From one of the best underground british stoner-doom metal bands, Orange Goblin, we get a look at the band's inspiration behind their "Healing Through Fire" album, released in March 2007. The band's frontman, Ben Ward, speaks to us about things that have happened, things that are happening, and things that will happen. Get yourself a beer, sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy this long-ass interview and in-depth look at Orange Goblin. Questions and thorough research about those bad-ass stoners - courtesy of Kubiccy.

I must begin with congratulations. Your last album is great and this is definitely not just a courtesy of mine. Are you satisfied with the final result?

We are very satisfied, thank you! There was a lot of hard work and effort that went into the album and we definitely felt a certain amount of pressure on this record but we are confident that it's as good as it could have been.

Could you tell us in a few words what are the main differencies between "Healing Through Fire" and your previous albums?

It's just a progression of the band as a whole. We put together all the influences of the previous 5 albums and through 12 years of experience we have grown together as a band and we all know how to work in synch with each other to achieve the best results.

Perhaps I'm wrong but "Healing Through Fire" seems to be more diverse than your earlier records. What do you think of it?

Orange Goblin has always tried to incorporate a lot of different influences on every record. There is the obvious Sabbath reference but we like to lean in on punk, southern rock, metal, doom and other things too. I don't paticularly think that this album is much more diverse than any of the others. Even on the first record you had the upbeat rock like 'Magic Carpet' and then the tripped-out Doors like 'Star Shaped Cloud'.

On the other hand "Healing Through Fire" starts more or less in the same place where "Thieving From The House of God" ends. So the latest album is just a natural development of your music style. Do you agree with me?

Yes, definitely, as I stated before this is the signs of a band progressing and evolving naturally. I'd hate to think that every album we've made sounds exactly the same.

As early as "Coup the Grace" your music has become more and more aggressive. "Thieving From The House of God" is a proof of it. "Healing Through Fire" is another step forward and at the same time it has been your strongest material so far. Am I right?

Yes, I wanted to infuse a bit more of a traditional metal aggression into this record, hence the almost Death Metal vocals in 'Hounds Ditch' and the Thrash riffs in 'They Come Back'. People may say that it's not what Orange Goblin is about but we say 'Fuck that! If it sounds good, use it!'

Let's look at the track "They Come Back" which contains a part of nearly Death/Trash Metal wallop - there weren't such elements in OG's music before. What are the reasons for these changes?

Just us trying to express our influences again. On stage people might think we've only ever listened to Black Sabbath, 70's rock, Doom and Motorhead, but my favorite music is Death and Black Metal, so I obviously wanted to do some of that.

You're an active member of Ravens Creed, in which you play oldschool death metal. Don't you, by any chance, try to smuggle some playing of this kind into Orange Goblin's music?

The reason that I do Ravens Creed is because there is a limit to the amount of more extreme music we can do with Orange Goblin. Joe, the OG guitarist, might not want us to go too far with it because he is more interested in old blues and classic rock, which is great because we balance ourselves out. Ravens Creed is more chance to let go and sing songs about war, death, satan and blood and I love it!

By the way, could you tell us something more about Ravens Creed?

It's me on vocals, Martyn from OG on bass, Steve from Iron Monkey on guitars, James from Cudamantra on guitar and Jay, Tony Iommi's ex-session drummer. Steve and Jay formed the band and asked if I'd be interested in doing something mixing up old Bathory, Venom, Celtic Frost, Exodus and Kreator. It's a lot of fun that has had to take a back seat this year as Orange Goblin has been so busy, but next year we will be releasing new RC material and touring quite a bit, so it should be fun!

Correct me if I'm wrong but in my opinion your vocal has also changed lately. On the latest two albums it's a little bit more aggressive.

I prefer to get up close and shout at the mic rather than stand there trying to be all soulful. My voice is not good enough to be classified as a singer so I just try and belt it out the best I can.

Let's go back to your recent material. On "Healing Through Fire" I can't hear too many Punk influences. But they were still clearly audible in "Tosh Lines" of "Thieving From The House of God" or in "We Bite" which is Misfits' cover placed on "Coup de Grace", weren't they?

