by MacKenzie Wilson and Bradley Torreano
Heavy metal rockers that compose Orange Goblin are Martyn Millard (bass), Ben Ward (vocals), Joe Hoari (guitar), Pete OMally (guitar), and Chris Turner (drums), and together these fine bandmates compose the harsh doom rock sounds similar to the likes of Mammoth Volume, Clawfinger, and Kyuss. Originally named Our Haunted Kingdom, Orange Goblin originated in 1995 and under their previous moniker they caught the attention of Rise Above Records. They released the limited edition single The Aquatic Fanatic with fellow hard rockers Electric Wizard, but under their current name the band contributed Sarumans Wish to the second volume of the metal compilation Dark Passages. By 1997, Orange Goblin had performed all across Europe at various festivals and club tours and a debut full-length was about due. Frequencies From Planet Ten was issued that fall, followed by extensive touring. Two years later, the uneven Time Travelling Blues found them at a confused point, unsure of whether or not to stay in the stoner metal scene or travel into hard rock. The brutal Big Black showed them returning to the stoner rock heaviness and space rock weirdness that had made their first album such a hit, but with a more confident grasp of songwriting and extended jams. But 2002s Coup de Grace was the final nail in the stoner rock coffin for the band, as they chose to continue in the hard rock vein they had only experimented with before.