Orange Goblin – “Back From The Abyss” [Album Review]

You could say that Orange Goblin are something of a British heavy metal institution in so much as there won’t be a heavy metal fan on this fair isle who hasn’t seen, heard of, or is at least aware of this bunch of hairy reprobates. They’ve spent years sweating their collective bollocks off on the UK gig circuit and, with a raft of critically acclaimed albums under their belts, the ‘Goblin’ seem content spending their days stomping around the UK and Europe churning out solid, riff-filled albums like this one.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with what Orange Goblin do, as Back From The Abyss perfectly demonstrates, but, at the same time, there is nothing you won’t already have heard from the band before. Back From The Abyss is all big traditional metal riffs, heavy as a concrete overcoat but with a groove that, as many British metal fans have experienced, is hard to ignore. Fronted by Ben Ward, a giant of a man with a voice to match, Orange Goblin are basically a loud, sweaty, hairy rock band and Back From The Abyss is basically a loud, sweaty, hairy rock album. The likes of “Demon Blues” demonstrate Goblin in all their Sabbath-inspired doom/stoner/heavy metal glory, kicking out the sort of wailing riffs that will sit as well with fans of St. Vitus (who the band are currently trudging round Europe with) as they will with Motorhead fans. Simply put, Back From The Abyss is another solid Orange Goblin album.

At the end of the day, us Brits know that Orange Goblin will probably never grace the covers of the glossy rock mags or headline major festivals but, in years to come, those four guys will probably look back on their career in a smelly London pub huddled around a pint of slightly warm beer smiling wryly at the thought that albums like Back From The Abyss helped them leave a decent sized imprint in the British Metal History Books.

Track Listing:

01. Sabbath Hex
02. Ubermench
03. The Devils Whip
04. Demon Blues
05. Heavy Lies The Crown
06. Into The Arms Of Morpheus
07. Mythical Knives
08. Bloodzilla
09. The Abyss
10. Titan
11. Blood Of Them
12. The Shadow Of Innsmouth

Run Time: 54:29
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Check out the song “Sabbath Hex”