They're still there. They just get manifested in different ways. The same way that the recent Darkthrone has a real punk edge to it and Nattefrost etc. Punk is hard to define audibly, to me it's more of an attitude of not giving a fuck and doing whatever you want. I think that if you listen to most Heavy, Death, Thrash, Black and Doom bands, there is a Punk influence. Black Sabbath were punk in the respect that they didn't care that people thought the music was too loud, too heavy and too evil!

"Healing Through Fire" refers to one of the most important events in London's history: to Great Plague of London in the years 1664-1666 which killed over 20% of the citizens and the Great Fire of 1666 which ruined over 13 thousands buildings.

It's a fascinating subject for writing an album with so much scope for dark, morbid and depraved stories. It was a really harsh age and it was a real well of inspiration to write both the music and the lyrics for the album.

Even though the Fire ruined the substantial part of London but still it killed rats carrying the plague germs and made possible to build a modern city. Is this the healing through fire?

That is correct. The city was devastated by the fire in terms of damage to buildings but in actual fact, only 6 deaths were recorded due to the fire. But it was the fire that healed the city and rid the streets of the plague-infested rats.

The title of the first track - "The Ballad of Solomon Eagle" - refers to the character who appeared in "Journal of a Plague Year" which is a literary account by Daniel Defoe of the events mentioned above. Did you base your lyrics on that book while writing them for your latest album?

I certainly read that book, as well as many others. I just thought Solomon Eagle sounded like a funny character. He was a Quaker who prophesised about the end of the world and was convinced that the plague was sent from god to punish mankind for all it's sins. To get his message across he used to run around the streets of Southwark in London naked with a vat of burning fat and oils on his head. Eventually, his wife died of the plague and he was last seen heading across Southwark Bridge on his way to the cathedral.

Before "Healing Through Fire" was released I found your statements on the Internet that the forthcoming album would refer to those events not only lirycally but also musically. Do you think that you managed to achieve your aim?

Loosely! It's not really a concept album as it doesn't tell a story in a sort of chronological order. I also like to include a fantasy element with the lyrics, which is why there are tales of zombie plague victims returning to life to hunt the living!

The last track on the CD titled "Beginners Guide to Suicide" is a continuation of a certain tradition - each of your albums ends with the longest track of the whole set. This is a great song, much different from the rest of the material. Could you tell something more about it?

It's about someone that has just had enough of life in London around that period. First the plague, then the fire, on top of that there was the filth, the crime, the poverty, the overcrowding etc. It's simlar to London today!!! We knew that song should finish the album and we got our friend Johnny, better known as one man band Honkeyfinger, to come down and add harmonica and slide guitar to it. He really gave it that bluesy feel that I think it needed.

"Healing Through Fire" was produced by Mark Daghorn. Why did you decide to change the producer? You worked with Billy Anderson before. What are the differencies between them and their styles of work?

Mark owns the studio where we did the last 2 albums so he has always been around our recording sessions and therefore knows how we work. Billy was unavailable and we had always wanted to work with Mark anyway because I'm a fan of the other albums he's produced. This was the first album we have recorded entirely digitally, and Mark is a wizard with technology, so we were really happy with the results.

The Artwork is a piece of work of Hugh Gilmour. You had already worked together on "The Big Black". Gilmour created covers for e.g. Bruce Dickinson, Venom, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Grand Magus and Electric Wizard. This Artwork superbly refers to the subject matter of the album. Did you meddle in his ideas or is this only the effect of his independent job?

It was a case of us having a few meetings with Hugh, usually in the Crobar! We would give him our ideas, he gave us his and then you get the final result. Hugh is very talented and because we've known him for so long he can almost read our minds about what we'll want.

Was the cooperation with Frank Kozik, the author of great graphics on "Coup de Grave" only a one-time incident?

No, not at all. Frank had done the 'Time Travelling Blues' album cover for us, as well as a couple of releases on his Mans Ruin label a few years ago. When we had the idea of a horror comic for 'Coup de Grace' Frank was the obvious choice and he said he'd always wanted to do something like that, so it was perfect!

The latest album is the first fruit of your cooperation with Sanctuary Records. How did the cooperation start?

We were looking for a record label. They were looking for a British metal band. We had a few meetings and voila! It really is as simple as that.

