Review & Photography by Manny Manson for MPM
It’s Humpday night in Wolverhampton, and it’s clear the heavy metal faithful have come out in force for what promises to be an epic night of stoner, doom, and distorted riff worship.
The legendary KK’s Steel Mill is packed to the rafters, the idle chat buzzing around the venue which is bathed in anticipation as we ready for three ‘titans’ of the genre, who are no doubt preparing to lay waste to the venue. Headlining tonight are the almighty “ORANGE GOBLIN”, but first, the local lads “SLUMP” and Liverpool’s Doomlords “CONAN” are here to set the scene. Buckle up and hold on tight, this is going to be no ordinary theme park ride.
“Slump” A Psychedelic Stoner Groove band from Wolverhampton, opened the night with a swirl of distorted, down tuned riffs, this local three-piece band, formed in 2018, have earned their stripes on the underground circuit, and tonight’s set proves exactly why they’re worth paying attention to. Frontman “Matt Noble” leads the charge on guitar and growling vocals, with “Ben Myles” on bass and “David Kabbouri Lara” absolutely pounding away at the drums.
They launch into “Data Rot,” a sludgy, spaced-out number that immediately drags the audience into their world. The riffs are thick, slow, and psychedelic, the perfect blend of stoner rock and doom. Noble’s vocals, low and guttural, bring a raw energy to the track as it grinds forward. Next up, “Nothing More” cranks up the intensity with a slightly faster, aggressive pace. Myles’ bass rumbles beneath the surface, seemingly shaking the very foundation of the venue, while Kabbouri Lara’s drums add a thunderous, hypnotic pulse.
The middle of their set delivers a one-two sucker punch with the fast pace of “Dust” full of growls and malicious intent and “Gangrene,” dripping in fuzzy distortion and mind-bending effects. Noble’s guitar work here is drenched in reverb, sending waves of cosmic sludge across the room, while the reverberating rhythm section keeps everything grounded in a deep, stoner groove.
Closing with the appropriately titled “Kneel”,” Slump end their set on a crushingly heavy note, as the song’s slow build and gut-wrenching climax leave the crowd wondering what has just hit them. A killer start to the night, these guys have all the makings of a future headliner.
“Conan” The self-proclaimed Doomlords of ‘Caveman-Battle-Doom’ take to the stage, the lights are dim and the air thick with anticipation, Liverpool’s “Conan”, bathed in virtual moonlight with a backdrop of “caveman battle doom” visuals, sword-wielding warriors, volcanic landscapes, and, of course, an oversized image of “He-Man”. The trio, led by “Jon Davis” (guitar/vocals), “Johnny King” (drums), and new recruit “David Riley” (bass), are here to deliver an auditory assault, and from the first dark notes of “Equilibrium of Mankind” it’s clear they’re not holding back, the tunings are so low and dark, it feels like the floor will open up beneath your very feet.
The sheer “brutality” of Conan’s sound is staggering. The riffs are like slow-motion sledgehammers, each one crashing down with the force of a thousand tons. “Prosper on the Path“ follows, its menacing groove accentuated by Davis’ guttural vocals, which sound as though they’re being dragged from the depths of some primordial abyss, dripping with gloop. The band’s performance is tight, but there’s a looseness to the way they let the sound breathe, it’s doom, after all, and every drawn-out, lingering note is soaked in distortion and dread, death and destruction.
The crowd is fully committed, whether they like it or not, as Conan dive into fan-favourite “Hawk As a Weapon” from ‘Monnos’ (2012). The stage lights cast an eerie glow as the song’s slow, crawling riff moves like a giant being under the surface of the earth. Drummer, Johnny King is relentless, pounding out a steady, thunderous rhythm that keeps the band marching ever forward. The slower tracks like “Satsumo” feel like they could tear the very fabric of time apart, while faster cuts like “”Levitation Hoax”“ and “Volt Thrower” from ‘Existential Void Guardian’ (2018) inject bursts of chaotic, frenzied energy into the dark set.
The highlight comes when Conan unleash the mighty “Foehammer”, a track so heavy it threatens to collapse the very stage beneath them. The band finishes with the brutal “Invinciblade”, sending us all into the darkest pits of doom, a tumultuous cadaver of a final song . Conan are, indeed, a “sonic monolith”, delivering a set that feels like it could level mountains, a set full of primal, doom-laden fury.
The stage is cleared again, although it’s a fast change round as David Riley was using Orange Goblins drum kit.
