It’s been six years since Orange Goblin last graced the racks with The Wolf Bites Back, and a lengthy vigil it has proven to be. In the interim, founding bassist Martyn Millard departed the fold, to be replaced by Harry Armstrong – making an impressive recording debut with the band here. Otherwise, Science, Not Fiction sees business as usual within the band. Well, not quite as usual actually, because the lengthy absence has resulted in Goblin honing their sound to a sharper edge than ever before and there’s a strong argument to be made that Orange Goblin, always awesome, have never sounded quite as thrillingly huge as they do here.
It starts with a pulsing synth. A slow, steady rumble that provides the backdrop for Orange Goblin’s earth-shattering roar. It doesn’t take long for the band to emerge, launching themselves at the listener like a blood-soaked cross between Black Sabbath and High On Fire. It’s been a long time coming, but with an opening track as vital as The Fire At The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine, the years melt away under the withering riffage and propulsive percussion. The band keep things moving briskly along with the sweet stoner groove of (Not) Rocket Science, which takes a pinch of Monster Magnet and a handful of Jerry Lee Lewis to deliver a genuinely unassailable rock ‘n’ roll classic. Not only heavy as hell, but packing a chorus that you’ll be singing in the shower, the bath, and (embarrassingly) in public conveniences for days at a time, it’s a belter, and one you’ll want to slam on repeat at ear-threatening volume. Astonishingly, Ascend The Negative is just as good – Ben Ward delivering his vocals with iron-clad conviction as the band unleash another solid groove. Yet, that’s only half of the story and the piece changes shape half way through, becoming even heavier in the process.
Somewhat lighter of touch, the multi-tiered psychedelic mini-epic False Hope Diet sees Goblin pairing some sweet, harmonised riffs with a strangely shuffling rhythm that elevates the track above the realms of the ordinary, while Ben Ward explores the back alleys and dark deals of shifty politicians and conspiracy theorists. It leaves the first half of the album to wind up with the stunning Cemetery Rats, which emerges from a Hammer horror overture, before Harry stamps his authority all over the piece with a heavily phased bass line that recalls the iconic For Whom The Bell Tolls. From this full-on doom introduction, Cemetery Rats explodes into a visceral, full-tilt riff with which Goblin simply flatten the opposition and, with that, the first half of the album comes to a breathless close.
Opening the second side, the short, sharp The Fury Of A Patient Man is simply a great stoner rock song, delivered with gusto by a band who sound utterly revitalised. The twisted psychedelic elements return for Gemini (Twins Of Evil), Joe Hoare’s guitars gleaming evilly in the dark, before the track segues into the sort of potent groove found on Ozzy’s early solo outings. The pace picks up still further as the band unleash the appropriately scything riff of The Justice knife – a dirty rocker with a keen edge and a glorious lead run that will have fans throwing the horns when it’s unleashed live. The album proper finishes with End Of Transmission, a brilliantly arranged piece that drifts from dreamy, herbal-scented intro to hard-rocking stoner anthem and back over the course of six glorious minutes.
Special Edition
For early purchasers, the limited-edition digipack offers up both a 20-page booklet and a bonus track. Titled Eye Of The Minotaur, it opens with fairground organ and then heads into the sort of demented psycho circus that Rob Zombie has made his stock in trade. It’s easy to see why the band didn’t feel it fitted on the ruthlessly pared back 9-track sequence of Science, Not Fiction, but it’s a worthy bonus that fans will surely want to add to their collection, making the digipack the way to go.
Conclusion
Oh man. While absence might make the heart grow fonder, nothing prepared me for just how visceral this new Goblin outing was going to be. Produced with clarity and depth, and boasting stunning performances from a band who sound like every minute in the studio was a blast, Science, Not Fiction may just be the jewel in Orange Goblin’s worn and tattered crown – it is, at any event, a heavy metal masterpiece, and one of the most essential albums of 2024. 10/10
