|
| |
Rush
Snakes & Arrows
(Anthem/Atlantic)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2007, Volume 14, #6
Written by John Metzger
At this stage of the game, one wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) expect Rush to stake
out new terrain, and true to form, the band remains firmly planted within its
comfort zone on its 18th studio effort Snakes & Arrows.
Nevertheless, under the guiding hand of co-producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo
Fighters, Velvet Revolver), the Canadian power trio has reversed nearly two
decades of diminishing returns, and it subsequently appears to be ready to
reclaim its legacy.
Lurking within its 30th anniversary tour as well as its most
recent endeavors (Vapor Trails and Feedback), there were plenty of
hints that Rush was in the process of a career resurgence, but fans,
particularly those who have strayed, undoubtedly will be surprised by how
reinvigorated the group sounds on Snakes & Arrows. Like most outfits that
have struggled to move forward while retaining a connection to the past, Rush
found its way by weaving a path through its back catalogue. In effect, it has
updated many of its older ideas by approaching them from a fresh, more mature
perspective. The ensemble, for example, touches upon its early, prog-rock
soundscapes during the instrumental The Main Monkey Business, and it
recasts the thunderous arena-rock of Big Money as the album’s opening
track Far Cry.
Snakes & Arrows’ heart and soul, however, spring from its
lyrics. Within the span of a few years, Neal Peart lost his wife to cancer and his
daughter in an auto accident, and so it’s a given that his songs, more than
ever, would address issues of faith, spirituality, and organized religion.
Intertwined with his personal ruminations, however, are commentaries about the
global politics of war. In particular, Rush’s words and music fit together
perfectly on The Way the Wind Blows, turning the tune into one of the
more potent and urgent concoctions that it has created in ages. In the end, Snakes & Arrows won’t persuade anyone who previously had dismissed the band
to come running to its defense, but it is convincing enough to re-indoctrinate
at least a few of those souls who have wandered away over the course of the past
15 years. 
Snakes & Arrows is available from Amazon.com.
To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
|