Why did you decide to leave Rise Above? You fit perfectly with this label's profile. Besides, together with Electric Wizard, you were unquestionably the most important band of their catalogue. Aren't you afraid that in Sanctuary (which is a sub-label of Universal) you'll be only one of many bands and perhaps you'll get lost in the crowd?

After 5 albums and ten years we just felt that it was time for a change. We are still very good friends with Lee and Will at Rise Above and we'll be forver grateful for everything that they did for us, but we just wanted a change. I'm sure the door at Rise Above is always open to us if we wanted to do another record with them, but we'll see. We are more than happy with the year we have had with Sanctuary, so there's no worries!

The history knows a lot of cases where bands signed their contracts with huge music companies in the hope that they will stretch their wings but the cooperation ended with a total disillusion. I guess you shut out the thought that this situation might happen to you?

It never crossed our minds. We just told Sanctuary what we want, how we like to work and they were totally cool with all of it. The marketing and promotion has been great so we're happy!

Did Lee Dorian try to hold you somehow in Rise Above? How do you assess your cooperation looking back and bearing in mind that Rise Above have released five Orange Goblin's albums?

As I said before, we love Lee and he's been like a mentor for us. He was disappointed but at the same time gave us his blessing to try new things. Lee is a fan of music and not finance so he was not concerened with losing us to another label.

Not so long ago I had a chance to see you in Wroclaw during your first concert in Poland. Your gig was really phenomenal! What are your impressions of it?

We had a blast. The Polish fans were crazy! It's a shame that it took us so long to finally play in Poland but it was worth the wait. The people were very friendly, it was well organized and the beer and vodka were great!

Admittedly, the attendance at this concert wasn't particularly impressive but you must confess that Polish fans gave you a really royal welcome :). Perhaps I'm wrong, but you seemed to be a bit startled with this kind of reception?

Not startled but very impressed. Guys in Poland know how to make a band feel welcome and I hope we can come back there someday!

You wore "Evil Dead" T-shirt there, a shirt in which you appeared also at some other live gigs. I know that you are a fanatic of horror movies. Could you list your three favorite films of this genre?

There are so many but I'll go for:

Lucio Fulci's 'The Beyond'
Dario Argento's 'Suspiria'
Jorge Grau's 'Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue'

I don't know if you've heard that press has coined a new term "gorno" as a combination of two words: "porno" and "gore". "Gorno" concerns films, where acts of violence are shown with almost pornographic precision. What do you think about the films like "Hostel" or "Saw", which were made not too long ago? Do you think they match up to the horror classics?

I don't think they compare to classic horror movies, but I enjoyed those films. Hostel is just a variation on a theme that was perfected in films such as 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' , 'Last House On The Left' or 'Island of Death'. Herscell Gordon Lewis was doing that kind of stuff in the late 60's, mixing bizarre ritual killers with Russ Meyer style schlock. You should check out his movies like 'Blood Red', 'Wizard of Gore' and 'Gore Gore Girls'.

Have you ever thought about making a horror movie by yourself, following Rob Zombie's example?

I would love to someday. I have a few ideas that I could use but it's the finding your way into that industry that's hard. People always assume that everything has already been done!

OK, let's return to the concerts. The show in Wroclaw wasn't the last chance to play a live gig in Poland. Two weeks later you supported Heaven & Hell at two concerts - in Warsaw and in Cracow. How did it happen? Some time ago you supported Ronnie James Dio. Has this fact any influence on it?

We were very honoured that Metal Mind asked if we would be interested in doing the shows, of course we said yes and that was it really. We did tour with Dio in 2000 on the Alice Cooper tour, so it was great to see him again. It was also great to be back in Poland so soon and have a chance to get to play in larger arenas. It was a bit of a dream come true really. We can say that we played with Black Sabbath!

Unfortunately, I had no chance to see this gig. But I've heard that people that were impatiently waiting for the star of the evening weren't especially interested in your show. Is that true?

When you play with bands like Heaven & Hell, people are never there for the support acts so that's fine with me. I think we won a few people over by the end of the set though. I remember going to gigs to see my favourite bands when I was younger and I couldn't care less who the supports acts were, because I'd be too busy getting drunk. It could have been worse, we could have been opening for Slayer and have to deal with the Slayer fans!

Where do you feel better playing concerts - in huge halls or rather in small music clubs?

I much prefer smaller venues where you can get up close to the crowd and make the walls sweat. Those kind of gigs are always great fun.

