ALBUM REVIEW: Our Raw Heart – YOB
After Mike Scheidt was taken down by an almost fatal intestinal disease, YOB‘s 8th full length recording, Our Raw Heart, is here and it packs one hell of a punch. It takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride, with highs and lows, twists and turns. It’s as if Scheidt is taking us on his tremendously brave journey of what it feels like to almost taste death and come out the other side reinvigorated and full of life. Its 72 minutes of pure emotion perfectly compiled into a seven track record, three of which of those tracks are beyond 10 minutes long.
The first track Ablaze is gentle but violently easing the listener in with what could only be described as a hug slow traumatic doom met with a cheeky grin. The second track The Screen is like a literal punch to the face, and that seems to be a recurring theme throughout the album, it’s hard to pin down what genre and influence is present in this second track, the riffs build up slowly and it does start to really flow and unwind later on.
Our Raw Heart really is a weighty doom journey which could easily send listeners into a trance like state of meditation on first or second listen, however when the listener starts to really relate to the tracks, it becomes so much more than just a doom yoga record, it really starts to take shape. YOB‘s music has never been something an impatient listener who prefers jumping straight into the action would choose to listen to, and this record will only further separate those types of listeners from those who have the time and patience to enjoy a drawn out riff masterclass.
As each track passes Scheidt‘s vocals haunt you, Aaron Rieseberg‘s bass brings you to your knees and Travis Foster‘s drums fills you with an intensity like no other. YOB are well known as the band you can count on to provide doses of emotion filled meditative riffs but as previously mentioned this isn’t all that they are fluent in, tracks such as Original Face prove this with what could easily be seen as a post black metal influence.
The record concludes with a slow, classic riff filled 14:23 minutes of Scheidt’s coarse yet compelling vocals in the title track. This is a fitting ending to, as is mentioned above, what could be seen as a emotional musical journey through adversity and a change of philosophy from the bands front man. “I live in a different world now”, words from the man himself that may refer to his own personal outlook on life, but luckily for longtime listeners and lovers of their trademark sound, have in no way taken from the mould the band have taken the last two decades to sculpt into a perfect melting pot of heavy genres; with a twist that nobody could apply other than YOB.
Our Raw Heart really does do a perfect job of following the bands 2014 release Clearing the Path to Ascend, an album that was highly regarded as the bands strongest release in their 22 year career. With the release of this record however, some fans may be questioning if Our Raw Heart is going to top the previous release as the band’s magnum opus.
It is often said that adversity brings out the best in artists and this can definitely be said for Mike Scheidt and YOB as they seem to have risen from Mike’s unfortunate illness stronger than ever ready to take listeners further into the void that is YOB’s incomparable sound.
Rating: 9/10
Our Raw Heart is out now via Relapse Records.
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