SNAKES & ARROWS

"Stunning!" is the first word I thought when I heard the first song off Snakes & Arrows. "Far Cry" is a powerful overture. I rapidly started to get bored. The album is well produced and has an energizing metal sound by moments. Unfortunately, Rush is lacking originality. Nothing here beats "Ghost Rider", "One Little Victory" or "Earthshine" from Vapor Trails... Well... No, "Far Cry" is better than "Earthshine" but in overall, most of what Rush did in the past is more worthy than "Snakes & Arrows". Rush lastest offering will satisfy the fans (either a freak or somebody like me who bought only three or four rush albums in his life) and metalheads searching something different than Dream Theater and Fates Warning. Something more technical, less oriented on feelings.

After five long years, the new Rush album has arrived, 2007 finally celebrates the release of Snakes and Arrows, a concept album devoted to the motive of the most irrational and inmost human sentiments and actions, namely religion.

As for the lyrical aspect, it is not hard to discover, how difficult singing these songs. There are a lot of Rush songs where the lyrics sipmly does not fit into the musical framework created by Alex and Geddy, but this is the first album, when nearly all of the songs have the same problem. Listening to the songs it seems so obvious that Geddy sings someone else's words. The vocal melodies are sometimes a bit forced, as a consequence of this. Musically, the experience can be shocking for the very first time. I mean there is a typical Rush sound, a from far recognizable structure of the songs, a trademark song-pattern, which can be found even on the weakest (or badly mixed) albums such as T4E (or VT, Presto). This is obviously not the case here. This is the first Rush album which doesn't sound like a Rush album, definitely set a new direction. The songs are tend to be simply-structured (neither imaginative tempo changes nor odd time signatures) and melodies play the crucial role throughout the whole album. This is why - and another reason is the tone Geddy uses - S&A sounds like the second part of My Favorite Headache: very catchy mellow melodies with a little bit dark and melancholic overtone. To sum up briefly, if you mix the darker songs from MFH (Window to the World, Working at Perfect, ) and the lighter ones from VT and T4E (The Stars Look Down, How It Is, Half The World, Totem, Carve Away The Stone), spiced with a small Counterparts feeling and lots of Feedback influence (a Feedback influence means of course late 60s impression), then you get something stays not too far from Snakes and Arrows.

Far Cry is a typical Rush song (the only song can be considered as "typical"), strong and catchy, not surprisingly, most of their opening songs are very strong (apart from OLV, so the start was less scary for me than VT was for the first time). Then comes Armor and Sword, a setback after the promising start. Not a bad one, but a bit languid, I wouldn't have put it in the second place. The next two are much better, Workin' Them Angels and The Larger Bowl are among my favorites, nice solos from Alex in both. The latter one is stunning, a simple but loveable tune, with some REM favour. Lots of acoustic guitar can be heard everywhere, usually followed by a cool riff and a killer solo. Alex has succesfully proved that he still got the ability to write marvellous solos. Possibly his performace is the best on the album.

Spindrift is sadly a big let down, reminds me the worst momets of T4E, but after there comes the biggest moment is the history of Rush: the Main Monkey Business. Simply the best instrumental they have ever written. A huge Tool/Porcupine Tree influenced jam. This song alone makes the cd worth to buy. The middle section of the disc is the weakest, some not awfully bad but unispired semi-acoustic songs, Hope (a short acoustic instrumental track from Alex, not bad, but unnecessary) and Faithless are among the better ones, whilst the Way the Wind Blows and Bravest Face are the weakest songs on the album, in my opinion, both are "Feedback-escapees", the latter one reminds me the song Shapes of Things, which I dislike the most on Feedback.

Thankfully the last three songs are much better, again some Tool influences in the last song, probably because of the eastern melodies Alex plays in the main riff. Malignant Narcissism is an outstanding instrumental again, could have been longer.

All in all, this album is definitely and album for adults from adults. Mellow songs and wise words, do not forget, they are their mid-50s! There are at least 8 songs I rate as above average and 5 out of them are outstanding, this is not bad. And definitely the best sounding album, every instrument sounds so naturally, perfectly clean and dense. Is it the last Rush album? God knows...

Far Cry - 8, Armor and Sword - 7, Workin' Them Angels - 8, The Larger Bowl - 10, Spindrift - 5, The Main Monkey Business - 10*, The Way the Wind Blows - 6, Hope - 7, Faithless - 7, Bravest Face - 5, Good News First - 9, Malignant Narcissism - 10, We Hold On - 9

7.5 - 8 / 4 stars

What to say... I think it´s easy, because Rush is one of the most original and one of the strongest bands in hard music history. The new album "Snakes & Arrows" is exactly what I´ve expected... Extremly proffesional music, typical Rush melodies, harmonies, from every decade of their music career... I feel spontaneous experiments from the ´70, beautiful atmospheres from the ´80, experiences from the ´90 and all together in extremly modern progressive hard music in 21. century. "Snakes & Arrows" has the top production in modern rock music, all instruments sounds perfect in a typical Rush style. I´m extremly pleased by this album and I think that Rush is together with Dream Theater the leading progressive band in last 15 years !!! It deservers only 5 stars.

This i by far their best album since GUP - Armor and Sword is perhaps one of the top 5 songs they have ever written - Of course that is my humble opinion, but considering i have been a faithful fan since COS I have a little freedom of speech - Yes there are a couple of Simple borderline boring songs but the majority of this album proves that they are not moving backwards or getting to old to create wonderful music - They will never need a reunion tour as long as they produce this quality of music -

Good album, but that's all that can be said.The only songs that are quite up to the standards of the late 70's/early 80's album are insturmentals: "Main Monkey Business" and "Malignant Narcissism" (it's a shame that it's only 2 minutes long!). The vocal songs are weaker, because they simply lack good melodies. "Far Cry" is a nice opener, "Armond and Sword" is a fair follow up, but after some time the album starts to get more and more repetitive. We have some nice riffs here and there, one or two good solos, but nothing really that stays in your mind for a long time. I even say, that the best songs from T4E ("Driven", the title track) or "Vapor Trails" ("One Little Victory", "Ghost Rider") are better than anything from "Snakes & Arrows" apart from the instrumentals. Unfortunately Rush is not able to record progressive rock masterpieces anymore. Good albums, yes, but not masterpieces...

