Healing Through Fire

During my Sophomore year of college I probably goofed off and smoked more pot than I ever have in my previous 19 years of existence. This was precipitated by a few lifelong friends I made that year and their subsequent acquisition of marijuana. This was also one of the defining years in my musical path to enlightenment. Sophomore year was when I really started to get into Black Metal, and since then have acquired enough records and information to proudly deem myself a Black Metal specialist on MR. That was also a time when I came to appreciate the Delta Blues, guitar driven Jazz, and the true art of metal drumming. I had known for quite a while about the “stoner” genres of Heavy Metal. They are more or less rooted in the first subgenre created by Black Sabbath, with a hint of bluesy soloing and a picked up drum pace. At this time I was exposed to Kyuss, Sleep and my eventual favorite Orange Goblin. The band possess a blues grounded, raw sound that works perfectly with their semi-harsh vocals and up-tempo drumming. To me it was the perfect fit. I enjoy the Blues but sometimes they seem so slow, drab, and sluggish. Here we have all of the tonalities and nodes of Blues music without the sacrifice of tempo. I am glad 2007’s Healing Through Fire has not yet been reviewed as it beats out The Big Black as my favorite Orange Goblin album. This is their most recent album, and probably their best work to date. Hopefully more production follows and builds on these regards.

The first track is more or less forgettable. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle is decent, but the rest of the album, namely two or three other tracks surpass this song in value. Vagrant Stomp is next. With the heavy distorted bass leading into the weaving riffs, shouted vox, and jumpy drums that define the band’s sound, this track is a top song on the album.

The lyrics, as always, are intrinsically fun and interesting. Vocalist Ben Ward fits perfectly along with the tones here, and leaves enough room for the other musicians to shine without overpowering the sound with his harshness. The best song on the album, and possibly of their career thus far, is Hounds Ditch. It has everything a stoner metal fan would look for. It has the uppity drumming, blues sounding guitars, solid riffs, and booming bass. This all couples solid lyrics and one of those iconic moments that define a bands career, with Ward shouting the name of the album in a chanting type setting. This of course, is all led in by a guitar melody and thumping drum strike that every fan can recognize as soon as they hear it.

Overall, Orange Goblin bring forth the best work of their career, and with all their albums more or less an apt display of their talent and attitude, it is only fair that Healing Through Fire gets a score it truly deserves.