Hailing from the ever-gray skies of Eugene, OR, USA comes YOB, a band already well on their way to make their mark in the doom metal scene worldwide. Formed in 1996 by founding member Mike Scheidt, YOB started creating and destroying ideas that would become the foundation for one of doom metal’s most shining hopefuls.
The first three song self-titled demo was submitted to Stonerrock.com in 1999, sending shockwaves into the stoner rock/doom scene worldwide. This demo was a bold statement of intent: uncompromising heavy doom metal. Within YOB's sound, which is equal parts Sleep, Burning Witch, Neurosis, High On Fire and Electric Wizard, YOB has accomplished song craft that is as much their own sound as it is paying homage to the doom metal greats of both times of yore and present.
In 2001 YOB recorded its first full-length record for 12th Records in Spokane, Washington titled Elaborations Of Carbon. This offering received dozens of rave reviews from magazines and fans worldwide, securing YOB's place as one of the best doom metal bands in the scene today. The Lollipop Magazine review of Elaborations of Carbon says, "Six mighty songs of beautiful doom-laden sound, full and expansive. Inverted, hanging riffs, Melvenoid spacey trudging, Tab-esque motion, and a deep well of compositional creativity...only a complete dupe would say this isn't a good one".
2002 saw YOB secure a recording contract with Lunasound/Abstract Sounds. Their first CD for this label, Catharsis, hit the streets worldwide November 4th, 2003. Featuring a stronger production and three songs clocking in at 50 minutes, those who have heard it proclaim it is the best YOB record yet.
Kicking Doors In
YOB's third full length release The Illusion of Motion was a bold statement of utterly mammoth proportions. Released on label heavyweight Metal Blade Records, the band was handpicked by legendary Brian Slagle. With this newfound support, YOB was introduced to a much wider audience and garnered much attention for this record's unheard of approach to the doom metal genre. One just needs to listen to the track Exorcism of the Host to instantly recognize that the band was head and shoulders above their metal brethren. Following the release of the album, YOB went on to headline a tour through May and June.
The End of the Road
In 2005 the band released their most ambitious and most accomplished studio production yet, entitled The Unreal Never Lived. The hypnotic pound-everyone riffing remained while at the same time they pushed the envelope of Doom Metal to its maximum capacity. Classics such as Grasping Air stomped in such a crushing way as to make one check the yard for dinosaurs. The album also explored dynamics and progression unheard of before on cuts like Kosmos. Doom fans and Metalheads alike the world over were turning their undivided attention to this entity seemingly trapped out of time. But unfortunately as the old saying goes, "All that we build, all that is destroyed."
In a press release dated January 10th, 2006:
"This is Mike from YOB. I regret to say that YOB is disbanding after almost 10 years of existence. The time we spent with YOB exceeded our wildest expectations and hopes and it has truly been a dream come true. Travis Foster and Isamu Sato left the band in July, and I have been trying to decide what to do for the last six months. YOB has had 3 other line-ups, but this one was the best. At the end of the day the best thing for YOB is to call it a day. I want to thank everyone who has been supportive to YOB over the years....labels, bands, fans, the venues, our families....without you none of this would have been possible. I will be working on a new band called AGE that will very much be in the vein of YOB, with some new twists. Until then, be well and stay HEAVY! ENDLESS DOOM!!!" - Mike (YOB)
The follow-up band, Middian, disbanded after numerous legality issues. They only released one album, "Age Eternal". After this, in 2008, the band has reformed and has confirmed the recording of a new album to be released in Summer 2009.
The Great Cessation album, by YOB, has been released in July 14th 2009. It is absolutely one of the heaviest albums yet, and this band is great live.
There is also another artist called yoB.
yoB (with a capital B) A Songer Singwriter from Hackney. With songs that cover heartbreak, paternity leave, make-up and immoral support. Look out for the New E.P 'A Boys Eye View' coming to an illegal file sharing site near you.....
For the next year. At the end of every month. yoB will be releasing a free piece of music. Limited to 200 downloads. Available from www.yobmusic.bandcamp.com.
