Review by Tobias on August 10, 2002.

The rising brand of big-bearded, wild-eyed, rock-oriented metal, given such labels as ‘stoner metal’, is carving out a definitive niche for itself in the metal world and is embodied by the likes of Orange Goblin.

One crunching chord after another gets pounded out of the band’s fuzzed out amplifier of choice: Orange Amps. Listening to the incredibly catchy riffing and thickly toned guitar leads that Joe Hoare and Pete O’Malley chuck back and forth can only make the listener want to kick holes in walls with total uncompromising delight.

Torrential whiskey-raw vocals from towering frontman Ben Ward will make you want to be him. This guy is having so much fun that you can hear the grin in his voice, if not the gin. It’s this attitude that really seeps through every instrument in the band, and I’ll be goddamned if that isn’t what music is all about.

This band knows itself; it knows what it is and what it wants to be. The members’ contributions fit into each other like lock and key, which is sharply demonstrated by can-beater Chris Turner and the four-stringer Martyn Millard. Millard will on occasion through in a lick of his own, in the fashion of The Who’s ‘The Real Me’, but certainly Goblin’s own.

Amidst the bucket of evil fun that "Coup De Grace" is, the band tosses in one shining treat after another such as samples from 'Night of the Living Dead' or cases like ‘Made of Rats’ and ‘Jesus Beater’ which gives Ben some time to flash his teeth while former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia lends some of his talent to the microphone, adding even more depth to the album.

Additionally, the band threw in a cover of the Glen Danzig Misfit’s song, ‘We Bite’. Though the style strays slightly here, it gives the band a chance to honor their horror-punk roots.

As for a down-side, they are few and hard to find. A potential candidate would be the band’s strange song construction of 'Rage of Angels' which immediately makes you think of ‘Ballroom Blitz’... but it’s much funnier, and a hell of a lot more badass.

Bottom Line: This is dirty rockin’ metal that will find you drunk and laughing in a ditch the next morning, ready for another shot.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 7
Overall: 10

Rating: 8.6 out of 10