YOB
YOB (Demo) 2000 None
All things great have to begin somewhere and this self-titled demo is the beginning of YOBs heavy journey. Although they are quite heavy, they are far more into stoner and aren't as heavy as their later works. But much of the same atmosphere is there. The YOB riffage is definitely already present. The tracks are shorter on this demo, than on their other releases. Not that an average of ca 9 minutes is short. As an example, the second track, 'Revolution', is only 12 minutes here, but lasted a whole 17 minutes when it was re-recorded on 'Elaborations Of Carbon'. As one might realize from the description, this first demo is more suited for the stoner rock fans than their later ones. This however does not mean that fans of stoner/doom would be disappointed when they listen to this. Actually anyone who enjoys good riffage should enjoy this. I guess YOB can be compared to an elephant. It only weighs a few hundred kilos when it is born, but as it matures it grows into a several tons heavy animal that makes the ground rumble.	1. Silence 2. Revolution 3. Dogma Approx. 28 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Elaborations Of Carbon (CD) 2001 12th Records
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, wondering if Godzilla is passing by? Or experienced a very local earthquake that shakes the nearby houses? Well, let me comfort you with the fact that it's most likely that your neighbour is playing his YOB CD's a bit too loudly. Indeed stoner rock has been competing with doom metal for the award "heaviest genre on earth". To achieve their immense heaviness, YOB mix the two genres, and successfully do one of the best attempts at the award thus far. It doesn’t happen often that I get to label a stoner/doom act as extreme metal, but in this case there is just no other choice. But this CD isn't just made to wreck concrete houses, although it does a good job for that purpose. There are also lots of great riffs for all the headbangers out there. Vocals that remind me of Anti-Flag, growls and an occasional guitar solo keep the music interesting. Despite that most of the tracks are above 10 minutes, you don't mind it at all. How these guys managed to incorporate a slightly laid back vibe into this crushing heaviness is beyond my comprehension. But the fact that it is does give it a resemblance of Electric Wizard and Sleep, their other über heavy side also allows for the comparison to Ufomammut. But I have to stop my review here. My neck really hurts. Humans don't seem to be designed to headbang all the way down to the knees. Trying not to headbang while listening to YOB is like driving a car from the passenger seat. You just know deep inside that something is wrong.	1. Universe Throb 2. All The Children Forgotten 3. Clear Seeing 4. Revolution 5. Piano J 6. Asleep In Samsara Approx. 70 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Catharsis (Demo) 2003 None
This is one of those bands that I'll always remember because they redefined everything I have ever thought about heavy music. Believe me, it was a shock to hear music heavier than I never thought was possible. YOB is probably one of the most original bands in the stoner/doom genre. And most likely, it is the band that deserves that label the most. It's slow and heavy as funeral doom, but as laid back and "high" as stoner could ever be. Truly this is one of the few stoner/doom bands that could be called an extreme band. The vocalist does something completely original as well. He introduces growls to the stoner/doom genre. He also introduces a high clean voice that sounds... well, "high". Both of the vocals flow very nicely with the music, darkening when the music requires to and floating with it when it is necessary. It takes a few listens to get used to it, but once one does so, one also realises that there really is no other good alternative. Another thing that is so nice about this release is that the tracks are incredibly long. The longest of them is ‘Catharsis’, and it lasts nearly 24 minutes. Well, when the slowness of the music’s pace closes in on drone, then you cannot really expect much else. One of the unique aspects of YOB is how they manage to make music this heavy and still manage to let it float. It's like a flying elephant. Actually a few psychedelic elements make it a pink flying elephant. I guess you can say that the music isn't all that sober either really. Which in turn makes me visualize a Jack Daniels label painted across the backside of the elephant. I know, I have just made one of the weirdest explanations of a band ever. Still you'd be surprised how accurate it is. If you enjoy Electric Wizard or other similar bands, then YOB will definitely fit your taste.	1. Aeons 2. Ether 3. Catharsis Approx. 49 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen