PRESTO

Rush has been my favourite band ever since I got to know them a good 25 years ago. Only recently they have found strong opposition from Opeth and especially Porcupine Tree. But for now, they still hold their ground. One of the reasons I like them so much is because they have constantly been evolving and following their own vision and inspiration. Basically I've found myself liking all the phases they went through.

Presto is from the era when, looking at the band pictures, we were all wondering if we had purchased an album from a new boysband instead of from our beloved prog guys. Damn, how slick and clean they looked! Well, if these guys have one weakness it is that their looks have followed whatever trend was around at the time. From hard rock hippies to the typical prog-look (long capes and kimonos alert on 2112) and then whatever the most horrible haircut was around in the 80's. Yes, those guys are true fashion victims!

Now, are you still waiting till I'm going to start about the album? Bad luck, I can summarize that in one sentence: it takes a while to get used to the poppy and flimsy bubblegum sound here, but actually, this is a decent set of songs that could please most of their 80's fans.

2.5 stars