Rwake - The Return of Magik

Rwake is a band that I wasn’t familiar with before receiving this promo but they've been around for a while now. The band formed in 1996 and their latest album, “The Return of Magik” is their sixth full-length album; they have also released a demo, a split, and a live album. Apparently, they have been gone for 13 years too so, as the album’s title might suggest, is the band’s journey back to the scene. 

It’s hard to describe the music on “The Return of Magik.” It is certainly rooted in doom/sludge but it’s also experimental, dynamic and varied. Every song is like its own full album, a complete story that fits into an overall narrative. I like how the band isn’t afraid to use acoustic guitars, post elements, and even black metal to further expand what is obviously a progressive form of doom/sludge. Each component has its place in the music

At times, I discovered this album to be extreme while, at other moments, it proved itself a shape shifter with a surprise at every turn. It can’t be easy to compose music like this but everything presented works, never coming off as disjointed or indecisive. There are as many ‘laid’ back and quiet moments in this album as there are heavier ones—but it isn’t as simple as a cut and dry switching back and forth—each song only has what it needs, providing as it should without excess. Instead of dwelling too long on any one moment, it’s handed off so the next one can be created. 

The opening song, “You Swore We’d Always Be Together,” introduces the album with acoustic guitars before diving fully chunky riffs that, in turn, give way to a little psychedelic moment. The band has three guitarists—and they need them! As the song picks up, it gets faster and more groovy, held up on a mighty pedestal by the drums. The lead guitar is fucking killer too, never taking away but adding to the song. Moments in this song sound a little country-friend which is kinda weird to be honest but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make sense!  

The album doesn’t always rely on build up to get its point across. “With Stardust Flowers,” starts life as an urgent, immediate rager. The vocals are somewhere between black metal and “skin removed by a sandblaster,” and they are 1000% effective in making the song violent and visceral.  

Around the two and a half mark, the rousing bass and drums send the song spiraling into a clean section that sounds almost fragile. That slight country feel returns again–and once again, I’m blown away that they can incorporate it into their music in such a fantastic way. The cadence of the lyrics are spat out like venom, building off the melodic guitars as the drums push the song back into another harrowing passage. 

The final full song is “In After Reverse,” and it is my favorite on the album. The riffs, drums, and vocals clash against each other like raging waters against monolithic rocks. The mid section is almost dreamy, what with the intricate acoustic guitars. I like the drums a lot here too–atmospheric, which is hard to pull off for a lot of drummers. Around the 8 minute mark, the song reaches full throttle, pure post-metal fury that fully reaches behind the veil for a grand sound that may not be of this world.

Being my first experience with Rwake, I wasn’t sure what to expect with “The Return of Magik” but I’m glad I did take the journey—this album is definitely magik. 

Rating: Excellent