You pass as one of the best concert rock bands. And the editors of such metal periodical like e.g. Kerrang! spare no praises to you. How did you make this mark? Have you got a cure for a good rock concert?

Actually, Kerrang! have been very good to Orange Goblin over the years. They have given us a lot of good coverage as well as the other British metal press, so our reputation has been helped by these people in a big way. We don't get as much attention as some bands but that's because we don't cut our hair or wear eyeliner!

Why was your concert from London's Mean Fiddler released only as a bonus CD added to "Healing Through Fire" limited edition not as a complete but separate DVD?

It was a last minute decision by the people at Sanctuary to give the fans a little extra with the DVD. We are planning to release a full length DVD sometime in the future with lots of extras and fun backstage antics, etc.

I have a nagging doubt as to the origins of Orange Goblin's name. Could you explain it to our readers?

Obviously there is a Tolkien influence, hence the Goblin part. We also thought that it would be cool to have a color in the name like our favourite bands did: BLACK Sabbath, PINK Floyd, BLUE Cheer, Deep PURPLE etc etc so Orange sounded good. That's pretty much it!

I often hear the opinions that your best album is "The Big Black". I won't point to my favorite because in my mind, they all are outstanding. Which is your favorite? And which is the most popular among your fans?

I think The 'Big Black is definitely' the fans' favorite, but for me I'd have to say the new one, 'Healing Through Fire'. It sounds like what I think the band should sound at the moment, but I am extremely proud of every single one of our records and I'd stand by every one of them.

Why did you place in the booklet of "Thieving From The House of God" Winston Churchill's words - "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals"?

It's a great quote from a great man in history. I agree with it totally and we are all big fans of bacon and pork!

On your website you quoted words of a Metal Hammer journalist who said that you were still the best underground band in Britain. Orange Goblin is the band whose latest album was released by a major music company, whose records can be bought in every music store and who plays a dozens of concerts in many countries. Do you really think that you are still the underground band? To be underground means something different I think.

You read too much into things!

You often admit to be fascinated with Black Metal. In the booklet of "Healing..." you sported Watain T-shirt. Next on DVD you appeared in Mayhem T-shirt. What do you like most in Black Metal?

I like it's raw honesty and passion. Real Black Metal cannot be faked and I appreciate that. I also think that a lot of it is overlooked and there is a lot of amazing talent in the BM genre. Bands like Bathory and Venom obviously started it, then bands such as Emperor, Immortal, Mayhem, Satyricon, Carpathian Forest, Gorgoroth and Darkthrone took it up a level and now there is a plethora of bands all over the world making great Black Metal. The BM scene is always evolving with bands like Deathspell Omega, Drudkh, Leviathan, Cobalt, Xasthur and many many more. Ever since I got 'Transylvanian Hunger' in the early 90's, it has been an exciting form of music for me and it still is.

You are often called the legend of stoner rock. Do you feel like a legend? What is in your opinion a real Orange Goblin's contribution to the progress of this music genre?

I would never consider myself a legend but thanks for that! I'd like to think that Orange Goblin will be remembered as being a good bunch that played decent music with honesty and integrity. If we can help a certain scene by inspiring a few new bands along the way, then that's great.

Do you think that as the first Black Sabbath albums changed the face of metal music and influenced a dozens bands, someday you too may be listed some day as one of those bands which significantly affected other stoner rock bands?

Maybe, but that really isn't for me to say!

Quite possibly the best of the few bands that isn’t afraid of staying true to their own - Antimatter - with their most current release “Leaving Eden” is just what it is - sad, melancholic and gloomy. Mick Moss - the brains and most of the manpower behind Antimatter - speaks to us about being the “saddest band of the world”, the journey of becoming known for their own music, the natural way the whole band unfolded and the plans for the future - questions - courtesy of Kubiccy.

On "Planetary Confinement" there was an inscription saying that this album was "The saddest album of the year". However, on "Leaving Eden", there is a note that Antimatter is "The saddest band of the world". Are they only the slogans, or do you really think that this is true?

Well, lyrically it is quite woeful, and at the moment I'm hard pressed to think of anyone as depressing! I'm sure there is, though, so the jury is still out on that one.

