Saturday, 11 August 2018

Orange Goblin - The Wolf Bites Back (Album Review)


Release date: June 15th 2018. Label: Candlelight Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Wolf Bites Back – Tracklisting

1. Sons Of Salem
2. The Wolf Bites Back
3. Renegade
4. Swords Of Fire
5. Ghosts Of The Primitives
6. In Bocca Al Lupo
7. Suicide Division
8. The Stranger
9. Burn The Ships
10. Zeitgeist

Members

Ben Ward - vocals
Joe Hoare - guitars
Martyn Willard - bass guitar
Chris Turner - drums

Review

The Wolf Bites Back' is Orange Goblin’s 9th studio album to date and it is the perfect homage to Motörhead. Might be a strange way to start a review this way but throughout most of this wax, these Londoners carry an air of Motörhead mixed with their own sound and riffs, licks and attitude which would make Lemmy proud. There's also a punk vibe amidst the skull-crushing death-doom blended with the Snaggletooth sound mentioned earlier. Perhaps Orange Goblin has perfected their sound? From the moment I first heard them I have loved them. However, this time around it feels as if they have found home. Throughout everything feels so relaxed and unrestrained and it sounds like guys had a blast recording this platter. And that’s probably another reason why ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ is so damn heavy and fabulous.

Even when they let off the gas and step out of their box, there's a sense of speed and determination which pile drives the songs home. Punch, punch, punch as each song goes for the kill. Prime examples of this are ‘Swords Of Fire’, ‘The Stranger’ and ‘Zeitgeist’. These three bring variation to the album and makes it breath so freely, yet they are in your face keeping you constantly on the toes. And I love that!

Of the ”proper” stompers, my favourites are ‘Ghost of The Primitives’, ‘The Wolf Bites Back’, ‘Suicide Division’ and ‘Burn The Ship’. Full onslaught while taking no prisoners, Orange Goblin storms the world with these songs and I’m floored. I simply can’t stop laughing maniacally while thrashing around madly like a lunatic to this, And this is the shit, peeps, no if’s or but’s about it.

Some diehards might object to ‘the Wolf Bites Back’ as being too straightforward and easy. But that’s as far from the truth you can get, if you ask me. Sure, this is a ball-buster from the word go but the more you listen, the more there is to discover. And these ever-changing nuances are wonderful and elevates the band further. At the same time it is liberating to hear them go full throttle rocking the world to oblivion in the process. Especially when it sound like they have the time of their lives doing so. The wolf is back and he is hungry for blood!

Words by Håkan Nyman

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