Orange Goblin - Frequencies From Planet Ten CD (Bonus Tracks)

Orange Goblin is one of these bands that has been around forever, but doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves; much like Church of Misery. The comparison between these two bands doesn't end there. The music they play rocks and is somewhat similar, though I'd say Orange Goblin is a bit merrier than the Japanese doomsters whose obsession with serial killers makes them very unique.

Orange Goblin plays some of the heaviest and grooviest rock 'n' roll out there. Heavily influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and what sounds like a heavy, fuzzed-up UFO and Uriah Heep dipped in large amounts of psychedelic acid and a half-bear, half-Viking as their vocalist. Orange Goblin's debut album 'Frequencies From Planet Ten' presents us an album that has some kick-ass tunes that drip in heaviness, groove, fuzz and psychedelia.

Album opener "The Astral Project (Class A)" gives us a taste of what is to come. It's almost 7 minutes of a pumped-up psychedelic metal-fest with a perfectly safe tempo to headbang, or if you like; have a toke and enjoy the tingling and dizzying synth-work that has been used sparingly, but with great effect. These are all elements found throughout 'Frequencies From Planet Ten'. Some songs lean more towards the heavy, no-nonsense rock (see 'Magic Carpet', 'Aquatic Fanatic' and 'Orange Goblin') while other songs are a bit longer, more technical, albeit not even close to wankery such as the obscene and retarded amount of fappery found on Dream Theater records (see 'Saruman's Wish', 'Land of Secret Dreams' and 'Star Shaped Cloud').

The guys in the band also prove that they're very capable of writing songs that are consistently good, as well as play their instruments properly. The guitars are great; not overly-complicated nor flashy, just fun, simple riffs that pack a real punch. The bass isn't afraid to take a mind of its own and wander outside the guitar-riffs and along with the additional synth (used sparingly, but to great effect,as I mentioned earlier) creates a nice, trippy atmosphere. The drums are solid, too.

So, it's all good stuff. Orange Goblin's debut is solid. Very solid. But it was indeed just the start to an otherwise great band that has improved a lot, since the release of 'Frequencies From Planet Ten'. The song-writing itself on this album is weaker than on for instance the follow-up and is also less consistent than most of their releases. But this doesn't make it the weakest Orange Goblin album either.

This album, this great band, is recommended to fans of both late 60s/early 70s psychedelia, as well as Sabbath-heads and fans of bands such as Kyuss, Sleep and Electric Wizard. - Doominance (Metal Archives January 10, 2015)