Doom metal has taken quite a turn ever since the game changer of Sleep was set upon the world. It’s become heavier, more robust, and far more vicious than anything before it. And with that shift came a new wave of modern legends that are continuing to change the name of the game with their unique styles. It’d be easy for me to name a few of those heavyweights, and its impossible to not mention YOB. Their catalog is a true staple of modern doom, and YOB has decided to revisit their fifth effort by giving it a shiny new makeover, and it makes the experience all the more delicious.

Whenever I’ve imagined YOB no matter what piece of material I hear from them, I’ve always imagined these guys going heavier and being bolder in their sound. It just always felt like the next natural progression for a band like this, and they have taken that leap with this reissue. The original version of “The Great Cessation” was a terrific album of all accounts and a piece worthy of YOB, but this reimagining simply elevates things to a whole new level. The heaviness is brought to delicious new heights, the vocals are as immaculate as they’ve always been yet now they have a much more ethereal feel that permeates each track, and the odd sense of psychedelia is made all the more crisp and tantalizing in every which way. “The Great Cessation” has always flowed deliciously well, but this overhaul makes everything come together so much better and makes these seven tracks (including two tracks that were originally vinyl exclusive) so much more cohesive overall. The beauty of this, in my opinion, is how this reissue has taken a classic of YOB and brought it back with an updated take on what it means to be a heavy as fuck band like YOB, and it came out fucking phenomenal! Each track has its own personality, its own power, and unique flavors that’ll keep any fan of YOB entranced the entire time.

I’ve never really been a fan of reissues, but I can’t see a single thing done wrong with this one. “The Great Cessation” has always been an admirable album by all accounts, and this revamp has made the experience even more scrumptious than it was before. If this is a sign of what’s in the works for whatever YOB has in the works for new material then I’ve never been more excited to see it come to fruition!

“The Great Cessation” releases on December 4th via Relapse Records!

PRE-ORDER “The Great Cessation” via iTunes here.

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