Confession time. I'm not sure how I've made it this long in the Metal world without hearing an entire ORANGE GOBLIN album, but I haven't. Yep, the 10 tracks on "A Eulogy For The Damned" are the first I've heard from the band. Even so, after listening to the album for a while I can definitely see why many are excited that the band recently reemerged from a hiatus.

"Red Tide Rising" is an energetic and bouncy opener that starts the album off with a definite boogie stomp. "Stand For Something" appears to be an earnest attempt at writing a song about staying true to personal convictions. The song structure is almost pop-rock with a strong chorus and simple verses. I'm not a huge fan of some of the lyrical clichés, but this is still a fairly strong track.

"Save Me From Myself" is a certified southern-fried jam. The loping tempo and laid-back vocals showcase the band at their most attractive. The chorus bangs in, breaking up an otherwise smooth, swampy track. The organ flourishes and choral-type vocals are a nice touch. Rocker "The Fog" gets bonus points for sharing a name with the classic John Carpenter film. The gruff vocals and burning riffs help showcase a meaner sound for the band.

The shortest song on the album is "Return to Mars", and it's funky in its own way. The simplistic, upbeat groove is definitely a breather considering it's lodged between two six minute crushers. "The Bishops Wolf" is a brutish track with a slower chorus. There's definitely some sturdy guitar soloing here, and the organ returns at the middle of the song and rides along until the end. "A Eulogy For The Damned", the seven-minute closer, starts by calming the album down with clean guitar and throaty, sung vocals. The stomp soon returns as Ward bellows, "We're dying from the day that we're born!" The final four minutes of this song feature some of the strongest riffs on the album.

What are my initial thoughts, considering that I'm an ORANGE GOBLIN virgin? Yeah, I can dig it. In the album's best moments, I definitely hear a good bit of MONSTER MAGNET. And, while their sound may be a tad commercial for my listening tastes, I can definitely understand the public's attraction to their distinct brand of Stoner Rock.