Rush

ClockWork Angels

Anthem/Roadrunner Records, 2012 

Rush has set a new career benchmark with Clockwork Angels. No easy feat for a band with 19 studio albums to their credit. The band sounds energized, invigorated and seem to attack the compositions with genuine enthusiasm. There’s a muscular approach to the material here, which is consistently brilliant from start to finish. Concept albums are often a cringe-worthy endeavors, but this one, about a young man’s quest to follow his dreams, blah blah blah; can be enjoyed either for the singles or in it’s entirety as it’s solid from start to finish,

“Seven Cities of Gold,” is the first time to my knowledge that Geddy Lee has brought anything resembling funk to his bass playing, and it’s just enough. The right spice to help complete one of the more memorable songs here. Other prog rock bands should take notes here; hooks and melody don’t need to be sacrificed in order to show off.

On “The Wreckers” we’re privy to some of  Neal Peart’s skeptical prose with lines like “All I know is sometimes you have to be wary/Of a miracle too good to be true/ All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary/Everything in life you thought you knew.”

“Headlong Flight,” is an over the top drummer’s wet dream of a song, where Peart shows off his legendary skills and seemingly invokes Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” at the same time. Lee and Lifeson all seem to push one another to greater heights.

This is an album that transcends beyond die hard Rush fans. This one is a must have for the collection of everyone whoever busted out an air guitar for “Tom Sawyer,” or “New WorldMan.”