The Wolf Bites Back
Orange Goblin · 2018
40 min · 10 tracks · heavy metal
A ferocious blend of heavy riffs and gritty vocals, encapsulating the essence of stoner metal with a relentless energy.
Top tracks — play these first
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The Wolf Bites Back — This title track exemplifies the album's fierce energy and thematic exploration of resilience amidst adversity, featuring a powerful chorus that encapsulates the band's signature sound.
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Sons of Salem — Opening the album, this track sets an aggressive tone with its driving riffs and haunting lyrics about vengeance, immediately capturing listener attention.
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Burn the Ships — This track stands out for its intense instrumentation and lyrical narrative regarding sacrifice and survival, showcasing the band's lyrical depth alongside their sonic power.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong riffs and varied tempos, maintaining energy while exploring dynamics within stoner metal.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a high-energy track that features aggressive guitar riffs and driving drums, setting a fast pace for the first half.
- Several tracks incorporate tempo shifts, with 'In Bocca al Lupo' slowing down significantly before ramping back up, creating dynamic contrasts.
- The vocals are gritty and often layered with backing harmonies, particularly in the chorus of 'Renegade', enhancing the overall heaviness.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- ferocious energy for workouts
- cathartic release of aggression
- for late-night drives
- headbanging anthems with friends
- pulsing riffs that energize
Maybe skip if you
- not for mellow background listening
- skip if seeking soft melodies
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2018, The Wolf Bites Back marks Orange Goblin's eighth studio album, showcasing their continued evolution within the heavy metal scene since their formation in 1995. Following a five-year hiatus after their previous album, the band returned with a renewed vigor, solidifying their status as stalwarts of the genre.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Electric Wizard· Sleep· High on Fire
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Sons of Salem 3:00
- 2 The Wolf Bites Back 4:28
- 3 Renegade 3:32
- 4 Swords of Fire 4:34
- 5 Ghosts of the Primitives 5:21
- 6 In Bocca al Lupo 2:12
- 7 Suicide Division 2:03
- 8 The Stranger 5:43
- 9 Burn the Ships 4:40
- 10 Zeitgeist 5:01
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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