New Discovery : Yob

I’m always looking for new music to get into. That’s the forever music lover in me. You’re never late to the party when it comes to music, as there’s so much of it out there that it could take you years to get to a band. I think it’s pretty amazing that at 52-years old I can still be surprised and excited about a “new to me” band. And over the last couple weeks that band for me is Oregon’s Yob.

With the world burning and common humanity being buried alive for all to see, music has been my escape hatch along with movies. When times are particularly screwed up I find myself leaning heavily on either heady jazz or extreme metal. Doom metal, in-particular. There’s something very meditative about crushing riffs, syrup-y rhythms, and the dystopian/cosmic tales that come with the fantastical lyrics with metal. I’d been listening to a lot of Tony Williams’ Lifetime, Joe Henderson, and Freddie Hubbard and was ready to switch gears into heavier, louder terrain.

I saw a reel on Instagram from a record shop called Mobius Records and they were recommending different doom metal bands. Conan, Earth, and Sleep were mentioned. I’m already a fan of Sleep and was wanting something a little less weed-adjacent and the last band mentioned was Yob. As soon as the first notes from their album Clearing the Path to Ascend played I knew that’s just what I was looking for.

Yob is a three-piece band out of Eugene, Oregon and have been around since 1996, and is made up of singer/guitarist Mike Scheidt, bassist Aaron Rieseberg and drummer Dave French. Since 2002 they’ve released 8 records, with Our Raw Heart being their last full-length which came out in 2018. Seems that there might be a new album coming later in 2026.

What struck me about Yob is that they are definitely doom metal, but it’s not so sludgy that the rhythms don’t pick up momentum. There’s a drive to their songs, and Scheidt is a great singer, mixing melodic vocals with the growls of doom to add impact. At times they remind me of old Mastodon, but with a more prog rock feel to their arranging. And with 12 minute songs they give you plenty of time to lock in. You’re never thinking “When will this end?”. You’re thinking “I want more.”

I started out picking up Clearing the Path to Ascend and Elaborations of Carbon. Elaborations of Carbon has a rougher sound to it as it’s their first record. It’s still intense and completely engaging, and feels like a good starting point for the band. As you move along in the discography Yob continues to sound like that band, but they get tighter and more intricate in their writing, seemingly using the studio as another tool in the tool kit.

Clearing the Path to Ascend – which came out in 2014 – is far more atmospheric and even psychedelic. Yob fills 4 album sides with 4 long form musical expeditions into cosmic wonder and apocalyptic visions. Scheidt’s vocals move from guttural to melodic, sometimes within the same phrase.

Last week I picked up 2018s Our Raw Heart and 2009s The Great Cessation. Our Raw Heart keeps it heavy and emotive, but feels like a shift into a new phase for the band. Musically we still get plenty of pummeling riffs and intense musical moments, but there’s also a feeling that the door to Yob’s music is open much wider, giving those they may not like doom metal something to grab onto. While The Great Cessation shows how Yob had perfected their sound, giving us crushing riffs from start to finish.

If you’re a fan of doom metal but have not heard Yob yet, I implore you to get them into your head. Some of the best heavy music I’ve heard in a long time, and hopefully new music is on the way. In the meantime, you’ve got 8 slabs of molten hot wax to explore until that day comes.

And regardless of what you listen to to help with some mental stability, keep spinning it. Whatever gets you through the mess we’re currently enduring, do it.