ORANGE GOBLIN

There is so much that is done so right on ORANGE GOBLIN's "A Eulogy for the Damned", not the least of which are more blazing riffs than could comfortably fit on an aircraft carrier. The U.K. stalwarts will forever be associated with stoner rock and fuzz doom, but that legacy does little to capture what is in essence a catchy 'n grooving batch of heavy-rockin' tunes. The songwriting here is tops; it's plain to see no matter the thickness of the smoke rising off this sucker.

Don't get me wrong, the stoned and the fuzzed are still hanging around, just as bathing is still anathema and the smell of days' old booze-breath noticeable. It's just that the hooks are so freakin' big on a quick stepper like "The Filthy & the Few" and a rumblin' roller like "Red Tide Rising" that one can't help but nod in approval. Then you get a melody on "Stand for Something" that is just — to be quite frank — lovely, while southern rock soulfulness accentuated with organ hits the spot on "Save Me From Myself".

It's not like ORANGE GOBLIN keeps it totally predictable either. The dynamics are in play on "The Fog", a song with a pronounced southern sizzle on the verse and a kickin' up-tempo chorus. But why stop there? The seven-minute track's second half sees the band shift the direction of the groove and leaves the listener with a repeating line of "there's something in the fog" that really gets into your head.

Oh hell no, that ain't all! "The Bishops Wolf" struts its stuff with swamp grooves, blues sweat, and pointed tempo changes, while solos rip and keyboards splash. You may even notice flashes of Fast Eddie Clarke (MOTÖRHEAD) in some of the guitar parts. The title track serves as a classy, smartly composed closer; the different shades involved giving the song a rugged elegance.

As for the downside is concerned, there really isn't one. The one thing you won't find on the album is a noticeable dip in quality at any point along the way. Look high, look low, and get up underneath that bitch with a microscope, you'll have a tough time finding that one major flaw. "A Eulogy For The Damned" is a big burly bag of rock goodness.