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YOB and Hate Eternal resonate deeply with me, and I think of them in the same thought. They both defy the chthonic bent of their respective milieus (doom metal, death metal). They do so not just through reference (lyrics), but also in deed. Their records are massive exertions of effort that would make Werner Herzog proud. They traffic in duality, both lyrically and musically (beastly lows, turbulent highs), and they grapple with the notion of being, as opposed to the destruction of being. The title of Yob’s new record, Atma (Profound Lore, 2011), refers to the Buddhist concept of self. The title track breaks down to a relentless one-chord plod, as a new age-y voiceover explains “atma”: “that means self in the vastest possible sense”. God and Satan are null and void here.
My favorite YOB record remains 2005’s The Unreal Never Lived. To me, it’s the fullest exposition of the band’s “cosmic doom”, reaching skyward without needing a dealer. Since then, the band has felt mostly terrestrial on record. Though powerful in typical YOB fashion, 2009’s The Great Cessation frustrated me a little by not hitting the same highs. Most of Atma does likewise, with a dry sound that’s admirable ethically though not necessarily the best choice. I love the Steve Albini m.o., even for applications that aren’t obvious – see his recording of Zao – but goshdarnit, I prefer YOB with crazy effects and Mike Scheidt’s squawk piercing the heavens, and my ears liquefying.
Admittedly, that’s an easy payoff. There’s merit in YOB denying it. Most of Atma is pulverization – but just because it’s dirt doesn’t mean it’s mundane. Live, this is the type of stuff that transcends through effort. Fuck long enough, and cum might result; play hard and slow/fast enough (YOB/Hate Eternal), and through sheer electric grind, one emerges sweaty and happier. For all the defenders of the sanctity of the album (I’m one), that’s a 20th century innovation. Live music’s 3-D experience has existed since the first musical instrument, and YOB harness that power better than most. If they don’t always hit that mark on some plastic/petroleum document, I don’t mind.
They do hit that mark on Atma’s closer, “Adrift in the Ocean”. It opens with droning, quivering clean tones evoking both Indian music and Americana. Admittedly, I’m biased towards such references (California/Whole Foods/yoga/etc. – guilty on all charges). But when they segue into simmering toms which flower into surging riffs and tritones, then return, distorted and searing the upper register – the T-word which the cynical shun, “transcendent”, is apt. After metal’s decades-long binge on necrosis, “self in the vastest possible sense” is refreshing.
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HEAR ATMA
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“Adrift in the Ocean”
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BUY ATMA
Amazon (CD)
Amazon (MP3)
Profound Lore (CD)
20 Buck Spin will put out the vinyl
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Interesting review. Ive recently come to think of Yob as more of a ’song’ band than an ‘album’ band. They clearly put a ton of effort into everything they do, but it tends to shine through best on particular songs. The ones that come to mind immediately are All the Children Forgotten and The Lie that is Sin. When they do it right, they produce some of the best music in the genre. And I agree with you saying that even their ‘average’ material is better than most. Im not familiar enough with Atma to point out any bangers specifically, but track 4 is pretty sick.
I’m still deeply immersed in this record. It’s been this and “Ride the Lightning” for three weeks now. I’m new to YOB and it has been overwhelming diving into the discography. Cosmo, we seem to see very eye to eye on this, as “The Unreal Never Lived” is my favorite so far as well. Although I must admit I’ve not even begun to explore “The Illusion of Motion.”
I really like “Atma” but, yes, the frustrating mix gets in the way a bit. I still don’t understand why it’s mixed virtually in mono. It’s in mono the way “Welcome to Hell” is in mono. Although, I agree that there is probably some sort of “Pet Sounds” aesthetic going on too…all that density, all the little layers on top of one another that the listener should fight through to hear the sum total. Hmmm…I dunno. Along with “Prepare the Ground,” “Adrift in the Ocean” is my favorite track too.
Between the album cover artwork and the vintage mono sound (not too dissimilar to Vol 4 in some ways…) I imagine what it was like to listen to some of the earliest metal classics from the early 1970s for the first time. HawkwindSabbathHeep with a big ol’ Roger Dean cover to stare at for hours. I’m sure it will get plenty more spins before the year is out.
I’m not incredibly crazy about the mix. I agree 100% about the power of “Adrift in the Ocean,” though. Saw them a couple of weeks ago, and they closed their set out with that song. It was chilling, just powerful beyond words.
Lucky! They only did “Atma” and “Prepare the Ground” when I saw them mid-July. It was absolutely glorious though. An amazing, amazing show!
