin - Science, Not Fiction

Angry Metal Guy 60

Well, look who it is! The barroom-brawling, tooth-loosening thugs in Orange Goblin are back after a 5-year hiatus to re-club you with their bruising biker/stoner doom on 10th album Science, Not Fiction. I’ve missed these uncouth characters too. Their burly blend of rock, doom, and metal always resonated with me and almost always makes me want to overindulge in low-rent spirits while making bad decisions. Much more in-your-face than most stoner music, Orange Goblin always grasped at meaner elements like the southern grit of Corrosion of Conformity and the biker bar menace of Fireball Ministry. Powered by the whiskey-rough bellows of Ben Ward and the raucous riffage of Joe Hoare, the Goblin sound has always been the confrontational poke in the chest before the punches fly, and that’s a great place to park your hog. With a new bassist in tow, will the band change gears after so long a rest, or will the brass knuckle sensibilities still rule the day?

As has long been the custom with Orange Goblin albums, they open with a killer mission statement on “The Fire at the Centre of the Earth is Mine.” It’s a major kick in the teeth with all the classic OG elements front and center. Beefy riffs come flying with bad intentions and Ben Ward sounds massive and pissed off. Imagine Clutch at their most jacked up then multiply by 10 and you get this beastly thing. It’s testosterone bisque and you’ll want seconds and thirds as the music activates the most unevolved, reptilian portions of your brain. I want a whole album of this shit to power me through this crazy year! From there however, the band demonstrates their evolving songwriting approach, mixing it up with softer and harder cuts that accent different aspects of the band’s identity. “(Not) Rocket Science” is a lighter but still plenty urgent rocker with nice use of simple piano lines to back the sludgy riffage. It’s fun and catchy but still sounds like the work of sketchy felons. A special nod must go to the very present bass rumble here by newcomer Harry Armstrong. “Ascend the Negative” is an absolute riff monster, with chunky, abrasive leads running train on your ears as Ben narrates darkly. This one is made for mass replays and the lead riff will embed deep in your melon.

Other notable moments include the thrashy, borderline death metal attack of “Cemetary Rats” which sounds far more like a Deceased song than an OG number as Ben transforms into King Fowley and spouts rage and fury over ripping guitar lines. It’s a monster and makes me wish OG pushed harder in this direction. “The Fury of a Patient Man” is a classic OG shit kicker, bold, loud, and belligerent and it sticks the landing with a memorable chorus and ace riffcraft. Closer “End of Transmission” also hits the sweet spot with a baseball bat, offering sticky sweet trilling alongside muscular riffs and hoarse bellows, all shaded with varying degrees of nuance and melodic noodling. There are some lesser contributions dotting the album too, reducing the overall experience. “False Hope Diet” is interesting and revels in loose, jammy, Clutch-esque colors but it runs too long at 7 minutes. “Gemini (Twins of Evil)” is just okay, and “The Justice Knife” is better but also a bit middle of the road by OG standards. The lyrics are often witty, cutting, and occasionally edgy, and the sound is appropriately macho and imposing.

I’ve always loved Ben Ward’s baritone bellows and he’s in high feather here, sounding as forceful and vital as ever. He’s the rare frontman that can sing/shout/roar all at once and he’s always been the lynchpin to the OG sound. He can still make good songs better and always brings a pugnacious gravitas to the material. Joe Hoare has long been a top-rate riff meister and he once again brings all sorts of goodies to the freak festival. His brawny riff style compliments Ben’s rough delivery and drives the sound forward with headbangable lines that shake and bake the listener. His side quests into thrash (“Cemetary Rats”) and jammy space rock (“End of Transmission”) are well executed, adding diversity and spice. New bassist Harry Armstrong does a great job, undergirding the riffs with an ever-present low-end rumble. The band is right as fook, it’s just the occasional writing hiccups that keep Science, Not Fiction from reaching the next level.

After so long a wait, I’d hoped to see Orange Goblin continue their long and successful run of killer releases, but despite some grand moments, Science, Not Fiction falls shy of past glories. Orange Goblin aren’t likely to ever drop a bad album, so there’s plenty of rough, ugly fun to be had, and fans will be mostly pleased. I just hoped for a touch more Goblin in the graveyard.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Peaceville
Websites: facebook.com/orangegoblinofficial | instagram.com/orangegoblinofficial
Releases Worldwide: July 19th, 2024

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