The last big thing to come out of Arkansas was Bill Clinton's libido. That was of course until Rwake burst onto the scene with the barnstorming debut "Hell Is A Door To The Sun", and the truly monumental "If You Walk Before You Crawl, You Crawl Before You Die". Yet no sooner had they hit the crest of the wave than the band went into self enforced hiatus. Three long years passed with rumours aplenty that Rwake would never once again see the light of day, and when all hope seemed lost, bam!! We were hit right between the eyes with "Voices Of Omens".

What those three years away entailed who can tell, but unproductive they were not. "If You Walk...." was always going to be a tough act to follow, such was it's brilliance, and an extended leave of absence seemed to only heighten the anticipation. Need we have worried however? Not for one minute. These six dope fuelled fiends spent to much time refining and honing their collective talents to assign the name Rwake to a turkey. But what would "Voices Of Omens" hold in store?

Rwakes sphere of influences has most certainly been broadened during their time away. While the Neurosis / EyeHateGod undercurrents still remain, "Voices Of Omens" has a distinctly more metal groove going on; and perhaps the most noticeable change to the bands previous releases is the additional vocal contribution of Brittany. In addition to her supplying the samples on the album, this time around Brittany 's vocal duels with the rampaging C.J provide a layering to the vocals we've not heard before from Rwake. The almost spontaneous cacophony of screams is now more structured, providing a less fragmented listening experience.

The sludgish qualities of the bands previous records are still evident, but "Voices Of Omens" has a diversity both musically and lyrically. The record will undoubtedly appeal to all those who are already aware of Rwake's work, and all the Stoners of the world (no great surprise here!!), but the depth of sound and quality of song writing is compelling and should appeal to anyone with more than a passing interest in metal music. While still early in the year, it is a little premature to start compiling a list of albums of 2007; but if come December 2007 "Voices Of Omens" is not in the reckoning there really isn't a just God Of Metal out there.