YOB "Atma" 2011

Artist:  YOB
Album: Atma
Genre: Doom/Sludge

Facebook: YOB

Tracklist:

1. Prepare the Ground

2. Atma

3. Before We Dreamed of Two

4. Upon the Sight of the Other Shore

5. Adrift in the Ocean

Last.FM: Eugene, OR, USA (1996 – 2006, 2008 – present)

YOB was brought into being by vocalist / guitarist Mike Scheidt during the mid 90s. Previous to founding YOB, Scheidt had operated as a drummer with Hardcore acts chemikill and Dirty Sanchez and held down bass duties in H.C. MINDS. The original incarnation of YOB featured Scheidt alongside bassist Lowell Iles and drummer Greg Ocon. However, by the time of recording the 2001 album Elaborations of Carbon, YOB comprised Scheidt, bassist Isamu Satu, previously with death metal act Thrombus and former Lightweight drummer Gabe Morley. Satu also operates H.C. Minds whilst Morley divides his time with Fingertrap.

Hailing from the ever-gray skies of Eugene, OR, USA comes YOB, a band already well on their way to make their mark in the doom metal scene worldwide. Formed in 1996 by founding member Mike Scheidt, YOB started creating and destroying ideas that would become the foundation for one of doom metal’s most shining hopefuls.

The first three song self-titled demo was submitted to Stonerrock.com in 1999, sending shockwaves into the stoner rock/doom scene worldwide. This demo was a bold statement of intent: uncompromising heavy doom metal. Within YOB’s sound, which is equal parts Sleep, Burning Witch, Neurosis, High On Fire and Electric Wizard, YOB has accomplished song craft that is as much their own sound as it is paying homage to the doom metal greats of both times of yore and present.

In 2001 YOB recorded its first full-length record for 12th Records in Spokane, Washington titled Elaborations of Carbon.

Overall Sound:  YOB plays Doom metal, and are damn good at it. They have slight intricacies within their music many people miss which include the use of ethnic instruments and styling’s from different kinds of music from all over the world.  Even though I am a late follower of YOB, being that I only started listening to them when the album “The illusion of Motion” came out in 2004. Sadly I haven’t kept up with them since they split up in 2006, and what a dumb mistake that was (but there again, I figured they wouldn’t reform). Needless to say they play a crushingly heavy yet absolutely clear blend of Doom metal mixed with sludge and does it not deliver every time you listen to it.

Guitar:  the album opens with “prepare the ground” which is astonishingly heavy and I wasn’t expected, and it gives you a slight taste of the amount of guitar tone and feel that is available throughout the album. Although the tone is quite murky and down-trodden which most YOB records are, I was surprised and how easily you can hear all the notes being played.

Bass:  Corresponds with the guitar but as previously stated before, is absolutely clear most the time. The bass-guitar’s shining moment however is in the song “Adrift in the Ocean” at the 5:40 mark. However though to me personally during some songs I feel that the mixing could have had it slightly more up near the guitar but either way, still a tremendous effort.

Drums:  Crushing and able to provide a great back-drop for the guitar/bass/vocals, pretty much more of the YOB I have come to expect but still perfectly executed.

Vocals/Lyrics: astonishing to say the least, I don’t think I have a adjective big enough to describe it. But you’ll be happy to know that Scott Kelly does a guest appearance on this album(and for those of you who don’t know who Scott Kelly is, I would advise you to look over his extensive discography with Neurosis, and his present project “Shinebuilder”) but I think my favorite is in “Before we dreamed of two”. Either way it’s splendidly executed.

Overall Impression:  YOB’s “Atma” is an excellent, enjoyable, amazing piece of music to come out in the last five years. It makes me want to see this band more than ever, and seeing as their last show was on July 18^th with support from Dark Castle.  I’m slightly disappointed knowing they were just here in NC and I didn’t get to see them perform this album. Overall though I recommend this album more than their previous effort from 2009 “The Great Cessation” but that does not mean any album in the YOB category isn’t work checking out though.

Rating: 9.5/10

(Collectively almost 30 minutes in two songs)

Torch Runner / Young and In The Way Split 2011

Artist:  Torch Runner/ Young and In The Way

Album: Split 2011 7”

Genre: Hardcore/Sludge/Crust

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Torch Runner:

Young and In The Way:

Last.fm

Torch Runner:

Greensboro, NC

Torch Runner destroys

Young and In The Way:

Fast blasts and destructive crust with ties to

unrelenting hardcore and black metal.

 

Tracklist:

1. Torch Runner- No Friend Of Mine

2. Torch Runner- Pulpit Plague

3. Young And in the Way- Rehash, Provenance, Death

Overall Sound:  Support NC Bands! Both Hailing from my home state! Simply put both bands are certifiably outstanding, although I have never seen Young and In The Way sadly, I can attest that Torch Runner is absolutely mind-boggling. Torch Runner’s Last.Fm states profoundly that “Torch Runner Destroys” and I agree. Onto Young and In The Way, I wish I had heard of them earlier because they as well are unrelenting musically much like Torch Runner is. Words to put this Split into perspective would definitely be things such as “Disheveled” and “Towering”

Guitar: absolutely punishing directly correlates in describing the guitar. Even though each band keeps their own characteristics I find that after listening to this roughly 5 times over that I tend to enjoy Torch Runner’s guitar work much better just purely because I think it sounds partially better than, Young and In The Way’s tone however their Tone isn’t one to be ignored by any means.

Bass:  Torch Runner’s Bassist is very much in the mix but I almost forgot at times he’s there but I think it is because of the guitar being mixed slightly high but not so ridiculous. As far as Young and In the Way go, the drums overshadow most of their bassist but the guitar also has a higher mix than I anticipated either but you can feel it.

Drums:  As expected Torch Runner’s drummer is amazing and Young and In The Way’s drummer is amazing. They execute their instrument within their respected genres perfectly but my only complaint is that at times Young and In The Way’s drums (particularly the Cymbals seem much to loud)

Vocals/Lyrics: As expected I feel that no flaw can be achieved by Torch Runner’s vocal department (that is of course unless Rob goes back to doing Lion/Positive-Hardcore vocals like way back when) but I hope not because I like the more rougher around the edges sound that Rob brings to Torch Runner since the Colony Ep. Young and In the Way’s vocalist reminds me of a mixture of the bands, Planks and Black Breath but I haven’t quite stamped my finger on it yet, at first though he sounded kind of like Trap Them’s vocalist but then I said that he was different from that but either way, Thumb’s way up for the vocals in the split!

Overall Impression:  i am truly impressed that I haven’t kept up with Torch Runner at all they’ve released “Locust Swarm” as well as this Split here recently. And as far as Young and In The Way goes I am looking forward to big things from them because I enjoyed this release but it really stunk that it was three songs long, but I don’t guess we’re listening to some Scott Hull grindcore act with 200000 songs on one CD. Either way this release is recommended for one because it is amazing and secondly you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

Rating:

Torch Runner 9.5/10

 Young and In The Way 8.5/10 (only for slight things that I’m sure will only get better) 

 

*ps, i definately need to see both bands soon*