RWAKE RWAKE RWAKE RWAKE RWAKE RWAKE RWAKE

I was just bemoaning the world’s current lack of Rwake last week, and the Metal Gods have already answered my prayers — it seems that 2011 will bring a double dose of Rwawesomeness. To wit:

• The band’s long-out-of-print 2002 sophomore effort, the beyond-wonderfully titled Hell is a Door to the Sun, is getting a reissue from Relapse on March 1. It’s been remastered and has new artwork (old cover, new cover) and new liner notes and all that shit, but, most importantly, it’s been remixed by the great Sanford Parker. One of the remixed tracks, “The Stoner Tree” (How do I grow one of those?), is now streaming here, and if you don’t check it out, you must be a Winds of Plague fan or something, and you should go lay down on a highway. In all sincerity, I generally don’t think that Hell is a Door to the Sun is as good as the band’s two subsequent full-length releases, If You Walk Before You Crawl, You Crawl Before You Die and Voices of Omens, but that just means that it’s still better than 99% of everything else. And this remix sounds really, really great. Go listen now, then pre-order that shit right here.
• As if that wasn’t orgasm-inducing enough, the band has just entered Engine Studios in Chicago to FINALLY get that follow-up to 2007’s Omens done. Parker, who also produced Omens, is once again on-board here, and the album is expected to come out late this summer. I obviously haven’t heard any of it, but if it doesn’t fuck my face off and leave it in a crying heap by the side of the bed, I will be both shocked and disappointed.

And in case you still haven’t had a Rwake-gasm by now, the band is touring, too. Alas, none of the dates come anywhere near me, so I can’t go. But if you can you should, because their live show is great, and also because if you don’t, I won’t love you anymore. Here are said dates:

Jan. 31              Little Rock, AR              Downtown Music (w/ NACHTMYSTIUM, PALLBEARER)
March 4            Dallas, TX                      The Double Wide
March 5            Houston, TX                   The Mink
March 6            New Orleans, LA            Siberia
March 16           Austin, TX                     Scoot Inn (as part of the Thrasher Magazine SXSW showcase)

***All dates from April 17 thru 25 w/ Dragged Into Sunlight***

April 16             Tilburg, Netherlands       Midi Theatre (as part of Roadburn)
April 17             Geneva, Switzerland       L’usine
April 18             Bologna, Italy                Sottotetto
April 19             Vienna, Austria              Arena
April 20             Prague, Czech Rep.       Exit Chmelnice
April 21             Hamburg, Germany        Astra Stube
April 22             Copenhagen, Denmark  Beta
April 23             Bremen, Germany          Treue
April 24             Ghent, Belgium              Decadance
April 25             London, UK                  The Underworld (w/ Amen Ra)

-AR