At first I was a bit weary, 2009 is quickly becoming the year doom broke. As much as it ever will. It seems like everyone and their mother has a doom / stoner metal band at this point. I realize Yob is a reformed band, rather than a new band, but it still seemed ever so slightly opportunistic. That said, The Great Cessation is a worthy slab of squalor. The album is bookended by its two strongest tracks. These said two tracks make up more than a half hour of music, and while all the songs come close to the 10 minute mark-- some over, some way over-- they never drag.
Bergraven - Till Makabert Väsen. CD.
If Fugazi was a black metal band..
Nah just kidding... Sort of.
The more I listen to this album, the harder it becomes to describe. It isn't one thing for long enough to put into words. There are passages of psych grooves, various forms of goth rock and metal, and yet at times the song / chord structures resemble post punk / post hardcore. If the explanation sounds jarring, it most often isn't. The songs meander through various forms, often ending up somewhere completely different than where they started several times over. What they lack in any sense of uniformity, they make up for in compelling melody and delivery. Definitely worth several listens if you ever feel like you're bored of music.
Note to Hydra Head: Please don't use those cardboard envelopes.
