Review: Orange Goblin ‘Science, Not Fiction’
So, I still recall first hearing Orange Goblin back in around ’05. Picking up a copy of Thieving From The House Of God and wondering how I’d managed to overlook them previously. Furious and heavy-handed with a plethora of hooks and a feel that screamed ‘buy more beer’. Which I duly complied with! And now, damn near twenty fucking years later, I have their tenth album Science, Not Fiction in my hot little hands!
Blasting off with a gritty bass riff and quickly backed up with a chugging guitar, The Fire At The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine rips into a classic Orange Goblin kinda tune. No surprises there (since it IS Orange Goblin and all that malarkey!). Dense and unrelenting, it’s the kinda stuff I dig the most from these guys!
(Not) Rocket Science is club fisted pummel. Meaty bass thunk, no bells and whistles, just bad arse rock and roll with Ben Ward’s roaring pipes, and maybe some new guitar magic being tossed into the cauldron by Joe Hoare as there seems to be a few new sounds creeping into the songs. Either way, there’s some smokin’ guitar work on this track and the album in general. The ghost of Lemmy also seems to rear his head in some of new(ish) member Harry Armstrong’s bass work as well.
Ascend The Negative has some slick riffage happening as well, and also harks back to the vibe on the earlier Orange Goblin albums. With False Hope Diet, they delve into the very controversial subject of our modern day plague or greatest conspiracy, depending on your point of view, the Big C (no, not cancer!). Now, I genuinely dig reading up on conspiracy theories. This isn’t to say I actually BELIEVE them (‘cept JFK; he was definitely murdered by Elvis…), but the arguments can be everything from fascinating to outright insane.
And just to fuel the fire, in recent years there has been a sharp rise in people passing away suddenly from heart related medical episodes that had previously only rarely affected those within the same demographic. Having lost someone very, very close to me to just one of these occurrences, I have certainly been on a slightly higher alert regarding vaccines and long-term side effects. Not believing, but it has definitely raised some questions in my mind.
But that’s enough of the political philosophising. The song itself is a mid paced grind that digs its heels in and kicks like a fucking mule as it chops around, gets taken up and then back down. A cool song, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s real or a worldwide plot from the corporate machines.
Even after a thirty-year existence, it shows the band still have a ball rocking out and haven’t run outta the riffs…
With a spooky piano intro and an excellent bass tone, Cemetary Rats starts slow but quickly lurches into a speed metal kinda vibe with a skittish beat and punchy as fuck drumming from Chris Turner. This is one of my favourites on Science, Not Fiction, blunt and fiery, it’s just my kinda poison.
With its Western movie intro, The Fury Of A Patient Man dishes up more of the up-tempo chaos and some excellent guitar that’s shot fulla wah. Gemini (Twins Of Evil) – ain’t that the truth – takes us on a journey of someone’s relationship with some duplicitous soul. Always a fun time…
End Of Transmission comes replete with a pretty mid-song interlude, but overall, a straight-up rocker, whilst Eye Of The Minotaur (bonus track on the compact disc), although a similar four-on-the-floor tune, it has some funky breaks, chord progressions and solo work, not forgetting that the capering, calliope-like organ intro is a slick touch.
It’s been quite a few years between drinks for Orange Goblin, but with a pandemic tossed in to temporarily stop the world and derail fucking everyone’s plans, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Throw in a line-up change just for good measure, Science, Not Fiction is a pretty epic entry in the band’s body of work.
The songs are good but also cover a broader spectrum sonically. Ripping sounds and some great playing combine to give the world a cracking album and I can’t wait to get my paws on a vinyl copy. Even after a thirty-year existence, it shows the band still have a ball rocking out and haven’t run outta the riffs. Six beers outta six for this, and my (new) fave Orange Goblin album after Thieving From The House Of God.
Label: Peaceville Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: El Jefe
