Their name might not be the most familiar yet, but Orange County ska band Bite Me Bambi are about to become part of your summer soundtrack. They’ve been releasing digital singles since 2019, but their new release is one that’s sure to put them on the map.
It’s a great time to be a Yes fan. Barely a week after the band announced the release of a brand new album (‘The Quest’, due in October), guitarist Steve Howe has confirmed the release of a new volume of ‘Homebrew’, his ongoing series of archive releases.
‘Homebrew 7’ will be released via Cargo Records on July 30th, and will present fans with twenty one unreleased tracks which, as before, range from short instrumental sketches to complete songs. Often a fascinating look into Howe’s working practices, previous releases have given fans the early versions of GTR’s ‘Sketches In The Sun’ and the quirky ‘Bumpy Ride’, later to become an important part of the ‘Fly From Here’ suite. ‘Homebrew 7’ is said to not feature anything that has been issued in a different guise before, nor will it feature stuff that’ll be reworked in future, making it potentially the most vital ‘Homebrew’ to date.
A full press release and track listing can be explored below.
“Life has a way of pushing you away and turning you upside down” warns frontman Nick Lanari in one of the key lines of Summer Years’ current single ‘This Light’. His observation might seem like a warning, but the new track is anything but downbeat. In fact, it’s more of a paean to pushing through; an anthem for being the best you can be. It’s main refrain even offers a few words of advice we could all take to heart: “be yourself and you’ll get through.”
On 10th September 2021, Marillion will release a super deluxe edition of their second album, ‘Fugazi’. Originally released in 1984, ‘Fugazi’ saw the band take a much darker turn, both musically and lyrically, but it also scored them two hit singles in ‘Assassing’ and ‘Punch & Judy’, with the latter promoted with their first “in person” appearance on Top of The Pops.
Beloved stoner/doom metal band Orange Goblin have a busy few months ahead. They’ve confirmed a run of tour dates for the end of the year (circumstances allowing), but before that, their 2007 album ‘Healing Through Fire’ will be treated to a massively expanded reissue after spending a long time in an out of print limbo.
‘Healing Through Fire’ will be reissued as a lavish double disc set featuring eighteen bonus tracks. In addition to a handful of unreleased demos, the deluxe set will also feature a live session recorded for the Radio 1 Rock Show and a complete live gig recorded at London’s Mean Fiddler back in 2006.
All the necessary details, the full track listing and the upcoming tour dates can be found in the press release below.
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ORANGE GOBLIN
HEALING THROUGH FIRE
20 August 2021
special reissue of classic album, featuring a wealth of bonus material
British heavy metal legends revisit their 2007 classic
UK heavy metal titans Orange Goblin have announced the release of special deluxe reissue of their 2007 album ‘Healing Through Fire’, expanding the package to a whopping 35 tracks and adding new liner notes from each band member. The package will be released by Dissonance Productions, the Heavy Metal arm of Cherry Red Records.
Boasting re-worked artwork, and housed in a deluxe double digipack, the new edition of ‘Healing Through Fire’ is considered by the band to be the definitive version of what was their first release after leaving Rise Above Records.
A loosely themed concept album based upon London during The Plague and The Great Fire of London, the album was met with critical acclaim upon its release.
Disc 1 features the original album, remastered, and adds four BBC Radio One Rock Show Session tracks, as well as three demos from 2006, including a raucous cover of The Damned’s ‘New Rose’.
Disc 2 contains a full 11 track live set recorded at the Mean Fiddler in London in 2006, showcasing the Orange Goblin live experience in all its high volume high octane glory.
Vocalist Ben Ward explains the thoughts behind the release:
‘People have been asking us to reissue ‘Healing Through Fire’ for a few years now so when the time came we wanted to make sure it was done well. We are really happy to present this version of the album with all new artwork and extensive liner notes from all of the band.
The audio on the studio album and the extras has all been remastered and sounds better than ever so we feel that Cherry Red / Dissonance Productions and the team there have done it justice. This is a very special album to us as a band as it marked a period of transition for us after the first five albums had been released by Rise Above Records – this was our first venture with a new label.
