Orange Goblin’s fourth album, ‘Coup de Grace’, delivers its blow on target

It’s been said enough times that if a band (usually Brits) were American, they’d already be atop the K2 of fame. And, it couldn’t be truer than in the case of Orange Goblin as their vocalist Ben Ward reminded me during our conversation. The British band’s fourth album, ‘Coup de Grace’, ought to see them playing venues the size Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Slipknot demand nowadays. Unfortunately not just yet, due to a set of circumstances that is headed with being British and based in Nottingham.

“It can get frustrating,” Ward admits, “but it is puzzling, more than anything because I don’t understand why so many Brit-kids go for such lousy American bands. But then, we had some bad breaks, as well: out third album, ‘The Big Black’, was a corker of a record and yet our record label (Music For Nations) wasn’t interested in supporting it. So, we only did 17 shows which was far from being enough to present our record to public when there are no other means available to us.”

A chalice of ire

Things have improved with the band’s move to Dreamcatcher and the new album, although a muso-cliché of claims, ‘Coup de Grace’ is their best yet. Their sound, akin to Kyuss, Monster Magnet and Queens of The Stone Age, adds a Brit-twist reaching back to the bands such as Cream, Pink Floyd and Motorhead, that effectively metamorphoses stoner-rock into its boozer-cousin. Yeah, it is about having fun, huge fun, although Orange Goblin tend to be more socio-politically aware than their American counterparts.

The opening track on ‘Coup de Grace’, ‘Your World Will Hate Us’, is a political statement, ‘We Bite’ is anarcho-call of defiance, another one, ‘Rage Of Angels’, is about social disturbances and there is one entitled ‘Jesus Beater’… A ‘Parental Warning’ sticker, anyone?

“Yeah, it is good to have fun,” Ward speaks in a laid-back manner, “but you can have it as well as the message. ‘Your World Will Hate Us’ is warning the upper classes that we don’t belong but we are here and will not go away. If we can’t destroy, we can disturb, at least. We are here to subvert, to have fun and speak our minds.”

Still, it is not all about ‘enticing-to-the-barricades’, there are ‘Getting High’ and ‘Stinkin ‘O’Gin’, odes to a state of intoxicated (lack of) logic.

Anger is an energy

And yet, to be able to keep on rocking the Orange Goblin members have had to hold day-jobs their entire career. It is that stark contrast between grim-reality and Rock’n’Roll Disneyworld that fuels their passion, angst and downright fury. In search of perma-fantasy OG have employed Scott Reeder (ex-Kyuss, Unida bassist now) to produce ‘Coup de Grace’ and managed to secure John Garcia (Unida’s vocalist) to guest on a couple of tracks. Reeder supposedly revealed secrets of the Kyuss’ way of recording.

“It’s the atmosphere,” Ward is suddenly cagey, “it’s the way to relax and jam, not try too hard but let it come naturally. And, using analogue technology that you later transfer… It is also our maturing as musicians, getting better at playing and expressing ourselves. It’s not all about riffs and there are so many other elements… I don’t know why but we seem to have a lot of fans among musicians and Jason Newstead (former Metallica member) was due to guest on this album also but he was busy with producing Speedealer and then working with his own band, Echobrain.”

“We were so happy to have worked with Scott and he wants us to record some more with him, at his new studio in a desert outside of Los Angeles. He says it is an ideal place because there is nothing there to distract and you can solely concentrate on music. That might be good spot to get Jason to come and guest…”

John Garcia was quoted as saying, “There is a big void in the musical world right now and Goblins fill in the hole…” The band will be provided with an answer to their day-job/career dilemma by the summer, after a European tour and a visit to America; it will take three months for these live outings and Ward had to give up his delivery job to finally nail his dream. Which is strange because the British social system, for the difference from the American, has sustained many a rock and pop stars through the lean years.

“We decided that we had to work to pay our bills,” Ward briefly explains. “It’s true that Americans can’t get a social help and band’s like Will Haven have to work to be able to play.”

Let’s hope ‘Coup de Grace’ lives up to its title and they finally strike it big; Orange Goblin have surely paid the dues...

Tour dates:

05 March - Underground, Köln, Deutschland
06 March - Forum, Bielefled, D
07 March - Marquee, Hamburg, D
08 March - Club Rockers, Västeras, Sweden
09 March - Kolingsborg, Stockholm, S
10 March - So What, Oslo, Norway
12 March - Knaack, Berlin, D
13 March - Backstage, Munich, D
14 March - Italy tbc
15 March - Gaswerk, Winterhur, CH
16 March - Chaux de F. Bikini Test CH
17 March - Röhre, Stuttgart, D
19 March - Starclub, Dresden, D
20 March - Schwimmbad, Heidelberg, D
21 March - Rosenkeller, Jena, D
22 March - Kino, Ebensee, Austria
23 March - Boa, Luzern, CH
25 March - Hop'n'Grape, Manchester
28 March - King Tut`s WahWah, Glasgow
29 March - The Old Angel, Nottingham,
30 March - The Garage, London
31 March - Bierkeller, Bristol
01 April - Phoenix, Exeter
05 April - Spain TBA
06 April - Spain TBA
12 April - Athens-Greece TBA