Review: Yob - Clearing the Path to Ascend

Truth be told, I never could really get into 2011's Atma, but I've rather enjoyed the recent side projects of Mike Scheidt, particularly last year's VHÖL. Yob's latest offering, however, finds the band back on top, not yet ready to relinquish their doom throne to the upstarts that are nipping at their heels.

The four tracks on Clearing the Path to Ascend come in at just over an hour, with the shortest one still over ten minutes long.

The record starts with the relatively solid yet least immediate track, "In Our Blood." It's a satisfying beginning, but compared to the other songs on the album, it falls a little short.  

Clearing the Path to Ascend peaks in the middle. "Nothing to Win," by far the most aggressive moment, finds Yob pushing the tempo and showing off their bruising power. The hypnotic "Unmask the Spectre" slows things down but doesn't sacrifice any of the power previously built up.

At nearly twenty minutes, "Marrow" closes the album in a unique way. A good bit doesn't even seem like metal, and yet it feels right, with Scheidt's voice sounding as great as ever.

Do yourself a favor and check out Yob's Clearing the Path to Ascend. It's highly recommended and gets better with each listen.

Metallurgical Rating:  4.5 / 5.0