After nearly a decade of bringing blisteringly loud garage rock acts like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, and Meatbodies to Pickathon, organizers of the renowned music festival truly dipped their dusty toes into the world of heavy metal with the booking of West Coast thrash band Vhöl in 2016.
This year’s Pickathon feels like a full submersion thanks to the inclusion of Oregon-based doom-metal giants YOB, who are not only the best heavy band in the state, they’re one of the best in the world. They’re a perfect fit for an event that often feels like a distinctly Northwest spiritual experience set deep in the starlit woods.
“Anyone who I’ve talked to who knows Pickathon and loves it is happy to hear that YOB’s there,” says the band’s singer/guitarist, Mike Scheidt, who also plays in Vhöl. “They see a connection in what we do and how we approach it, and they see it as something that makes sense.”