Twenty-three years and nine albums in, Orange Goblin shows no signs of slowing down. A Eulogy for the Damned and Back from the Abyss found the stoner metal/rock band doing what they do best, and they’ve done it again with The Wolf Bites Back. At just over forty minutes this is the group’s shortest effort to date but they’ve managed to cram as many hooks into this run-time as possible. With a considerable amount of variety and no unnecessary filler or repetition, this is an album with plenty of staying power.
This genre of metal/rock is one that I tend to be pickier about than others, as plenty of bands have decent grooves but fall into repetitive patterns that cause their songs to blur together by the end of an album. Orange Goblin has always done a fairly good job of avoiding this, and with the shorter run-time they keep things moving at a brisk pace while switching things up from one song to the next. “Sons of Salem” comes roaring out of the gate with a swagger that blurs the lines between doom and hard rock, and from there the instrumentals keep heading up and down the rock and metal spectrums. Whether it’s the bluesy hooks on songs like “Ghosts of the Primitive” or the speedy attack of “Suicide Division” it always feels like the band is heading in different directions will still offering memorable hooks to keep you coming back for more. The Wolf Bites Back also benefits from production values that balance warmer tones with a good deal of weight, letting the acoustic bits shine before kicking the listener in the teeth. It’s still a familiar sound, especially for anyone that has spent time with Orange Goblin before, but you can clearly hear them branching out while still staying true to their core sound. Ben Ward also delivers another strong performance with his gruff voice that stands above the instrumentals with an immense amount of power. Plus the cleaner pitches on The Stranger have a Southern twang to them that’s damn appealing.
Orange Goblin once again demonstrates their position as talented veterans who can touch upon every facet of the hard rock/doom spectrum while still having strong hooks from one song to the next. The leaner approach works in the group’s favor and makes it so no one moment lingers for too long, keeping listeners at a high from beginning to end. No matter what period of the band’s discography you consider to be their best, I think you’ll find this one to be another highlight and a record to be blared as loud as possible. The Wolf Bites Back is out now on Candlelight/Spinefarm.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.