“Orange Goblin”, The Masters of Stoner Metal, are the main event. They take to the stage amidst a cacophony of cheers and whistles, their setup glowing under better-lit conditions than Conan’s stark moonlit affair. The band, led by the charismatic “Ben Ward” (vocals), is here to show everyone why they’ve been one of the most consistent forces in stoner metal since their inception in the late ‘90s. Kicking things off with the blistering “Cemetery Rats” from ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’ (2012), it’s clear that Orange Goblin means business tonight.
Ward’s booming voice fills the room as “Joe Hoare” (guitar), “Chris Turner” (drums), and “Harry Armstrong” (bass) lock into a groove that’s tighter than a coiled spring. The next track, “Scorpionica“ from ‘Coup de Grace’ (2002), whips into the crowd, with its galloping rhythm and classic stoner metal vibe. By the time they hit “”Saruman’s Wish”“ (1997’s ‘Frequencies From Planet Ten’), disaster strikes—Hoare’s guitar cuts out, leaving him frantically rerouting cables and running his rig directly into the amp.
It’s a small hitch, but the band laugh it off, with Ward and Armstrong teasing him relentlessly about buying guitars on ’tick’, the crowd love it as we get three attempts at the song. When the issue is fixed, they dive back into the groove, I’d like to say without missing a beat, but it matters not, they still destroy “Saruman’s Wish”.
The mid-set highlights include “Hot Magic, Red Planet” from ‘Time Travelling Blues’ (1998) and the thunderous “Heavy Lies the Crown”, a track Ward introduces as a tribute to “Viking Rock.” And the mighty ‘ManOwaR’. The riffs here are slow and crushing, with a sense of epic grandeur as Hoare’s guitar work slices through the air like a battle axe. They continue with “The Fury of a Patient Man” from ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ (2018), aimed directly at Hoare, Ben saying it’s about Joe when he’s angry, with Ward wryly grinning as the song barrels forward.
From there, it’s a whirlwind of classics—”The Filthy and the Few” has Ben teasing the crowd as they’re stood with their arms folded, he reminds them they’re at a gig; and “Snail Hook” is barked as being an “old one”, turn the Steel Mill into a happy clapper’s paradise during the drum groove, while “The Devil’s Whip” from ‘Back From The Abyss’ (2014) cranks the energy up to 11. The back drop now features a skull in a space helmet, the album cover.
The band’s tight musicianship is on full display during “Whiskey Leech“, a nod to Joe wandering the streets with a bottle in hand. Ben warms his hands over the scorching riff Joe lays down during the song. When the song finishes Ben introduces ‘Harry Armstrong’ the new guy on bass before they wrap up the main set with the pulsing “The Fire At The Centre Of The Earth Is Mine “full of blinders and sweeping spots, and “Ascend The Negative“, the song slows and Harry is punching the air, between stoner layered thunderous notes, the crowd sing back “break the circle, Break the chain” as both these songs are delivered with such ferocity you’d think they were trying to tear the venue apart from the inside.
But before the crowd can catch their breath, Ward bellows, “We’re too f”king old to walk off and back on, so you get three more, then we’re done!” And what a three-song encore it is. “Quincy The Pigboy” rolls out in all its sludgy glory, Ben throws a bottle of water in the air and catches it much to Joes delight. This is followed by its “(Not) Rocket Science” from their latest album ‘Science, Not Fiction’ (2024), I can’t help think that there’s a Lemmy in there trying to get out, Harry is low and sweeping his hair back n forth as he sends tidal waves of guttural bass through the crowd, he’s joined by Ben who has the mic stand as a guitar and they rock out together. The crowd are again encouraged to clap and sing back “It’s Not Rocket Science and We’re doing Alright”
And finally, they close with the monster riff-fest that is “Red Tide Rising“. Ben introduces it by saying “See you Again”. Once again, Ben asks for hands in the air which the crowd eagerly comply with. They copy Ben punching the air as he patrols the stage. The crowd is roaring in approval, fists in the arm as they do. The band finally bid their farewells “Wolves your Fucking Awesome” “ We Have Been Orange Fucking Goblin Baby” and with that they leave the stage, with Ward thanking the drenched, sweaty masses for their dedication.
Tonight, was a “masterclass in destruction”. From “Slump’s” psychedelic grooves, through “Conan’s” doom-laden barbarism, to the stoner metal mastery of “Orange Goblin”, each band brought something different to the table. But the one constant was the sheer, unrelenting “heaviness” that filled KK’s Steel Mill to over flowing.
A night to remember for all the right reasons, ears ringing despite ear plugs, heads banging, and riffs as thick as the rain falling outside on Frederick Street. This is what live metal is all about as we vacate the ruined Steel Mill listening to Motörhead’s “We Are The Road Crew”…..”That’s Right”.