Snakes & Arrows is definately a departure from Rush's previous works in many ways while also hearkening back to elements of many of thier past works. The result is a blending of styles and influences that serve to create something new and altogether different from what has come before.

Far Cry is a typical Rush tune. It is instantly recognizable as Rush and should receive siginificant radio airplay. It is probably the most accessible song on the album. The first time I heard it, my thoughts were: They're Back!!! The Hemispheres chord is cool. Some great wall of sound rhythm playing. No real guitar solo present. Oh well - Alex hasn't really been concentrating on guitar solos lately . . .

Armor and Sword. This song starts slow and very dark. The lyrics are amazing. I think it sets the tone for the whole album. Good catchy chorus "No one gets to their heaven without a fight". The song also sets the thematic tone for the album - religion. There are some good heavy riffs in here as well as some excellent changes. The dynamic range of this (and most of the stuff on this disc) is amazing. This song will reel you in and hold your interest.

Workin' Them Angels. I like this song. Geddy's vocals are extremely well done. Haven't heard him sound like this before. Once again, enjoyed the dynamic range and the changes.

The Larger Bowl. Starts slow. Good message. Great Lyrics. This may be another radio hit. I can see that. "Such alot of pain on the earth". Awesome guitar solo by Alex. Hmm - maybe he'll be more involved in this one than he has been recently . . .

Spindrift. I think this will be awesome live. Very intereesting piece of music. Hard to describe. There's alot going on here. Resolves into a nice chorus and builds and builds to a crecendo.

The Main Monkey Business. Alex Transcendent. Amazing piece of music. Best instrumental since YYZ. Very well crafted. Heavy riffs and great changes. Six minutes of total instrumental self indulgence. You have to hear it. There's no way to describe how good this is.

The Way the Wind Blows. Very Surprising. Alex plays the blues -- and he plays it very well. Stevie Ray type Blues shuffle to open. Back into more of a Rush sound and then back to the blues for an amazing solo. One of my favorite songs on the disc. "From the Middle East to the Middle West . . ."

Hope. Alex 12 string guitar instrumental. Very nice. Me like. Have been waiting for him to do something like this for a while.

Faithless. Mmore of a typical Rush opening. Great dynamic range to this song. "I've got my own moral compass to steer by . . ." Lyrics are amazing. Opening part resolves into a memorable chorus. I think this sums up Neil's personal philosophy in a similar way to Freewill.

Bravest Face. I really like Geddy's vocals on this one. Nice vibe and feeling throughout. I can hear the "feedback" influence on this one loud and clear. Very nice. "We might have precious little, but it's still precious . . ."

Good News First. I like it, but maybe not quite as much as some of the earlier stuff. Still undecided on this one.

Malignant Narcissism. Awesome instrumental. Only complaint is that it is too short!!! Not as colmplex as Monkey Business. Nice Bass and Drum breaks.

We Hold On. Good closing tune. Very strong chorus. Fits well with the previous instrumental.

In summary, I think this is Rush's best effort since Counterparts and I think it ranks up there with classics like Moving Pictures. The production values are excellent. Mastering is top notch.

My only real complaint is that it ends. It left me wanting more. 13 songs were not enough. I highly recommend giving it a listen through a quality pair of headphones - you'll be amazed at how good it sounds.

Ok, off the bat I always been a big Rush fan... But to be honest the last few efforts have been well let's put it this way. OK (Vapour Trail, Test for Echoes, ect.). Nevertheless good album but a purchase for fan only.

Now back to the present... OMG Snakes and Arrows really kicks, actually in my own personal opinion this album could just be Rush's best album ever. It reminds me of three distinct master pieces of the late 70's and early 80's, first with all the good acoustic guitar Farewell to kings comes to mind, secondly Hemispheres with some distinctive chords and musical and off beat arrangements and last but not least Permanent Waves for the bass tone and complex bass lines found all over the album.

Alex, after a disappointing performance on VP (no solos) picks up is axe as he did on their 2004 tribute album Feedback (remember the solo on Crossroad). I was afraid that he still kept this stubborn no solo attitude after listening to Far Cry, a feedback solo, ok innovative but Lifeson can do better, finally on song 4 the Larger Bowl Lexrs comes back to life and for the rest of the album the son of light is a guitar God. Mind you, the mandolin solo on track 3 is great but I'm a guitar player and there are so many new mainstream rock bands that have forgotten the solos we need to be able to count on our Old School favourite acts to fix.

I would like to point some minor weakness (constructive criticism) for this master piece: First, the rule of lots is as bad as less, most of the album sounds amazing and fuller than other attempts, this is wonderful but I strongly believe that some songs like "Spindrift" for example (around 2:47 especially) have been over dressed a tad (here goes the sequencers live). Secondly, even if Hope is wonderful and perhaps one of my favourite songs on the album it's basically The Main Monkey Business riff all over again. Could Hope be the original inspiration for The Main Monkey Business on acoustic guitar??? None the less I'm glad it's there but could have had a title that relates to the first one like perhaps The Main Monkey Business Part II (Hope).

My last objective critic is targeting the Cover Art... Humm. Hugh usually does such a good job at covers why use the cover from a Yoga book, this is as bad as Counterparts??? At least the material inside looks great and is Hugh Syme's work.

With minimal work this album could have been presented as a good old story album with marathon songs (a story about the different sides of religion) putting an instrumental here and there to break the story in section with two songs 15 to 20 minutes long completed with support songs to fill the rest. Ah the nostalgic in me. We never know what might happen in the future.

All in all I give it a 4.5 * out of 5, since rounding applies I need to give it a 5 :c)

And 6 stars out 5 for Nick on this production, could he be the new and improve Terry Brown???

And a 6 stars out 5 for Nick on this production, could he be the new and improve Terry Bown???

