Live Review: Yob

This tour, 18 years in the making, was Yob's Australian debut. Travelling on the back of their critically acclaimed record Clearing The Path To Ascend the American doom band had the crowd in an enthralled mixture of shock, awe and head-banging glee for the duration of their performance.

Although referred to colloquially as a doom band Yob certainly defy the constraints of the genre. Where at some points they may sound as slow as fellow comrades Sleep or Boris the band embodies a relentless onslaught similar to that of Meshuggah. While certainly not as technical as the aforementioned Swedish band Yob's often cruel command of rhythm is one of their most stand-out clauses. Drummer Travis Foster is brutally punishing, the crack of his snare drum seemingly splitting the three-dimensional world right down the middle. Bassist Aaron Rieseberg provides a sonic foundation that reverberates around the room. Guitarist Mike Scheidt uses his guitar to compound this energy before running away with dizzying leads or segueing into the next song with some starkly contrasting clean tones.

Beyond his riffing capability Schiedt is also a spectacular vocalist, moving from guttural, purging screams to skin-crawling, digitised cleans with bodacious ease. "It took us 18 years to get here, so we are going to play for as long as you want," says the bearded frontman amid hearty swigs of his beer. As well as playing a massive set list the band also took a few requests, even pulling out songs that hadn't been played in years and years to much satisfaction from the crowd. Yob are not only one of the best bands in the world, but also one of the heaviest three-piece bands to ever exist. They will certainly be remembered and perhaps unrivalled in this respect for years after their demise.