Orange Goblin are an English heavy metal band from London. Formed in 1995, the band's lineup currently consists of singer Ben Ward, guitarist Joe Hoare, drummer Chris Turner, and bassist Harry Armstrong. Their most recent album '' Science, Not Fiction'' was released in July 2024.

History

Orange Goblin was originally formed in 1995 under the name Our Haunted Kingdom, with original bassist Martyn Millard and fifth member Pete O'Malley on rhythm guitar. The band released a split 7-inch single, '' Electric Wizard/Our Haunted Kingdom'', with

Electric Wizard Electric Wizard are an English stoner metal, stoner/doom metal band from Dorset. Formed in 1988 under the name Lord of Putrefaction, the band have recorded nine studio albums, two of which have been considered genre landmarks: ''Come My Fanati ...

in 1996 on

Rise Above Records Rise Above Records is a London-based independent record label owned by Lee Dorrian, former member of Cathedral and Napalm Death. Founding Lee Dorrian started Rise Above Records in 1988 without the intention of the label being an ongoing pos ...

before changing their name to Orange Goblin. The first three studio albums under the name Orange Goblin—''

Frequencies from Planet Ten ''Frequencies from Planet Ten'' is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Orange Goblin. It was released in 1997 by Rise Above Records. In 2002, it was reissued as a double CD coupled with their second album, '' Time Travelling Blues ...

'' (1997), ''

Time Travelling Blues ''Time Travelling Blues'' is the second studio album by English stoner metal band Orange Goblin, released in 1998 on Rise Above Records and The Music Cartel. In 2002, it was re-released by Rise Above as a double CD packaged with the band's debut ...

'' (1998) and '' The Big Black'' (2000)—were in the

stoner metal Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Slee ...

and

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

genres, and have also been described as

space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...

. However, starting with 2002's '' Coup de Grace'', they began to add

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

, and other influences to their sound. The album '' Thieving from the House of God'' was released in 2004 and featured a cover of

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...

's "Just Got Paid". Their first five releases were issued by Rise Above Records. O'Malley left the band in 2004 to pursue a career as an artist and was not replaced. Their 2007 album '' Healing Through Fire'' was released on Mayan/

Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is, as of 2013, a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest ...

. In 2008, the band announced that they had signed with

Candlelight Records Candlelight Records is a British record label based in London, founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bass guitarist Lee Barrett in 1993. The record label originally specialized in black metal, but quickly expanded to various other forms of hea ...

. Two new songs were revealed in May 2009, though the associated album was delayed until 2012. In mid-2010, the band's back catalog was reissued on Rise Above Records in

digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...

form. Their long-delayed seventh album '' A Eulogy for the Damned'' was released in February 2012. The album earned the band critical acclaim. The band then embarked on a world tour in 2013, playing 161 shows across 28 countries. In March 2013, Orange Goblin released ''A Eulogy for the Fans: Orange Goblin Live 2012''. The CD/DVD package included the band's complete performances at Bloodstock Festival on 11 August 2012 and

Hellfest Hellfest (), also known as Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a rock festival focusing on heavy metal music, held annually in June in Clisson, France. Its high attendance makes it the French music festival with the largest turnover. It is also one o ...

in France on 15 June 2012. In October 2014, the band released the studio album '' Back from the Abyss'' through Candlelight Records. In December 2015, the band undertook a 13-date 20th anniversary tour of the United Kingdom. In December 2016, singer Ben Ward received national media coverage in the UK for setting up a

JustGiving JustGiving is a global online social platform for giving. The firm's headquarters are located in Bankside, London, England. History In 2000, Zarine Kharas and Anne-Marie Huby founded JustGiving (initially clickforaction.com), a company to ...

campaign aiming to raise money for the staff of music publisher TeamRock who were laid off when the company went into administration. As part of the fundraising effort, Orange Goblin played a gig at the Black Heart in

Camden, London The London Borough of Camden () is a borough in Inner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the former metropolitan boroughs of Holborn, St Pancra ...

on 5 January 2017 with all proceeds going to the campaign. Orange Goblin's ninth studio album, '' The Wolf Bites Back'', was released in June 2018. In October 2020, bassist Martyn Millard announced his amicable retirement from the band; he was replaced in mid-2021 by Harry Armstrong. The band's first new album in six years, '' Science, Not Fiction'', was released on 19 July 2024. On 22 January 2025, the band announced their intention to split-up by the end of their 30th anniversary tour. Their final tour will take place in December across the UK and Ireland, with the final show taking place on 17 December 2025 at the O2 Kentish Town Forum in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Band members

Current lineup *Ben Ward – vocals (1995–present) *Joe Hoare – guitars (1995–present) *Chris Turner – drums (1995–present) *Harry Armstrong – bass (2021–present) Former members *Pete O'Malley – guitars (1995–2004) *Martyn Millard – bass (1995–2020) Session musicians *Duncan Gibbs – keyboards on ''Frequencies from Planet Ten'' *Jason Graham – keyboards on ''Healing Through Fire'' Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums *''

'' (1997) *''

'' (1998) *'' The Big Black'' (2000) *'' Coup de Grace'' (2002) *'' Thieving from the House of God'' (2004) *'' Healing Through Fire'' (2007) *'' A Eulogy for the Damned'' (2012) UK #149 *'' Back from the Abyss'' (2014) UK #98 *'' The Wolf Bites Back'' (2018) *'' Science, Not Fiction'' (2024) ;Live albums *''A Eulogy for the Fans'' (2013) *''Rough & Ready, Live & Loud'' (2020) ;EPs *'' Electric Wizard/Our Haunted Kingdom'' (1996) *''

Nuclear Guru ''Nuclear Guru'' is an EP by English stoner metal band Orange Goblin, released in 1997 on Man's Ruin Records. It was released on 10" vinyl and later released as a split CD with Electric Wizard entitled '' Chrono.Naut/Nuclear Guru''. The tracks ...

'' (1997) *'' Chrono.Naut / Nuclear Guru'' (1997) *''The Time'' (1998) *'' Orange Goblin/Alabama Thunderpussy'' (2000) ;Singles *"Some You Win, Some You Lose" (2004) ;Compilation appearances *"Saruman's Wish" on ''Dark Passages II'' (1996) *"Aquatic Fanatic" on ''Stoned Revolution – The Ultimate Trip'' (1998) *"Quincy the Pig Boy" on ''Rise 13'' (1999) *"Black Shapes of Doom" on ''Bastards Will Pay: Tribute to Trouble'' (1999) *"No Law" on ''High Volume'' (2004)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control English stoner rock musical groups Musical groups established in 1995 English heavy metal musical groups Rock music groups from London English musical quartets Candlelight Records artists