Yob, Clearing the Path to Ascend – Pitchfork’s review
YOB’s latest record stands as one of their densest, so it’s good that the band’s greatest asset, their impeccable pacing, remains intact. “Unmask the Spectre” plays out as a masterclass in dramatic tension, its punishing core buffered on both sides by moody, barren sludge. At last, Scheidt finally unleashes his thunderous yell, a solo nipping at its heels—and before long, he’s whispering again, dragging everything back into the gloaming. The power of darkness depends on contrast, so by spacing out their otherworldly confrontations, the Oregonians ensure that the true path lay ever in sight.