Artist: Rush
Title: “Snakes And Arrows”
Label: Atlantic Records
Release Date: 5/1/2007
Genre: Progressive Rock
Rating: 4/5

It’s been about five years since Rush last delivered original material with “Vapor Trails” and early reports from the studio had outlined that the new release would be more of a return to the bands storied past. With “Snakes & Arrows” Rush clearly shows that they able to offer a slight return but one that looks to the future just as much as it recollects the past. To get the initial comments out of the way on this release the “return to form” would not go as far back as “Hemispheres” like some had anticipated and why should it since that level of Progressive Rock would not be as easy to replicate and sell effectively in today’s world. Instead we have an album that brought to my mind images of the colors they experimented with on both “Presto” and “Counterparts”, two of my favorites from the Rush middle years. The album launches off with “Far Cry” which is a track that I think will become a concert staple that becomes far more powerful than that of the openers from “Vapor Trails” or “Test For Echo”. Unlike many critics I did not mind “VT” all that much but do agree that “TFE” was a bit of a letdown when it came down to it. On “S&A” there is a certain freshness that I think will instantly capture the hearts and most specifically the ears of all their legions of fans right away as the production here is a tight one that ebbs and flows like the Rush of old. There is a ton of excellent melody put forward as Geddy hits his trademark high notes and soft subtle ones as often as necessary. Alex Liefson is to be commended on the number of different guitar elements he introduces here as we find traditional guitars, mandolins as well as the electric ones and with the sound production courtesy of Nick Raskulinecz you can hear every single one of them as they are introduced in the music. Lyrically this is perhaps the strongest that we have found from the band in years and Professor Neil Peart certainly dished out some ideas that will make reading along with the music a pleasant experience once again. His drumming as always is tasty and most effective and the fills he delivers will strike you as “just perfect” for each scenario that you find on this musical journey. It would be safe to say that this is the best Rush has sounded in the past decade of releases.
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