It’s an album that stands alone in our catalogue as being the only one loosely based around a certain ‘concept’ and the themes, artwork and imagery of that have been brilliantly brought up to date with this stunning reissue. There are also some rare gems included from our BBC Radio One Rock Show session recorded at Maida Vale studios in London as well as some demos and a cover we recorded in Boston prior to our US tour with Scissorfight in 2006. Crack open a cold beer and PLAY IT LOUD!’
The ‘Healing Through Fire’ 2CD deluxe version is available to pre-order now here:
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/orange-goblin-healing-through-fire-2cd/
CD 1 – HEALING THROUGH FIRE
1. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle
2. Vagrant Stomp
3. The Ale House Braves
4. Cities of Frost
5. Hot Knives and Open Sores
6. Hounds Ditch
7. Mortlake (Dead Water)
8. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls)
9. Beginners Guide to Suicide
10. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle (Radio One Rock Show 17.08.07)
11. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls) (Radio One Rock Show 17.08.07)
12. Scorpionica (Radio One Rock Show 17.08.07)
13. Blue Snow (Radio One Rock Show 17.08.07)
14. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle (2006 Demo)
15. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls) (2006 Demo)
16. New Rose (2006 Demo)
CD 2 – LIVE AT THE MEAN FIDDLER, LONDON, DECEMBER 16, 2006
1. Intro
2. Some You Win, Some You Lose
3. Quincy the Pig Boy
4. Getting High on the Bad Times
5. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle
6. Hot Magic, Red Planet
7. Round Up the Horses
8. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls)
9. Your World Will Hate This
10. Blue Snow
11. Scorpionica
Formed in 1995 under their original name of Our Haunted Kingdom, the band have released 9 studio albums, with the latest effort, ‘The Wolf Bites Back’, released in 2018, featuring a guest appearance from Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell. 2012’s ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’ was named in Metal Hammer’s Top 3 albums of that year and the same year the band were crowned ‘Best British Band’ in the annual Terrorizer Magazine polls. Orange Goblin’s first five albums were released on Lee Dorrian’s iconic Rise Above Records, with 2002’s ‘Coup de Grace’ produced by Scott Reeder of Kyuss and The Obsessed. Albums have been punctuated with split releases throughout the bands career with the likes of Electric Wizard and Alabama Thunderpussy.
In 2016 frontman Ben Ward gained national media coverage and widespread gratitude after initiating a fundraising campaign which raised money for the staff of music publisher Team Rock who were made suddenly unemployed when the company was placed into administration. Ward and his wife received a Metal Hammer Award in recognition of their efforts.
The band recently played two successful live stream shows to a global audience, celebrating their 25th Anniversary. The shows were the last with the band for bassist and founding member Martyn Millard, who departed after their completion. Orange Goblin announced Harry Armstrong as Millard’s replacement, and are set to embark on their delayed 25th Anniversary tour this autumn, dates as follows:
Orange Goblin 2021 Tour Dates:
Sat 31 Jul – The Yard, Cornwall, UK
Sun 15 Aug – Bloodstock Open Air (Main Stage), UK
Sun 22 Aug – Dynamo Metalfest, Eindhoven, NL
Sat 02 Oct – Headbangers Balls Festival, Izegem, BE
Fri 05 Nov – Night of Salvation (Damnation Fest), Leeds, UK
Sat 04 Dec – Dome of Rock Festival, Salzburg, AT
Wed 08 Dec – The Booking Hall, Dover, UK
Thu 09 Dec – The Tivoli, Buckley, UK
Fri 10 Dec – Limelight 2, Belfast, UK
Sat 11 Dec – Grand Social, Dublin, IRE
Mon 13 Dec – King Tuts, Glasgow, UK
Tue 14 Dec – Gorilla, Manchester, UK
Wed 15 Dec – Asylum, Birmingham, UK
Thu 16 Dec – The Globe, Cardiff, UK
Fri 17 Dec – The Underworld, London, UK
Sat 18 Dec – The Underworld, London, UK