Rwake
Hell Is A Door to the Sun
Retribute Records
Reviewed by Josh Anxt
Where do I start with this review? I have had this cd in my hand exactly 4 days, and not once has it left the player. Being a good friend of a few members of this band, I purposely looked for negative things to say. I didn't want people thinking this is a positive review based on that friendship. Well, to be honest, the only negatives I can come up with is a few production flaws. I think Jeff's toms were recorded improperly. Instead of having a nice thick attack when he hits them they come off muddy like undefined thuds. I also think Chuck's rhythm guitar tracks could be louder in the mix. More specifically when he is playing rhythm behind Gravy's leads. Other then those two minor flaws, I have to say this album is nothing short of a classic. Rwake never ceases to amaze me. If its the 3 different times I saw them live in 3 different states, amazed! If its me listening to their 2 previous self released efforts, amazed! Even if its watching them rehearse 4 nights in a row, only to end up not being proper rehearsals, but more like whiskey drunken jam sessions every time, amazed! And you guessed it, listening to this new disc, Hell is a Door to the Sun, amazed! The songwriting is perfect. Reid's fuzz soaked bass lines keep the rhythm thick and grounded. Chuck and Gravy's guitar work is perfection. Jeff is as solid as a drummer as it gets. B and C.T. has started to work more solidly as a vocal team then ever. B's high screams weaving in and out of C.T.'s multi-voiced throat perfectly. B's moog work is far beyond what it used to be, adding the extra layers nicely. One other improvement on B's part is her use of samples. On Rwakes last effort, Absence Due to Projection, her samples were used mainly as intros to songs. And to be honest, it made them drag out a bit. Now they are incorparated INTO the songs. It comes off much better that way. A few classics on this disc are the title track as well as 'Smog Monster' and 'Unleashing Cosmic Destruction'. If your looking for me to classify the music, forget it. It is nearly impossible. Much too original. All I can say is it is 100% METAL!! If you insist on a taste before buying then go to the Retribute records site and download 'The Cat and the Snake'. Either way this disc is highly recommended. Go buy it and in the words of Willis P. Tillis, aka Reid, "pop some pills, fire it up, take a shot of whiskey, and put it in!!"
www.retributerecords.com
Return to reviews