I waited anxiously for this album as i'm huge Rush fan. Now that i have heard it I can say it has dissapointed me quite much. This was supposed to be return to the good old Rush. Far cry is a nice opener. Nothing particulary great but as a whole it isn't a bad song. Armor and sword is even better. Heavy riff mixed with acoustic background and over 6 minutes of lenght. But there's something that made me started to worry when I listened to the album for the first time. I heard over 10 minutes of it and still no guitar solo. WTF? Workin' them angels is one of the worst on Snakes and arrows. Completely uninspiring, borring and Geddy's singing is quite annoing in this one. And still no solo... The larger bowl starts nice with acoustic guitar but then becomes an ordinary song. And hey theres a guitar solo. Or is it? Only few seconds, you can easily miss it. What happened to Lifeson? He plays either acoustic or some boring noisy riffs. Where's the finesse from the old years? Spinddrift reminds me of worst parts from Test for echo or Vapor trails. Boring, noisy and pointless. Fortunately then comes the best track since many many years. The instrumental The main monkey business is really brilliant, fantastic song. Maybe not as crazy as YYZ but something a bit similar. Great guitar passages, wonderful keyboard work and dynamic rytmic section. Yeah, this is outstanding, it will sound great during live performances. The way the wind blows has a bit similar sound at the beginning, but then becomes very boring. Somewhat boring, with poor guitar solo and awfully sweet Geddy's voice. The second instrumental - Hope is a nice acoustic miniature. Enjoable filler. Faithless is comletely average. Typical Rush song from the late 80s or 90s. Same with Bravest face. There's nothing here to be remembered. Good news go first - ok, there's quite nice guitar solo but really short. Nothing more. But then comes the third and last instrumental Malignant narcissism and it's absolutely stunning. But why is t so short? I want more of that mind blowing, crazy rytm Geddy plays!!! Just as the did in the past. This is HUGE (but should have been at least two times longer). We hold on is better than average, dynamic closer. All in all quite uneven album but mostly very disapointing. At least the production is way better than last time. Peart's drums sound very powerful, Geddy plays nice but his singing is not very good. I preffered when he was screaming more. Lifeson stays far behind those two. He lost something. Where are the crazy, beautiful solos and memorable riffs? And what the hell is he trying to prove with his noisy wall of sound? This is noise not music.

I am a total Rush fan, have all their albums on CD and all their DVDs. Been to 2 of their gigs (Roll The Bones Tour and 30th Anniversary). After hearing this mish mash I am so glad that I did not get tickets for their latest Tour. I couldnt bear to hear 4 or more songs live.

If you are expecting the famous Rush sound, you will be sadly disappointed. No tracks on this album inspire me to want to play it again. What has happened to dear ole Lerxst? the guitars are mediocre and at times just a noise, what about a guitar solo more often eh.

I give the album 2 points for "The Main Monkey Business" the only good track on the album but not worthy of more than a couple of listens at most.

"The Larger Bowl" is the most irritating song in their whole catalogue, I can only stomach the whining "Woh Woh Woh" so much.

If you suffer from sleep depravation, purchase this album, you will be away within minutes.

Like all of you, I've waited 5 years for this album. I've been a Rush fan since 1979..and a student of Neil's drumming since then. After listening through S&A a few times....I'm completely disappointed. Not one song is memorable. Gone is the incredible syncopation of their music, gone is the amazing cresendo's they once played, gone is the motivation to impress. For those of you who compare this to Hempispheres, go back and listen to it..there is no comparison. As for the instrumentals...where did the drum fills go? If you listen to the whole album, you don't hear one cascading drum fill. I don't think I'll wait another 5 years!! One star.

This album fell through my letter box yesterday. As expected, it is another excellent addition to their canon. It remains in the stripped-down guitar-bass-drum style of their recent output but with a sprinkling of strings, mellotron and technology that enhance the overall impact. An impact which is somewhat mellower than the hard edged angularity of their last outing, Vapour Trails.

As ever, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have composed the music to which Neil Peart's inspiring lyrics and typically expressive drumming have been married. And guitar maestro Lifeson has added mandola, mandolin and bouzouki to flavour the mix further.

Neil Peart continues to explore a wide range of themes in his lyrics, passing commentary on various states of the world we live in - faith, religion, the Middle East, man's baser nature and his ability to endure, to name a few. I have always found a resonance and inspiration in his lyrical output (and his written output as an author) and this album is no exception. Indeed whilst the collective and individual musical ability of Rush is something special, it is the combination with intelligent, though provoking lyrics that makes them one of the finest rock acts on the planet.

Unusually, the album also features three instrumentals, none of which appear to be parts of "Gangster Of Boats" :-)

I remain in awe of this band and am now looking forward even more to seeing them live this October. That said, I can't quite give this one 5 stars but it deserves a very solid 4.

The new Rush release is not what fans of epic Progressive songs have been waiting for. It is not filled with those things we Prog Rock fans run to great with our pretentiously tainted musical "taste". If all you want is that type of music, this is not the album for you.

But don't be fooled by that introductory passage I provided. This is a very well put together set of songs by a band that is world renowned and still providing quality ear candy after 30 years. While many songs are not typical Progressive Rock, the album has quite a few moments of time signature changes and top notch musicianship. The music will not grab you at once, either. It took me about 6 listens to fully appreciate. And I appreciate it for what it is.

This album as a whole glares with the new creativity Alex Lifeson has found or adapted to based on meeting and conversing with David Gilmour. He heeded the advice to write all songs on acoustic then move them to electric. Adding to this, the lyrics may have cast a dark essence to the music, thus an overall anti-pop musical experience is generated. I would say only two or three of the song collection render themselves to immediate clicking to the non-Prog ear. The rest are not immediate hits, but the more you listen, the more you are glad they were recorded. While you hear hints of the more recent Rush sound, you also get a vibe of the old Rush, in it's early 70's sound, even though Neil pointed out that the band doesn't try to recreate the old, but move into the future. And that they have. In fact, on the song Malignant Narcissism, he plays a four piece drum kit. Who would have ever thought that would happen?

This album is a must have because it marks a new high for Rush. This is easily the best release since the mid-80's signatures. It is a pleasure to see an old Progressive giant keep writing great music after so many years. There are precious few of these bands left.

As a final note, it should be observed that I rate this album based on pure listening enjoyment and not for its progressiveness. The negative reviews thus far lack the understanding of what Rush was trying to accomplish. Any fool or anti-Rush listener can rate it low because it fails the Prog test, but in doing so, they provide a false low for other potential buyers to judge. As one person here on ProgArchives sarcastically said "I agree, you should assume the worst from this album without even listening to it. That would be the intelligent thing to do. In fact, we should all base our opinions of everything in the world on hearsay and stop experiencing things for ourselves. It would be a much simpler way to live." I couldn't have said that better myself.