Oh…lookit! NPR added the damn thing too!!! http://www.npr.org/2011/08/08/138825042/first-listen-yob-atma
Wow, Disma and Yob on NPR in the same month.
at the nyc show a couple weeks back Mike was playing air drums to Dark Castle and then after YOB’s set he came around and hugged everyone. if that doesn’t make him the man I don’t know what else could.
also, I agree with the sentiment that The Unreal Never Lived is their best total work. on the other hand it was the first I’d heard them and I’ve had about five years to continually listen and process that record so there’s an obvious bias.
Interesting review. “The Unreal Never Lived” is also my favorite album. I felt something was lacking in the last two albums, which is a shame considering the band starts to gain a lot more media attention these days; more than they had back in 2005 with the release of “The Unreal Never Lived” on Metal Blade.
Atma is somewhat disappointing to me. Most seem to have at least one issue with the album but still everyone seems to revere everything that Yob does. They are a great band, no doubt about it. Saw them live a couple of weeks ago and they crushed, especially during the tracks off The Unreal Never Lived. It’s obvious why that is. “Quantum Mystic” is one of the best doom tracks ever..
for me, “atma” seems so fully realized and a spot-on representation of their live sound – particularly in mike’s fluid, highly rhythmic guitar work. scheidt’s vocals have never sounded more varied and his phrasing and use of melody really hits its stride here, compared with their past works (which i love). throw in the fact that you have at least two of their absolute heaviest/devastating tracks and you have the YOB album that truly takes it to the next level. a masterpiece in my opinion and one of those albums that will stick with me until i’m one old, decrepit motherfucker.
For the first few listens I couldn’t get past that mix. The guitar is filthy, but without real weight it robs the only part of doom that could be considered immediate: crushing heaviness. I couldn’t wrap my head around the choice of such a tone… until I saw them this past Friday. Live, Mike’s guitar sounded identical. It wasn’t actually heavy, though the amp-worshipping volume on tap made it feel that way. But in person these songs crackled with life; he plays really hard, beating the shit out of the strings. Its unrefined, but that energy translates — the murk and the noise of an abused instrument adds its own kind of weight to the songs, and the intensity comes out in a different way. If anything the new material has a higher sludge quotient, but still framed within the realms of cosmic doom. I bought the album on CD (which sounds a bit better than the initial download I had), and I’m slowly warming to its charms.
Also, like Alex C mentioned, after the encore Mike dove into the crowd and unleashed a frenzy of bear hugs. I got one, and it seemed like Mike was just feeding off the release of energy in a really positive way. He thanked us all profusely and was just so pumped to be there. I left the show feeling invigorated, which was the opposite of how I felt after seeing Exhumed, Cephalic Carnage, and Macabre (why does this band exist?) last night at the fucking Key Club.
Good call on both shows. The YOB performance was flat out amazing, whereas the Exhumed show, overall, was just flat. Exhumed were enthusiastic, at least, and Macabre were amusing for about 5 minutes, but I was mostly bored throughout.
Thanks for the heads-up on this. What a fantastic song!
I like the mix, but don’t know their other work for comparison.
I like this record but it just makes me want to listen Neurosis instead. A put on this record and then immediately put on Souls At Zero after.
I’m not surprised, as Scott Kelly makes a rather prominent guest vocal appearance on this record!
Gotta say I really enjoyed this album the few times I listened to it but agree that the mix is a bit pants. I’d be hard pressed to pick between The Illusion of Motion and The Unreal Never Lived. Both absolutely sublime.
Wow, just got the Unreal Never Lived and it’s every bit as good as you guys made it sound. Interestingly, this new record reminds me a bit more of that record than the Great Cessation. The chugging section on the title track of Atma sounds exactly like a similar riff on the Unreal Never Lived. At the end of the day everything I’ve heard from Yob has been stellar so far.
Cosmo I hope you’ve heard Middian’s Age Eternal, it really continues and expands the style of The Unreal Never Lived. I had wondered if you didn’t include it here because it’s not an official YOB album, but I think it is nothing but that in spirit.
I like the Middian record, though it is a little faster and more aggressive than YOB, so I consider it separately.
The more I play this and the louder I play this, the more the dumpstery production endears itself to me. I wonder how expensive the vinyl will be…
It’s funny how you’re putting more and more sex analogies into your posts these days. Can’t say they really resonate with me, but it’s a fresh change from the usual go-to metaphors of the metal reviewer (bludgeoning, face-melting, kicks to the bollocks, etc.)
I’m surprised that Catharsis isn’t getting any mentions. For me, that one in particular is the definitive YOB experience, showcasing as well, the classic line-up of Mike, Isamu, and Travis. But also, I haven’t yet heard
The Great Cessation of Atma in its entirety. I will say that when I saw YOB last in Portland before Sleep, I was really impressed by their new bass guy.
Agree with Eric, Catharsis to me is still the benchmark for ALL YOB releases, The Great Cessation was a dissapointment but Atma feels more like a return to form. I am seeing them in London next month and cannot wait!