Anyhow, sadness and melancholy overflows every Antimatter album. Do you think that these kinds of feelings are more proper for music than happiness and joyfulness?

More apt for my music, yeah, but for everyone else it's all down to the writer and the listener, and their needs. I don't exclusively listen to melancholic music in my spare time; I listen to whatever I feel suits my mood. But when it comes to writing music, or more specifically lyrics, I do prefer the darker side of things.

Marcel Proust said that "happiness is wellness for the body, but sadness broadens the power of mind". Would you agree with the thesis mentioned above?

I've never heard that quote before, but it sounds quite accurate, yeah. I don't want to dwell on it too much, though, because it's too early in the day for philosophy!

Let's move on to the latest Antimatter material. "Leaving Eden" is a great album, you're probably fully aware of it?

I'm aware of it, yeah, but only through the fact that lots of people have sent me messages saying so, and I've read a lot of extremely positive reviews. It's not that I've finished the album and I'm lying back congratulating myself on my new masterpiece or anything, although I can appreciate the fact that I've written and recorded an album that has succeeded on many levels.

As far as I know, the response of fans and journalists to this album was very good, even enthusiastic. Are you proud of it?

Yeah, sure. I worked very hard at this and I came out the other side with an album that I'm very proud of. When I think sometimes about the sheer scale of what I've accomplished there, it makes my head spin.

Did the recordings of the material turn out as you wished?

There's always a slight difference between how you envision something in your head, and how it actually turns out in the studio. The trick is getting each one as close to the other as possible. In that respect, the material turned out as I wished.

This record is also the strongest and the most guitar prevailed Antimatter album. Your previous comments suggested that it was your original goal. Why didn't you want to continue the acoustic sounds known from "Planetary Confinement"?

I did continue the acoustic sounds from 'Planetary Confinement', its prevalent on almost half of the album. I just didn't make the entire album acoustic because I stayed true to each track’s character. So we have completely acoustic pieces like 'Conspire' and 'Fighting For A Lost Cause' because that's what kind of tracks they are, and heavier pieces like 'Leaving Eden' and 'The Freak Show' for exactly the same reason.

The title track "Leaving Eden" is definitely my favorite from this album. Do you have your favorite one?

'Conspire' or 'The Immaculate Misconception' maybe. Other than that it's almost impossible to say.

The acoustic sound presented on "Planetary Confinement" imprinted on my mind so much that in the beginning I couldn't get accustomed to completely different sound of "Leaving Eden". Every consecutive record of Antimatter sounds differently and it became almost a showcase for you.

Yeah, but it wasn't a purposeful thing. I never said to myself 'right I've gotta make this set of songs different from the last one'. You just make the album that you want to make, and if you're clever enough then you'll realize that you don't have to try and make it like your last album, that's the real picture.

Are there any chances of comeback of electronic sounds known from "Lights out"? I must admit that i.e. "Expire", where the influences of Portishead are clearly audible, is in my opinion one of the best Antimatter songs.

I'm sure there's plenty of room in any future tracks that I work on for different textures. I'm not ruling anything out.

Do you think that new tracks sound better without female vocals? Why have you decided to resign from them?

My vocals have been on a constant increase since the first album, and this was just a natural continuation of that.

Was it easy to take on your shoulders the whole responsibility for the band after Duncan Patterson's departure?

Yes it was, I shouldered a lot of responsibility while Duncan was there anyway, especially in the latter stages.

On the other hand, now you can realize all your music visions in Antimatter and you don't have to confine yourself. Are you satisfied with this?

Yeah sure, I had a much broader canvass to fuck around with this time rather than just space enough for 4 or 5 tracks. I had the space to take what I saw as a few risks, which certainly paid off.

Have you given lately any interviews without even one question concerning Duncan's leaving the band?

Probably not, but it's a relevant question anyway - this project used to be a duo, and now this is the first album as one-man unit, so there are bound to be questions from journalists asking about that change. Journalists have a job to do, and that job is to assemble a set of questions concerning the subject of the interview. Any journalist who failed to ask about Duncan's departure would be guilty of not doing his research.

What do you think about the new project of Duncan Patterson - Ion?

I thought it was a very good album. He's making the music he wants to make without being swayed by the needs of the general masses.

When Duncan left Antimatter you declared that you were going to release one more album behind this facade. "Leaving Eden" has already been released. Have you decided what are you going to do next?

