Clearing the Path to Ascend

Clearing the Path to Ascend
Studio album by YOB
Released	September 4, 2014 (2014-09-04)
Genre	Doom metal, sludge metal
Length	62:30
Label	Neurot
YOB chronology
Atma (2011) Clearing the Path to Ascend (2014) Our Raw Heart (2018)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	85/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The A.V. Club	B+ [3]
Blabbermouth	9/10 [4]
Exclaim!	8/10 [5]
Kerrang!	[6]
Metal Hammer	[7]
MetalSucks	[8]
musicOMH	[9]
Pitchfork	8.2/10 [10]
Sputnikmusic	2.8/5 [11]

Clearing the Path to Ascend is the seventh studio album by American doom metal band YOB. It was released in September 2014 under Neurot Recordings. Rolling Stone named it the best metal album ^[12] and the 50th best album overall ^[13] of the year.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"In Our Blood"	16:56
2.	"Nothing to Win"	11:21
3.	"Unmask the Spectre"	15:25
4.	"Marrow"	18:48
Total length:		62:30

Personnel

YOB ^{[14] [15]}

• Mike Scheidt – vocal, guitars
• Aaron Rieseberg – bass
• Travis Foster – drums

Additional musicians ^[14]

• Billy Barnett – hammond organ

Production ^[14]

• Billy Barnett – engineer
• Brad Boatright – mastering

Design ^[14]

• Orion Landau – artwork

References

1. "Album Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
2. Jurek, Thom (September 1, 2014). "Album Review 1". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
3. Heller, Jason (September 2, 2014). "Yob lightens the gloom—ever so slightly—on Clearing The Path To Ascend". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 4, 2025.
4. Horn, Jr., Ray Van. "YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved August 4, 2025.
5. Walschots, Natalie (August 29, 2014). "Album Review 2". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
6. This seventh record still offers plenty for those who want an aural assault. [30 Aug 2014, p.51]
7. Myers, Ben (August 19, 2025). "Yob: Clearing The Path To Ascend". Metal Hammer . Retrieved August 4, 2025.
8. Wingerschmidt, Kip (August 27, 2014). "Yo! Your Yob: Clearing the Path to Ascend to Doom Mastery". MetalSucks . Retrieved August 4, 2025.
9. Shepherd, Sam (September 1, 2014). "Album Review 3". Musicomh.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
10. Camp, Zoe (September 4, 2014). "Album Review 4". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
11. EMERITUS, Athom (September 5, 2025). "YOB - Clearing The Path To Ascend". Sputnikmusic . Retrieved August 4, 2025.
12. "20 Best Metal Albums of 2014". 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
13. "50 Best Albums of 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
14. "YOB Clearing the Path to Ascent". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
15. "YOB Clearing the Path to Ascend". Metal-Archives.com. Metal Encyclopaedia. Retrieved September 3, 2015.