This incredibly dark five-piece hails from Arkansas, the homeland of Wal-Mart, Bill Clinton, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Rwake certainly aren’t “two little girls from Little Rock,” (although that’s a cover waiting to happen), probably don’t care if you think they inhale or not, and are unapologetically not “family friendly.”
With a husband and wife team on vocals, Rwake attacks with achingly slow doom that creeps along like a nest of spiders crawling through an air duct, down a wall, and into a bed where an unsuspecting victim peacefully sleeps.
It’s not all fun and games, though. Some parts drag a bit, even for doom, and without an appreciation for ’80s metal or lyrics about 666 (which, overall, I don’t have), listening can be a trying experience. The over-processed vocals and banshee like wails are cool at first, but sound a bit like fingernails after an extended period of time.
The record gets progressively more powerful and more engaging through the tracks, cumulating in “The Lure Of Light.” “Inverted Overtures” is a monster of a song with all the weight and intensity of a colossal wrecking ball, and “Leviticus” is likewise a force to be reckoned with. Whatever you do, don’t play this for the faint of heart.
– Jamie Ludwig
Rwake (Relapse Records)