4.5/5 stars

3.8 Stars ... is this Rush's best album? what a surprise!

Rush has returned to the 70s in terms of quality, if not style of composition. With such enthusiasm from the trio, it's of little doubt that they would deliver: strong songwriting, Geddy's best vocals yet, excellent production, some of their most intelligent lyrics, and some of the best musicianship heard from them since the 70s. This album has a bit of every album they've done, including acoustic guitars, dynamic instrumentals, pop, even a chord in the opener "Far Cry" which sounds exactly like a chord in the Hemispheres album. A new element is how it feels as if it was all composed acoustically and then went electric in the recording of the album. Even if the album isn't what you would commonly refer to as "prog rock", this album takes a while to digest.

Talking about Far Cry , is a fantastic opener and instantly likable. It is a catchy rock song featuring hooks, odd time signatures, high musicianship, and "wall-of-sound" production in the heavy, odd-rhythmic sections. Armor and Sword is the longest song here, with very nice arrangements alternating acoustic and electric guitar and the very effective chorus that others talked about. Workin' Them Angels is a more ordinary rock song with good vocals but not much of a hook. The Larger Bowl is also a bit unmemorable. Well-played but there's nothing special in this mid-tempo track except a vocal harmony.

The next song, Spindrift returns with the excellent music. It sounds different than what I'm used to hearting from Rush: a very menacing and highly produced song that sounds like an electric guitar symphony at parts. Don't let the silly title of The Main Monkey Business fool you, this is in my opinion the best instrumental they ever done. It's absolutely phenomenal, flooded with virtuosic musicianship, magnificent dynamics, excellent riffs, good coherence, and a powerful solo at the middle that is for me the best moment in the album.

The Way the Wind Blows starts with a bluesy tone that I don't particularly enjoy that much but then it turns into a very good rocker with some of the best performances of Geddy Lee (vocally). One of the most memorable tunes in this album. Hope is another highlight, an acoustic guitar solo very similar in style to acoustic Led Zeppelin songs. Faithless is yet another great song, proving that the middle of the album is the strongest. The verses contain good melodic rock, but the choruses' wonderful melodies and the great guitar solo stand out a bit. Bravest Face is another strong and carefully arranged/produced song like "Armor and Swords" with a very nice acoustic riff and vocal melodies.

Good News First is not as memorable as the middle chunk of the album, but it still carries all the elements that makes this album so strong. Malignant Narcissism is the weakest of instrumentals because it just feels like a YYZ wanna-be jam that is overall not that interesting, even if the musicianship is great. We Hold On is a solid closer with a memorable chorus and main riff. very energetic and appropiate.

1. Far Cry (A-) 2.Armor And Sword (B) 3. Workin' Them Angels (C)

4. The Larger Bowl (C-) 5. Spindrift (B+) 6. The Main Monkey Business (instrumental) (A)

7. The Way The Wind Blows (B+) 8. Hope (instrumental) (A-) 9. Faithless (B+)

10. Bravest Face (B) 11. Good News First (C+) 12. Malignant Narcissism (instrumental) (C+)

13. We Hold On (C+)

I recommend it to Rush lovers and give it many listens. Since I'm in vacation, I've heard this several times already in a couple of days. It's not really prog? who cares, it's very good rock music from the Canadian Rock titans.

I've been a Rush fan since the 4th grade. Just to give you a backround of what kind of Rush fan I am, I will let you know which school of Rush I come from by listing my 3 favourite albums. In this order, my 3 favourite Rush albums are "Signals", "Hemispheres" and "Presto". This might help the reader in deciding the sort of "opinion" I may have with the new "Snakes & Arrows" Rush LP.

When I first heard "Far Cry", I thought(and still do) think it's Rush's best single since "Show Don't Tell", and it has a fine Geddy Lee vocal delivery remiscent of "Middletown Dreams"(from "Power Windows) at the conclusion. Just to note, "Far Cry" opens the album. The 2nd track "Armour & Sword", reminds me of a mix of _Presto_ with a "Cygnus X-1"-like riff from "Farewell To Kings". This should be included in their live set and upcoming tour. It's excellent. The next 3 songs don't seem to really go anywhere.

Next...

Now we have "The Main Monkey Business"...an INSTRUMENTAL! Zivo, Weinrib and Peart really let it all hang out on this one. It's no "YZZ", but it could be better than "Leave That Thing Alone"(from "Roll The Bones"). Next track "The Way The Wind Blows" is a competent tune...but nothing special. It might grow on me Next track "Hope" does nothing for me.

"Faithless" is lyrically brilliant...and this is once again _prog.rock_ at its finest. Nice time signatures, excellent musicianship. "Bravest Face"...another gem on the album. Another _prog.rock_ gem. Sounds similar to the more progressive tracks on _Counterparts_. Alex Lifeson delivers some fine _prog.rock blues_ like only the Zivo can deliver. Hey! Hey!

"Good News First" sounds like it may be an outake from the "Presto" album, which is a good thing. A wonderful mixture of Peart drumming, Lifeson acoustic and electric...great vocals from Geddy Lee.

"Malignant Narcissism" is another INSTRUMENTAL! Folks...this is fine! This is Geddy, Alex and Neil's finest moment on "Snakes and Arrows". In this instrumental, I hear everything from "Thrak"-era King Crimson, Voivod, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Sonny Sharrock and Primus. It's short...but mighty fine.

"We Hold On" concludes the album. If you were to mix out Geddy Lee's vocals, this might sound like something Deep Purple is currently doing with Steve Morse on guitar. A great way to end the album.

I give this album 3 stars, and I'd say it's the most solid effort since "Presto" and "Counterparts". Having said that, for those who enjoy the direction Porcupine Tree has taken in the last few years, I'd have to give it 4 stars. It's on par, if not better than what Porcupine Tree are up to these days. Recommended for old and new Rush fans alike.

Two stars only because I'm a huge fan of Rush. Any other band would get only 1 star.

A tremendously disappointing release that we waited 5 years for...how sad is it that the best track on the album is the "radio" single 'Far Cry'? All the hype I read about during the recording of this album led me to believe this was going to be their best release in years. Sadly, this was not the case.

I'm not one of those Rush fans who automatically bashes every album released since Moving Pictures - quite the contrary. I've followed this band for over 20 years and I actually LIKED Vapor Trails when it came out (although it was poorly mixed). I saw VT as a jump-off point for this group to establish itself for the next decade. Sadly they have returned to a more Counterparts-oriented sound (Counterparts being one of their weakest releases of the last 20 years).

