YOB Albums (4)
'The Great Cessation'
Release Date 7/14/2009
Tracks 5
Label Profound Lore
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Probably one of the greatest descriptions of the heaviness of doom metallists YOB comes in the press release for their 2009 release, Great Cessation: "Heavier than the world's entire elephant population." Hailing from Eugene, OR (not exactly primarily thought of as a doom metal mecca), YOB opted to call it a day in 2006, but two years later, the call of the recording studio had brought the lads back together, resulting in their fifth album overall (and first for the Profound Lore label). Expectedly, the songs are long, plodding, numbing, and oozing with riffage and screams -- take your pick of any of the album's five songs (which clock in at an hour total) to experience the doomsday charm of YOB. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'The Unreal Never Lived'
Release Date 8/23/2005
Tracks 4
Label Metal Blade
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
YOB has never exactly been easy listening. They are masters of doom metal -- slow, heavy, ominous, forceful headbanger music with a strong appreciation of Black Sabbath (whose riffs have been a primary influence on the doom/stoner/sludge field). But the Oregon residents have managed to increase the heaviness factor somewhat on The Unreal Never Lived, which favors a generally thicker, more distorted sound than their previous releases. That isn't to say that YOB has turned into one of the many ultra-dense, ultra-claustrophobic metalcore or death metal bands that believes in bruising for the sake of bruising; even with the increased heaviness, The Unreal Never Lived is not the type of metal album that goes out of its way to be harsh. Nonetheless, the thickness factor has definitely increased for YOB -- and another thing that makes The Unreal Never Lived come as a bit of a surprise is Mike Scheidt's lead vocals. Scheidt, in the past, was known in doom/stoner circles for his high-pitched vocals; he was arguably the doom equivalent of Rush's Geddy Lee or Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth. Scheidt can still hit the high notes, but this time, he surprises you with a lot of deep, guttural death metal-ish growling -- not the sort of thing one expected from him on previous albums, but it works nicely on this 2005 recording. Despite those changes and adjustments, The Unreal Never Lived still has YOB written all over it. These guys are still doom all the way, and they continue to enjoy extended performances; "The Mental Tyrant," for example, lasts 21 minutes. Bottom line: The Unreal Never Lived is a pleasant surprise that will probably be well received by the majority of YOB fans but may help them acquire some new ones. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'The Illusion of Motion'
Release Date 10/19/2004
Tracks 4
Label Metal Blade
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The terms doom metal and stoner rock have something in common with the terms death metal and black metal: they're two terms that don't mean the exact same thing, but the styles are so similar (both have a major Black Sabbath fixation) that they are often used interchangeably. And just as death metal and black metal can easily overlap, there are many bands that are relevant to both doom metal and stoner rock. Still, doom and stoner aren't quite the same; doom, for one thing, tends to have a more overtly ominous quality -- it really does sound like doom. And the word ominous easily describes the contents of The Illusion of Motion, a rewarding example of the doom style. YOB's albums, like a lot of jazz and progressive rock releases, tend to appeal to those who aren't afraid to hear a band stretch out. Recorded in 2004, this four-track CD contains a number that is short by YOB's standards: the six-minute "Doom #2." But the three other tracks are more typical of YOB, clocking in at 26 minutes (the title song), 11 minutes ("Ball of Molten Lead"), and almost 13 minutes ("Exorcism of the Host"). All that stretching could be problematic if one has a short attention span, but there are so many interesting twists and turns on these performances that The Illusion of Motion is well worth the time commitment. Mike Scheidt's lead vocals will continue to be a matter of debate; like Geddy Lee of Rush and Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth, Scheidt has a vocal style that is an acquired taste but helps give his band a lot of character. Scheidt is an individualist, and he is an asset to YOB on this memorable doom outing. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Iron Butterfly recorded its 17-minute studio version of "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" in 1968, it was not only one of the earliest heavy metal recordings -- it was also an intriguing example of how nicely a metal or hard rock song could work as an extended piece. Most metal recordings haven't been that long; rock's extended performances have usually come from progressive rock. But occasionally a group of headbangers will get the urge to really stretch out, which is what YOB does on its second album Catharsis. This CD isn't for those with short attention spans; the shortest of the CD's three selections, "Ether," lasts seven minutes, whereas the other two last either 18 minutes ("Aeons") or 23 ("Catharsis"). Of course, songs that last 18 or 23 minutes could easily grow tedious if they weren't worthwhile -- 23 minutes of a bad song is much more painful than a bad song that is over after four or five minutes. But YOB's material is enjoyably solid, especially if one has a taste for dark, ominous doom metal. No one will mistake YOB's riffs for the chug-chug riffs of Korn, Mushroomhead, or Sevendust; nor will it be mistaken for the fast, hyper, amphetamine-like aggression of thrash metal, grindcore, or death metal. Rather, YOB's slow riffs crawl along in a Black Sabbath-minded fashion, leaving no doubt that the band's forceful yet melodic metal is doom all the way. Lead singer Mike Sheidt, however, doesn't sound like Ozzy Osbourne; his vocal style is much too high-pitched for that comparison. And like Rush's Geddy Lee or Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth, his singing is an acquired taste -- appealing and well worth getting to know, but still not for everyone. Of course, one could say that about doom metal in general, and if one has acquired a taste for doom, Catharsis is worth checking out. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