I'm going to concentrate on touring, playing the usual sets of small, informal acoustic gigs. I tried this last month with Leafblade as a support, and it worked out very well both musically and personally. I still have at least half an album of what I deem to be quality music that I don't intend to leave unrecorded. If I write another half of an album’s worth of material that I feel the same way about, then I will surely see what options are available to get it all recorded.

The packaging of the first and the third Antimatter albums are kept in light tones and the disk printings are white. In case of the second and the fourth material dominant hue is black as well as the disk printings. Was it intended or this was only the coincidence?

It's coincidence. Although personally I see the covers as: White (Saviour) / Black (Lights Out) / Grey (Planetary Confinement) / Colour (Leaving Eden), that's the progression for me.

I've read somewhere that your first ever band formed with your school mates played thrash classics like Slayer's "Mandatory Suicide". Once Tori Amos recorded a cover of "Reign in Blood". Have you ever thought how would sound Antimatter version of "Mandatory Suicide"?

Whenever I do a tour, I always look around for what cover versions I could put in the set, as I get a lot of satisfaction from playing songs I grew up with. It has crossed my mind in the past to try and interpret a thrash or death track into acoustic form, but usually before a tour I am so busy arranging other things, that I don't have the time to start such an intricate process. I have thought about it though, yeah. It will probably happen sooner or later if I find the right track, the right arrangement and the right amount of time.

While we are at the covers. So far on Antimatter releases appeared one and the only cover - the track of Trouble titled "Mr. White". Who is the author of this idea?

That was Duncan's idea. I must admit I had not heard of Trouble until he mentioned them to me. As far back as our first album Duncan had been talking about covering Mr White, as he had asked Eric about it personally while on their supporting tour.

But this song is not the only cover of Antimatter authorship. You worked on one of my favorite tracks of Dead Can Dance - "Black Sun" as well. Did you hear any opinions of Lisa or Brendan concerning "The Lotus Eaters" release?

Yeah, Brendan was very much into our version of 'Black Sun', which was very good to hear. Duncan worked on the music for that one while I did the vocals, and Brendan took the time to compliment both factors. He felt that it was the one track on the album that was most sympathetic to the original. Me and Dunc were both chuffed with that.

When did you feel that Antimatter is an independent entity and not only a new project of Anathema's ex-member? Wasn't it a problem for you that Antimatter was mostly perceived and valued through the prism of Duncan Patterson?

It wasn't a problem, no, as I knew quite well that in the early days the press would focus on Duncan as he had come from a 'named brand' and I had not. The press's fixation would of course influence the fans, who would at first be exclusively Anathema fans. That meant that for the duration of the early stages of Antimatter, the level of interest would be at an 'Anathema level' only. It didn't bother me, as I knew this would happen and I am not an egotist anyway. What did bother me was sloppy journalism and over-use of the name 'Anathema', which I felt was constantly undermining the projects independency. I feel that our third album was where the tide turned. I wrote and produced what seemed to be generally accepted as the most popular material of the album. This material was recorded separately from Duncan, which left the press no option to apply the word 'Anathema' to my tracks.

You have already cooperated with the two of the Cavanagh brothers, but still not with Vincent. What is the reason of that?

I'd have no reason to co-operate with Vinny, as what Vinny does (i.e. sing and play rhythm guitar) I can do myself. Jamie's performance on 'Lights Out' was percussive, and even though Dunc and me did muck in on the percussion, we didn't consider ourselves percussionists enough to do the whole thing by ourselves, that's why Jamie was asked. It's the same thing with Danny's involvement, I cannot play lead guitar like him, so therefore it was obvious to ask him to play. It's not that I'm intent on collaborating with all the members of Anathema, its just that when there's a job to be done and I can’t do it myself, I look at who out of my friends can do it instead.

You've published your first EP ever on the Internet; the album with demo and live versions of the tracks which have never been released before and also the material containing four free virtual video releases. Tell me, what you think about the Internet in general, about downloading mp3 files and all this confusion made by the record companies to a large extent?

I don't know, time will tell, won't it? Surely it's a good thing for bands to be able to get their music out to the world without having to go through regulated mediums such as radio, television and magazines, where only the rich or the favored can get exposure.