Yob - The Illusion of Motion
Metal Blade - 3984-14515-2 - 19/10/04
By Patrick Walsh
Hailing from Oregan, USA, Yob inhabit the doom/stoner camp populated by the likes of Electric Wizard and Sleep. Doom tinged with psychadelic flourishes is the order of the day with The Illusion of Motion, and Yob pull this off effortlessly, creating one of the best of its kind in quite a while.
The Illusion of Motion contains four songs, 3 of them are over 10 minutes long and album closer 'The Illusion of Motion' hits 26 minutes! Thus you can guess that this is no easy listen, but then doom has never been about simple catchy songs or derivative structures, and Yob are no different. This album requires patience and attention to fully appreciate, but its charms take perhaps less time to reveal themselves than, say the latest Electric Wizard album. Despite a tendency for things to move at a crawl at times, Yob manage to keep things interesting throughout, always popping up with a wonderful bluesy solo or acid-drenched moment of psychadelia at the perfect time to really grab the listener and give them a shake. 'Excorcism of the Host' is just that; a 13-minute dirge that eventually explodes into a mid-paced riff-fest of the highest order. 'Doom #2' shows the band going for the jugular on a stoner-esque groove number, which serves to highlight the effectiveness of Mike S' Osbourne/Geddy Lee-like rasp that can effortlessly twist into a growl or shriek at the drop of a hat. 'Doom #2' is also interesting as a distinct Neurosis influence crops up in places, particularly with those tribal drum patterns.
Yob, then, have managed to create a monolith of doom, and one that is constantly engaging. Whilst this genre can be like watching paint dry if its protagonists are unable to balance the fine line between all-out sludge and listenability, Yob have no such problems. The Illusion of Motion is one of the best of its kind of 2004, and it would be a crime if it were to be overlooked, so be sure to give this a try if stoner.doom is your forte.
8.5/10
Metal Blade Records' Official Website
Yob's Official Website
Metal Blade - 3984-14515-2 - 19/10/04
By Patrick Walsh
Hailing from Oregan, USA, Yob inhabit the doom/stoner camp populated by the likes of Electric Wizard and Sleep. Doom tinged with psychadelic flourishes is the order of the day with The Illusion of Motion, and Yob pull this off effortlessly, creating one of the best of its kind in quite a while.
The Illusion of Motion contains four songs, 3 of them are over 10 minutes long and album closer 'The Illusion of Motion' hits 26 minutes! Thus you can guess that this is no easy listen, but then doom has never been about simple catchy songs or derivative structures, and Yob are no different. This album requires patience and attention to fully appreciate, but its charms take perhaps less time to reveal themselves than, say the latest Electric Wizard album. Despite a tendency for things to move at a crawl at times, Yob manage to keep things interesting throughout, always popping up with a wonderful bluesy solo or acid-drenched moment of psychadelia at the perfect time to really grab the listener and give them a shake. 'Excorcism of the Host' is just that; a 13-minute dirge that eventually explodes into a mid-paced riff-fest of the highest order. 'Doom #2' shows the band going for the jugular on a stoner-esque groove number, which serves to highlight the effectiveness of Mike S' Osbourne/Geddy Lee-like rasp that can effortlessly twist into a growl or shriek at the drop of a hat. 'Doom #2' is also interesting as a distinct Neurosis influence crops up in places, particularly with those tribal drum patterns.
Yob, then, have managed to create a monolith of doom, and one that is constantly engaging. Whilst this genre can be like watching paint dry if its protagonists are unable to balance the fine line between all-out sludge and listenability, Yob have no such problems. The Illusion of Motion is one of the best of its kind of 2004, and it would be a crime if it were to be overlooked, so be sure to give this a try if stoner.doom is your forte.
8.5/10
Metal Blade Records' Official Website
Yob's Official Website
I'm serious! 
