Orange Goblin
Alcatraz Line up: 2018, 2024
Once the flagbearers of the British stoner rock scene, Orange Goblin have meanwhile grown into hard rock/heavy metal icons that are respected the world over. With vocalist Ben Ward, guitarist Joe Hoare and drummer Chris Turner as the solid backbone, Orange Goblin have been steering their own course since 1995, irrespective of trends and hypes. The first three albums featured a blend of stoner and doom metal but as the years progressed, more and more punk rock and hard rock accents worked their way into their monumental sound. 2012’s ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’ was greeted as the most mature effort of the band’s career up until that point but ‘Back from the Abyss’ (2014) was every bit as good: the album has a Sabbathesque feel and offers a generous helping of groove, stoner and doom with a slice of punk thrown in. They haven’t released any new material since ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ (2018) – another banger of an album – but be sure to also give ‘A Eulogy for the Fans: Orange Goblin Live 2012’ a spin if you’re new to Orange Goblin.