J.T. Habersaat, Cormorant, Norska, YOB
This Eugene, Ore., trio has pushed the genre of doom into a psychedelic but earthy mix presaged by Black Sabbath at metal’s infancy and then by Sleep 20 years later. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Scheidt founded YOB in 1996, and after a hiatus 10 years later the band's rebounded with a new exploration of sound. Last year’s Atma mapped the evolution of heavy in five songs pairing sky-rent riffs with Scheidt’s varied yowls. – Adam Schragin