One thing I found particularly disturbing was the way Geddy Lee is modulating his voice on nearly every song. He has developed this throaty warbling technique that he employs on nearly every line of every verse. It truthfully sounds like a 14-year old kid whose voice keeps cracking because of puberty. This is especially disheartening because I felt that on Vapor Trails, Lee had managed to "reclaim" a good portion of his former vocal range.

I tried really, really hard to like this CD. Despite my great love for this band and their place in rock history, I cannot in good conscience give this album more than 2 stars. I feel like asking for my money back.

Yet another disappointing CD from Rush to complete a trifecta of bad CDs - Test for Echoes, Vapor Trails and now Snakes and Arrows. I've been a Rush fan for a while; I really liked Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, Permanent Waves, 2112 and Moving Pictures. And I thought that several songs off of Grace Under Pressure, Signals, Presto, Roll The Bones and Counterparts were very good.

It's not that hard to see why this CD represents a continuing decline of Rush. They lost their prog ambitions a long time ago and have now regressed to tired old power chords, no keyboards and poor solos. I've listened to Snakes and Arrows - the entire CD - about ten times now and most of the songs don't stick. So far, "Far Cry", "The Larger Bowl", "The Main Monkey Business" and "Malignant Narcissism" have stood out from the rest but that could change. While the two instrumentals - "Monkey" and "Narcissism" are reasonably good, they don't hold a candle to "La Villa Strangiato" or "YYZ". If you're into prog, there's no good reason to listen to Rush any more. Makes more sense to get into Porcupine Tree, Tool, or even mathcore/metalcore bands like Dillinger Escape Plan.

Neil Peart's lyrics on Snakes and Arrows are mainly about religion. Unlike Power Windows which was about power and tried to strive for a balanced perspective, Snakes and Arrows seems quite one sided in its distaste for religion. Considering that religion and spirituality are joined at the hip, Snakes and Arrows could have used some offsetting songs similar to Mystic Rhythms (off of Power Windows), Mission or Tai Shan (from Hold Your Fire). It was kinda cool to see the Hindu game of Leela on the cover - since I used to play Paramapadam (Snakes and Ladders) as a kid - but there's no accompanying spiritual/philosophical insight in Neil's lyrics. More's the pity.

I'm sitting here cracking my knuckles and doing some finger exercises to get all limber to review the new album by Rush. I've had this for quite a while, spun it numerous times and had time to really digest it. Speaking to some who have had personal contact with Alex and Geddy and hearing how proud they were of this album (Alex is quoted to have said that 'we have just made the album of our careers'), the days and months leading up to it's release were some of the most anticipated that I've had for a new Rush album since Signals. And although I don't view Snakes And Arrows as being on par with albums like 2112, Hemispheres, and Moving Pictures, Rush returns in 2007 triumphantly.

First and foremost, the production surpasses that of it's predecessor, Vapor Trails, by leaps and bounds. Very crisp and razor sharp, Snakes And Arrows is sonically one of the better albums I've heard...and probably the best disc regarding sound since Marillion's Marbles. The only thing that I can live without, which has been a staple in Rush's music for quite some time, is the layering of Geddy's vocals to the extent that it sounds like a choir of Geddies. I would prefer to see that toned back a bit.

As for the songs, these are some of Rush's best in a long time. I see these as less introspective as Vapor Trails, and more of a social and global commentary, in regards to the lyrics. Structurally, Lifeson is back and he's back with a vengence! I miss his solos on Vapor Trails, and he pulls off some true magic on this disc (The solo on "The Larger Bowl" is exquisite.) Absolutely beautiful work on "Armor and Sword", especially. He is one of those rare guitarists that adds such subtle nuances to a song, but without these little ambient sounds would be a detrament to the song. Additionally, it's nice to hear a lot of acoustic guitar throughout.

As for the other two, Peart seems to have backed off of some of the flashy fills and intricate patterns--I would like to see him let loose more often. Maybe it's the sign of a true master concentrating on telling a story with his playing rather than showing how fast he can move about the kit. Geddy still astounds on the bass; however, his vocals are very smooth and as powerful as ever. I can actually hear flashes of the higher octaves from his younger days on songs like "Spindrift" (the beginning sounds like something from 2112) and "Bravest Face".

I would like to conclude by stating that I've seen a lot of positive feedback for Snakes and Arrows. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of negative remarks. I'm not sure what you guys want or are expecting, but this is an always altering band not content to remaining still. What we have in this new disc are 3 of the most amazing musicians coming together and creating sounds that challenge and stimulate. In my opinion, I think this is the best Rush album since Power Windows. I'd give it 4.25/5 stars.

You can't compare this album to Moving Pictures or Hemispheres or Signals. In fact, you can't compare it to anything rush has ever done because with each new release, we see a brand new incarnation of the band. You see them trying something new and different...something they've never done before. And at it's essence, isn't that the very nature of progressive rock? That's why I (and most likely so many other people) love them...why we keep coming back for more. They're not producing the same stereotypical rubbish with every single release. If they were, all of us who post here would have stopped listening to them a long time ago. Just accept this album for what it is...a fine piece of music surrounded by a world filled with Buckcherrys' and Brittany Spears'

Personally, I think the album is a vast improvement over VT. It is much more lyrical and poetic, and of course, they make up for the lack of instrumentals on their last outings with a vengeance here! Highlights of the album are Far Cry, Main Monkey Business, and Faithless.

5 long years have passed for Rush and I am mixed here as I'm sure many fans are.The first thing that jumped out to me when I spun the disc for the first time is the production/mix. What an improvement from Vapour Trails! What I'm also sure about though is that this is a quality outing from the world's best Canadian Trio and the grandfathers of Prog (as far as I am concerned). Highlights for myself include the instrumentals ''Malignant Narcisism", "The Main Monkey Business" - these two just rock and are as creative as Rush has ever been. "Faithless", "Far Cry" are catchy little tunes too, as is "The Larger Bowl". If you like Rush, give this outing a try.....

Five years after the sonic calamity that was Vapor Trails, Rush return with an ambitious, eclectic album of 13 songs and a new producer;wunderkind Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver).