The Mental Tyrant
YOB Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clad in armor
Vast fear
Disguised as wisdom
In the end
The fortress falls
Nothing survives
That is false
Constant desire for virtue, the higher
Achieve the right to judge our brethren with a smile
Distortion clinging salvation hangs on by a thread
To all we think we know
Illusions of what is gained
To be favored or disgraced
Is to live in fear
No matter how we try
We walk the path alone
Cherished beliefs
Dependant upon the past
The past and the future
Phantoms in the now
Overwhelmed with the struggle
Try to achieve redemption
Grapple with the values
Of those who seek control
Impressions of the righteous
Such a pitiful waste create the seeds of hate
Loss
Gain
Perpetuate
The mental tyrant
The lyrics to YOB's song The Mental Tyrant offer a critique of authority figures who rule through fear and intimidation, disguising their lack of true wisdom with armor and an iron mask. The idea is that such figures create a false sense of security and confidence, but eventually their fortress will fall because it is built on a foundation of lies. The song also speaks to the human struggle to achieve virtue and judge others, and the distorted view of salvation that can arise from this desire. The lyrics suggest that our beliefs can be dependent on the past, creating illusions of what is gained and perpetuating a cycle of loss and gain that allows mental tyrants to hold on to their power.
The overall message seems to be that we cannot rely on external sources of authority and must find the path to redemption within ourselves, even if it means grappling with the values of those who seek control or facing the pitiful waste of hatred that can arise from our convictions.
Line by Line Meaning
Iron mask
A metaphor for a hardened, unyielding exterior that shields the inner self from harm
Clad in armor
The protective layer one surrounds themselves with, to feel safe and in control
Vast fear
A deep-seated anxiety that permeates everything one does or thinks
Disguised as wisdom
What looks like good judgment is actually rooted in fear and insecurity
In the end
Ultimately, after much struggle and resistance to change
The fortress falls
The protective barriers we build around ourselves eventually come crashing down
Nothing survives
The things we thought were unbreakable, indestructible, will eventually perish
That is false
What we believed to be true about ourselves wasn't rooted in reality
Constant desire for virtue, the higher
The yearning for moral perfection, for a higher standard of living
Achieve the right to judge our brethren with a smile
The need to feel morally superior, to pass judgment with condescension
Distortion clinging salvation hangs on by a thread
The idea that salvation from our flaws is possible, but only just barely holding on
To all we think we know
Our convictions and beliefs, which we cling to despite any evidence to the contrary
Illusions of what is gained
The things we believe we've attained, that we believe define us, are nothing but illusions
To be favored or disgraced
The fear of being rejected or ostracized by society
Is to live in fear
The compulsion to act or behave in certain ways, out of fear of judgement or retaliation
No matter how we try
Despite our best efforts to be accepted and understood
We walk the path alone
Ultimately, we all have to come to terms with our own existence, and confront our own demons
Cherished beliefs
The things we cling to, that we believe form the foundation of our identity
Dependant upon the past
Our beliefs are often rooted in past experiences, which we use as a blueprint for our future
The past and the future
Both are imagined constructs, that we use to make sense of the present
Phantoms in the now
The present moment is all we truly have, but it is often overshadowed by our fixation on past and future
Overwhelmed with the struggle
The constant battle we face, whether against external circumstances or internal demons
Try to achieve redemption
The desire for salvation, for redemption from our perceived failures
Grapple with the values
The internal struggle to reconcile our own values with those of society at large
Of those who seek control
The manipulators and the power-hungry, who seek to control others for their own gain
Impressions of the righteous
The image we project of ourselves as being in the right, morally superior to others
Such a pitiful waste create the seeds of hate
The narcissistic pursuit of one's own interests, at the expense of others, breeds animosity and resentment
Loss
The inevitable experience of losing, whether it be possessions, status, or relationships
Gain
The pursuit of material success, or any attempt to fill the void left by loss
Perpetuate
The cycle of loss and gain, which feeds our never-ending need for more and better
The mental tyrant
The psychological force that compels us to act out of fear or self-interest, rather than from a place of inner peace and authenticity
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.