The Big Black

The Big Black
Studio album by Orange Goblin
Released	May 16 2000
Recorded	22nd Nov - 9th Dec 1999 at Mark Angelo Studios in London, England
Genre	Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Heavy Metal, Biker Metal
Length	43:25 (Original)
Label	Rise Above Records
Producer	Billy Anderson, Orange Goblin
Orange Goblin chronology
Time Travelling Blues (1998)	The Big Black (2000)	Coup de Grace (2002)

The Big Black is the third studio album by the English heavy metal band Orange Goblin. Released in 2000 and the first of two studio albums produced by Billy Anderson, The Big Black would be seen as a breakthrough for the band, attaining critical praise and noting a shift into more of a heavy metal sound, even being labelled as "biker metal" by The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal.

Background

Work would begin on The Big Black throughout 1999. According to the liner notes of the reissue drummer Chris Turner and guitarist Joe Hoare had written the bulk of the songs until the whole band got together, writing and rehearsing the entire album in a week in the back room of a pub in Ramsgate. Recording through November and December the band would recruit Billy Anderson to engineer and produce the album, finishing production by 9 December.

The Big Black would be initially released via Rise Above Records on 16 May 2000. The Music Cartel would release the album on CD in North America, along with a vinyl edition. Lastly Music For Nations would release the album in Japan, with a cover of "Into The Void" by Black Sabbath as a bonus track. On many of the original pressings there would be a hidden track featuring Ben Ward drunkenly rambling into an answering machine.

At the time of release The Big Black would attain critical praise from several publications. Aaron Small, writing for BraveWords on 6 June 2000, would award the album an 8/10, praising the more consistent rock tone along with "solid guitar licks and smooth vocals that are equally seductive and stabbing." Brian Varney, writing for Lollipop Magazine, would heavily praise the record including the "brutal, thuggish “Quincy the Pigboy”". Sean Palmerson, writing for Exclaim!, would also heavily praise the album, stating that the band "this time out they have nailed the coffin shut." and "The songwriting has improved, and they have made one of the best UK metal records since Cathedral's debut nearly a decade ago."

In 2004 The Big Black would see a CD re-issue including "Into The Void". Seven years later on 29 January 2011, The Big Black would see it's first vinyl reissue on Black and White Vinyl. A remastered CD edition would also see production on 24 January 2011 with liner notes, a remaster and three bonus tracks. The remastered vinyl edition would see release in 2018 as a 2LP with an etched side D in the following versions:

• Blue Vinyl (500 copies)
• Green Vinyl (500 copies)
• Solid Orange Vinyl (200 copies; Band Exclusive)
• Purple Vinyl (Unknown Limited Amount)
• Clear Vinyl (200 copies; Die Hard edition with bonus 7")
• Black Vinyl (100 copies; Die Hard edition with bonus 7")

The Big Black has been cited as a favorite among Orange Goblin fans and one of the band's finest works. Retroactively it's seen further praise. Eduardo Rivadavia awarded the album four stars, praising the songwriting as a "quantum leap" compared to previous efforts. Metalreviews, writing in 2010, praised the more guitar-driven works and rated the album an 84/100. JJ Koczan of The Obelisk, writing about the album in his "Full-Length Friday" circa 2015, Koczan noted that Orange Goblin "weren’t the first stoner rock band to come from the UK, but with their third album, 2000’s The Big Black, London outfit Orange Goblin more or less perfected the form." and would also state that The Big Black "sounds more vital today than when it was released.".

Notably The Big Black is also the only Orange Goblin album to be performed in it's entirety, done so on two occasions: 23 April 2015 at Astra in Berlin, Germany (As part of DesertFest Berlin) and 24 April 2015 at The Electric Ballroom in London, England (As part of Desertfest London).

Tracklist

All songs written by Orange Goblin except where noted.

Orange Goblin - The Big Black (Full Album)

Original Edition

• 1. Scorpionica (3:13)
• 2. Quincy The Pigboy (3:55)
• 3. Hot Magic, Red Planet (3:51)
• 4. Cozmo Bozo (5:59)
• 5. 298 kg (3:54)
• 6. Turbo Efflaunt (Elephant) (3:33)
• 7. King of The Hornets (5:13)
• 8. You'll Never Get To The Moon In That (4:21)
• 9. Alcofuel (2:23)
• 10. The Big Black (11:52)

Reissued CD and Vinyl

• 1. Scorpionica (3:13)
• 2. Quincy The Pigboy (3:55)
• 3. Hot Magic, Red Planet (3:51)
• 4. Cozmo Bozo (5:59)
• 5. 298 kg (3:54)
• 6. Turbo Efflaunt (Elephant) (3:33)
• 7. King of The Hornets (5:13)
• 8. You'll Never Get To The Moon In That (4:21)
• 9. Alcofuel (2:23)
• 10. The Big Black (6:58)
• 11. Quincy The Pigboy (Rise 13 Version) (4:11)
• 12. Scorpionica (Live at The BBC, Maida Vale Studios) (3:22)
• 13. Into The Void (6:12) (Black Sabbath)

Personnel

Orange Goblin

• Ben Ward - Vocals
• Martyn Millard - Bass
• Chris Turner - Drums
• Joe Hoare - Guitar
• Pete O'Malley - Guitar

Other Personnel

• Billy Anderson - Producer, Engineer, Guitar Noise (10)
• Harry Armstrong - Vocals (6)
• The Royston Vasey Choir - Additional Vocals (10)
• George Horn - Mastering
• Hugh Gilmour - Design, Orange Goblin Photography
• Sarah Ozelle - Compiling, Editing

External Links

• Discogs

References

V·T·E Orange Goblin
Current Members	Ben Ward • Joe Hoare • Chris Turner • Harry Armstrong
Past and Live-Only Members	Pete O'Malley • Martyn Millard • Neil Kingsbury
Studio Albums	Frequencies From Planet Ten • Time Travelling Blues • The Big Black • Coup de Grace • Thieving From The House of God • Healing Through Fire • A Eulogy For The Damned • Back From The Abyss • The Wolf Bites Back
Extended Plays	Electric Wizard/Our Haunted Kingdom • Nuclear Guru
Live Albums	A Eulogy for the Fans... Orange Goblin Live 2012 • Rough & Ready, Live & Loud
Associated Bands, Artists, Etc.	Capricorns • Electric Wizard • The Dukes of Nothing • Raven's Creed