The theme of the album revolves around Peart's musings about the nature of "faith" - a subject he visited in his book "Landscape.." which amongst other things discussed America's drift towards evangelical Christian fundamentalism in the face of rising Muslim fundamentalism in the Middle East. Peart is deadly serious and obviously sees organised religion as an insidious force creating division across the globe, hence:

"what should have been our armor, becomes a sharp and angry sword" (Armor And Sword)

and

"now it's come to this/wide-eyed armies of the faithful/from the Middle East to the Middle West/pray, and pass the ammunition." (The Way The Wind Blows)

And the music, is it Prog? I dont know and I dont care. Many of the songs follow a very standard intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus pattern, though there are 3 instrumentals on here, but certainly musically and lyrically this is a complex, arty and I might add fresh album from a band now in its 4th decade together.The three instrumentals are very accomplished but each different in their own way. "Hope" sees Alex Lifeson performing alone on a beautiful celtic-tinged acoustic piece a la "Broons Bane". "Malignant Narcissism (named for a line from the "Team America" comedy film) is a hell-for- leather 2 minute roller-coaster ride based on a dancing fretless bass riff from Geddy Lee and Peart playing a four-piece kit. "The Main Monkey Business" is the album's tour- de-force a kitchen sink of a piece with echoes of "La Vila Strangiato" with some mellotron thrown in for good measure. The album is worth the price just for the three instrumentals but you get songs for your money too!

The album kicks off at break-neck speed with "Far Cry", the track with the almost legendary "Hemispheres" chord. This track reminds me of a modern rockier version of "Spirit Of Radio" and it is instantly noticeable that Alex Lifeson has decided to stamp his authority all over the album. Acoustic guitar can be heard on nearly every track. solos are back and we even get some magical blues playing as the album barely pauses for breath right through to the albums wonderful closer "We Hold On". Highlights are "Armor And Sword", the prog-tinged "Spindrift" and the bluesy "The Way The Wind Blows" though there's barely a track that dips below "very good". Fans of Peart's book "Travelling Music" will be delighted that "Workin' Them Angels" has made it onto an album and is done fitting justice.

The band as an ensemble is at top form but as I alluded earlier it is Alex Lifeson who takes the plaudits on this one. Always under-rated (or under-valued?) he turns in a superb performance filling each track with acoustic and electric guitar magic - he even finds time to throw in mandola, mandolin and bouzouki and really brings the best out of all the tracks lifting even the more mundane moments to a higher plateau.

So where does it fit into the Rush pantheon for this fan of over 30 years? I have to say that I was initially underwhelmed, but I should have remembered that quite often the best albums have to be given time to "breathe" and it isnt until after 5 or 6 plays that they start to show their true worth. I've played this over 20 times now and I can confidently declare that this is Rush's best album for over 25 years.

If complexity and virtuosity are the two defining attributes of Prog Rock then this is indeed a Prog Rock album.Regardless of those considerations this is a damn fine rock album. 4 stars as a rock album 3 1/2 for this Prog Rock site.

Early 1977 I had my first musical encounter with the amazing sound of this Canadian three piece formation. A friend told met that "he had bought a double live album entitled All The World's A Stage by the excellent Canadian hardrock band Rush with a killer guitarplayer". During the first listening session I was blown away by Rush, especially the 'heavy progressive' sound of 2112, what a dynamic and sensational music. Half a year later I noticed a review about the new Rush LP entitled A Farewell To Kings in the known Dutch music magazine Muziekkrant Oor (written by Kees Baars who later became a personal friend of Geddy Lee). I read about lush synthesizers, twanging acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus bass pedals, exciting distorted guitar soli and awesome interplay, this couldn't go wrong! And indeed, I became a Rush die-hard who visited as an 18 year old proghead the Pinkpop Festival in 1979 during the Hemispheres tour and from then I visited all Rush concerts in Holland, including the mindblowing R30 tour last year (earplugs needed!). But I have to admit that I stopped buying Rush albums since Presto because Rush failed to keep my attention and I was not pleased with their more song oriented and guitar-based melodic rock. But after reading so many positive stories about this new Rush CD, I was so eager to listen to the sound on Snakes & Arrow that I decided to buy a Rush CD for the first time since 1988! Here is my musical analysis.

The first thing I noticed during my first listening session was the connection between the cover art, the climates in the music and the lyrics: the 'snake' and 'arrow' are archetypes for the elements 'fear' and 'agression', the lion's share of the lyrics tell about an ominous and cruel world in which we feel unsafe and unhappy and the dark and melancholical atmospheres in the songs match with the archetypes on the cover art. And I think Rush has evaluted their musical direction after the many negative reactions about the poor previous CD Vapor Trails: in my opinion the three musicians has done their best to make powerful and varied compositions, I cannot trace one weak song on this CD although a few songs are no more or less than tastefully arranged melodic rock songs (featuring a pleasant integration of instruments like the Mellotron, Greek bouzouki and mandolin). But quite a lot tracks sound captivating and dynamic like the opener Far Cry (fluent and propulsive with fiery, distorted guitar, an adventurous rhythm-section and some 'Hemispheres echoes'), Armor And Sword (great tension between the acoustic and electric parts and a biting guitar solo in the compelling climax) and the instrumentals The Main Monkey Business (exciting and alternating with awesome interplay), Hope (warm acoustic guitar as a tribute to Jimmy Page) and the (too) short Malignant Narcissus (sensational and propulsive, it reminds me a bit of YYZ).

After a few listening sessions I have concluded that Rush revenged themselves after the disappointing album Vapor Trails and even the Rush fans who are not pleased with the 'new Rush' (since Counterparts) will enjoy at least half of this CD. But don't expect a Hemispheres Part Two or something like that! From an objective point of view this album deserves four stars, personally I go for 3,5 stars.

As always, a new Rush album is an event. Having been a fan for nearly twenty years, I have followed the band's career in an almost religious manner even though they gave up the prog epics long ago. Why ? Simply because of the 'what's next' factor. Ever since 'Permanent Waves' and 'Moving Pictures', though these albums marked a drastic change in the band's sound, they have always managed to update their sound to suit the current musical scene (at least what they liked about it) while still sounding like themselves. Their latest offering, 'Snakes & Arrows', is no exception.

Enter new producer and long-time fan of the band, Nick Razckulinek (given the guy's name, I hope you'll excuse me if it's not typed correctly!!!). This guy saw Rush for the first time when he was 11 years old, and somehow it shows. This may very well be the best sounding Rush album in a long, very long time, if not ever. He had a fan's point of view of how Rush should sound, and that's what he offered us. And to say that this acts as a relief after the musically exhilarating but atrociously sounding 'Vapor Trails' is an understatement.

