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Yob & Bell Witch at The Hi Tone Cafe
Hi Tone
412 N. Cleveland st., Memphis, TN, 38104
Epic, crushing, and heavy beyond words, YOB has achieved legendary status in recent years due to their unmatched aesthetic and incredible body of work. Formed in 1996 in Eugene, Oregon under the leadership of doom metal mastermind Mike Scheidt on guitars and vocals, the group initially released a three song demo tape in 2000 that garnered them international attention. Drawing comparisons to groups like Neurosis, Sleep and Electric Wizard, YOB succeeded in developing modern sounding doom metal that hearkened back to the classics.
In 2002, YOB released their debut album Elaborations of Carbon followed by Catharsis in 2003, a three song record that clocked in at a colossal 50 minutes. The buzz about YOB was beginning to grow and the trio began to tour more extensively. Remaining quite prolific during this period, YOB continued to release an album each year with The Illusion of Motion coming in 2004 followed by The Unreal Never Lived in 2005. Despite all the momentum, YOB disbanded in 2006.
In 2008 the band returned from hiatus and has remained strong ever since with Travis Foster on drums and Aaron Rieseberg on bass. Reinvigorated and reinspired, YOB released The Great Cessation in 2009. It was doom with a psychedelic twist, a sound that Pitchfork referred to as ?cosmic doom.? At this point in their career, the band found increased exposure in the media, with The New York Times going so far as to call them ?one of the best bands in North America? after a performance at Scion Rock Festival.
For 2011?s Atma , YOB took a more organic approach to recording, opting to track everything at once. In Scheidt?s own words, he wanted the record to sound ?grizzly, with hair on it.? Three year later, the group released Clearing the Path to Ascend , a record that upheld their legacy as a top notch doom metal act and was hailed by Rolling Stone as the #1 metal album of the year.
Now in 2018, the band has announced their newest album ?Our Raw Heart? to be released on Relapse Records. As for how Our Raw Heart will be received? Mike Scheidt (guitar/vocals) is wise enough to know that it?s out of his hands. ?I think every era of Yob fan will find something on there to dig?it?s just a matter of whether they can go on the whole trip or not,? he ventures. ?And that?s none of my business. The music has a life of its own. It goes out there into the world and it?s gonna be received however it?s received.?
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