Opener 'Far Cry' is probably the most 'Rush sounding' song on S&A. Great syncopated intro that ends with the 'Hemispheres' chord (cool!) and then mutates into a darker, straightforward rock riff with some weird chords thrown in. Nice verse, very catchy chorus, both musically and melodically.

'Armor and Sword' starts with a somewhat simple but efficient drum pattern and a few moments later the rest of the band kicks in. Quite a surprise to hear such a nice sounding acoustic guitar for the verse. Lyrically, the song deals with how the beliefs we inherit as children (armor) can become a weapon (sword). Great lyrics for a great song.

'Working Them Angels' is, lyrically, an idea taken from Neil's novel 'Traveling Music', in which he describes how he thinks he pushes his luck living on the edge (motorcycle touring, etc.). At first I didn't like the song very much, but Alex's beautiful guitars and that lovely infectious chorus redeemed it.

'The Larger Bowl' is, in my opinion, one of the weakest tracks here. Based around Neil's lyrics written in a pantoum (a clever alternance of repeating sentences in a different order to eventually return to the original order), the song reminds me of 'Anagram' and 'Hand Over Fist' from Presto, just a bit better. A forgettable song.

'Spindrift' is a treat. Dark patterns and interesting melodies and rythms. In the vein of 'Far Cry'.

'The Main Monkey Business' comes next, the album's first instrumental. And what an instrumental it is. As much as 'Leave that Thing Alone' was great, this is even better. Influences from Porcupine Tree and Tool can be heard here, yet this still sounds like Rush (a complete cycle, Rush having influenced both these bands). I CANNOT wait to hear and see this live.

'The Way the Wind Blows' has a few surprises. A very nice drum intro leaving place to a bluesy Alex Lifeson ! The verse sounds a bit like 'Driven' from Test for Echo, and then to a nice acoustice chorus. Love that song.

'Hope' is something we haven't been treated to in a while. A solo 12 string acoustic number courtesy of Lifeson, and a beautiful one at that. A bit reminiscent of Jimmy Page.

'Faithless' is an okay song, with a chorus that harkens back to 'Ghost of a Chance' from 'Roll The Bones', which I enjoy alot.

'Bravest Face', to me, is another so-so number that doesn't do very much for me.

'Good News First' is one I really love, with great guitar work and great vocal melodies. And hey, that's a mellotron ? Hope they will play this one live.

The albums last instrumental, 'Malignant Narcissism', despite being short, is a very intricate song. Neil recorde dit on a four-piece kit while Geddy used a fretless 'Jaco Pastorius' Fender Signature bass. Primus-esque, incredibly fun to listen to.

'We hold On' closes the album on a beautiful note.

Snakes and Arrows is an album on which Lifeson shines, from beginning to end. Wonderful acoustic guitars (in fact, no other Rush album has had that many acoustic guitars on it), a very rock approach, and still as textural as ever. Definitely his best album in a while. While S&A doesn't have as much energy as Vapor Trails had, the artistry of it makes it an album that is just as good (though VERY different). A very human, touching, beautiful album with a very few weak moments. Just keep in mind that Rush gave up the epics a long time ago, and expecting any here is a mistake. Rush moves forward, not backwards, and that is why they are still valid in this day and age.

A solid four stars.

Rush is my favorite band- and always will be- but I prefer to not write too many reviews on their albums- but for some reason- I feel compelled to write one about "Snakes and Arrows." This is not an easy CD to review- do I review this album- keeping in mind that albums such as Moving Pictures- or 2112 are for the most part "essential?" Do I stack their latest with these two (obviously more progressive) albums? If that was the case- then it would be low. Do I take the approach that the band has changed- their sound has evolved- etc, etc? I'll take this approach. This is a great rock album- the song writing is top notch- the choruses catchy, the lyrics (as always) thought provoking and stimulating. Yes, certain songs stand out, such as "Far Cry," "Armor and Sword," "The Way the Wind Blows," and the great instrumental; "The Main Monkey Business," but I feel each song belongs and adds something special to create a very nice package. The sound quality/production is top notch, and the album is very easy to listen to all the way through. Alex, Geddy, and Neil show they can still play, and have a passion for playing a music that can not be imitated by any other band. "Snakes and Arrows" is just another record for those 3 gentlemen to be proud of! Great going guys, once again, you further make me realize that you are my favorite band. 4 stars!

Snakes & Arrows is an album like no other from Rush. This is to be expected as one of the trademarks of this band has been its dedication to creating interesting, unique music. From the very beginning, it is clear Rush is back with a vengeance. Far Cry starts off the journey (and listening to a new Rush album is indeed just that) with an amazingly catchy chorus and culminates in one of the most frantic syncopated beats ever recorded. It also serves to allude to the main theme of the album which can arguably described as an overall disappointment with how human beings have butchered the meaning of religion by butchering each other. Never have Neil's lyrics sounded so beautiful and been sung with such intensity by Geddy. With all of this said, this is, in the end, probably Lifeson's album. His guitar playing is genius throughout. You will not be disappointed with this album and I am sure you wont be disappointed with the amazing tour coming our way this summer. Enjoy this one folks. It is a masterpiece.

Such a lot of pain on the earth.

When Neil Peart was a young adult, his thoughts were already profound, or at least, his intense sessions of reading made great poetry. Neil thought like a contemporary young man: the future, science fiction and the fading environnement. Now heading towards his late 50's,Neil talks about his vision of a changing world and he's still very personnal while talking about his lack of faith in religion and the scary world we live in....'some are blessed and some are cursed, the golden one or scarred from birth...such a lot of pain, such a lot of pain on the earth.'

When Geddy and Alex were young adults, they were heading towards pedal to the metal music. They were ratherly loud and/or aggressive and aiming for 'how complicated can I make this'. Now, well look at that the punch level, it's heading towards 'beautiful' and less towards 'complexity'. Artists are aging, their values are evolving and like to take it more slowly, appreciating life and family (the important stuff). Alex and Geddy are mixing blue and red again, reserving time to rock (far cry and malignant narcissisim), time to be complex (the main monkey buisness) and time to think (fatihless, larger bowl and hope).

Snakes and arrows is not a step backwards to Test For Echo or Presto but a step aside what we know from them. It's an album that demands time to let it grow into you, especially is you're addicted to the Farewell to Moving Pictures period.

There's a time for everything and with this record...it's for changing.

Just to add my 2 cents on Snakes & Arrows. It's again a great album by Rush, with great songs, and a coherent sound throughout. Geddy Lee's voice sound as great as it did in their heyday between 1978 and 1985, which in fact is the period they tried with good succes to emulate once again. Which also is the main pitfall for this album, with most songs I have the feeling I heard it before, chords ands sounds from those period are willfully coppied and added to the new songs, like the intro which is a clear reference to Hemisphere's or Malignant Narcissism sounds like an attempt at recreating YYZ. More references can be found by the dedicated listener. Luckily this possible bad element of the album is overshadowed by the quality of the songwriting and enthousiastic deliverence of Rush.

The sound is largely dominated by Alex's guitar, with a continuous infectuous bassline which proppels the music to great heights, of course Neil's drumming can't be faulted. Basically this is Rush as good as it gets. Favourite songs according to me are the opener Far Cry, Workin'Them Angels, the instrumental Main Monkey Bussiness, and the compelling YYZ reworking Malignant Narcissism.

I can't give it 5 stars, but it surely is an astounding return to form (not that Rush ever really lost form though). For Rush fans this is required to have in your collection, 4 stars and highly recommended.

Rush have long been one of my favourite bands and rarely produce a bad album.This umpteenth release is, if nothing else, a testament to their great staying power in a career spanning decades and involving most of the important changes in rock music.Punk,disco,grunge and new romantic have come and gone but Rush steadfastly remain putting out solid (if a little unambitious) music for fans that appreciate 'intelligent rock'. Lots of lyrics here about the world in general without pontificating or being too polictial in tone.Mucically though its all a bit rambling to my ears. No real focus or direction and falling dangerously close to 'aimless'. Perhaps Rush have finally run out of ideas. Many of these songs would not be out of place on 'Roll The Bones' and they've even repeated the dreadfull tinny drum sound of that aforementioned album.My overall verdict..not great ,not bad. There are many worse things out there but unless you are a concerted fan of this band I would avoid it.

Not too bad, but not too good: Snakes & A0rrows is an almbum in the norm - but shouldn' everybody elevate from the norm? ;-)

Unlike recent masterpieces like Vapor Trails or Roll The Bones, Snakes and Arrows lacks in inventiveness. There are however good pieces of music, especially the instrumental ones. Far Cry is also a jolly good song. But I can hear lots of little pieces of old material "recycled" into some of the new songs. I would have expected something better form a band like Rush.

A return to their former glory days, Snakes & Arrows, shows Rush remainig steadfast to the formula that has provided them with gold and platinum awards, selling out venues everytime they hit the road.

The album continues the band's hard rock tendencies with little effort to comply with the desire of some who are waiting for another landmark shift such as Moving Picture, Permanent Waves and 2112. But it also manages to harken back to the band's prog-rock roots while addressing contemporary issues and laying down some zesty riffs.

Rush has crafted a historical and emotional odyssey that shows many both where they've been and where they're going, from the baroque soundscapes of The Main Monkey Business, reminiscent of their earliest work, to the seductive almost folkloric urgency of The Way the Wind Blows.

I'll give this album 5 stars, and call it a real masterpice of 2007.

After spending a few weeks digesting this album and giving ample time to mull things over, I think I am ready to give my take on this album.

This album is a great comeback for Rush as this is a strong release for Rush when compared to some albums in the past (Hold Your Fire, Presto, Test For Echo, Roll the Bones - they aren't bad but they're not really up to scratch in my book). It is a return to form for Rush.

It is a reaffirmation of what Rush is: a band that continues in any direction they want without compromising the music. The lyrics are strong and contain an interesting perspective on the state of humanity in this day and age, reflecting on the affect of religion in this world (The Way The Wind Blows, Armor and Sword) and the state of the world today (Far Cry, The Larger Bowl, Bravest Face). The songs are all great compositions. Rush shows how good they are at their instruments with 3 instrumentals on this album, one by "Lerxst Lifeson, all by his own self" (quoting from CD booklet). Most of the songs are strong ones, while some are enough to fulfil this Rush fan's appetite. A return to roots is present in the compositions, with the Hemispheres chord in Far Cry and the great instrumental bass playing in Malignant Narcissism. The band shows how well they perform together and consequently there are not too many solos.not something I am complaining about, I like it when a band shows how well they can play together instead of showing off their musical prowess.

But as with any Rush album I find myself listening to, I feel some things could have been improved. A couple of the songs are weaker than I expected (yes I expected a couple of weak tracks on this album.after all it has been five years since Rush released an album). A lot of the songs are good but not memorable, no matter how many listens I give the song and no matter how much I like the song in question. It just doesn't seem to stick in my mind and I have to play the disc again because I feel I missed a song. This is something I do not like doing all too often. I would rather enjoy the music for the day and not have to listen to it again but be able to recall good parts from favourite songs off this album - but I find a hard time doing this. Some of the endings of the songs are weak and could have had a more fulfilling end.

But the positive aspects of the album more than make up for the negative parts. There is a good mixture of acoustic and electrics guitar, making the album sound well-rounded. Geddy's voice is good most of the time some of the songs just don't fit his voice too well such as Working Them Angels. The chorus is sung well but the verse irritates me a lot. Neil seems to be lacking in fills but his solid playing is always present - you just have to listen more closely for it this time.

Overall the album is a good Rush release, one that is pleasing to listen to. Some of the songs on this album are strong ones, such as Hope, The Main Monkey Business, Armor and Sword, and Far Cry. Many are adequate and fulfilling but could be better. Only two songs I find are lacking, Good News First and We Hold On are weak songs that should have had more work on.and are probably placed near the end of the record for a reason (I feel a stronger song should have ended the album). The production is superb, Nick did a great job. This, like most Rush releases, is a good release but I wouldn't recommend to everyone. Rush fans are certainly going to enjoy this as long as they don't expect another masterpiece like Hemispheres. 3.5/5 stars. Good but not essential.except for Rush fans.

I've been a dedicated Rush fan since "Fly by Night" and have watched all the phases of their evolution in the 30 years since. Some phases were better than others but I've enjoyed them all. This is the darkest and most brooding and dangerous sound they've had! Like watching a desert monsoon rolling in, it is scary and exhilarating at the same time and it gave me chills! (a favorite Rush reaction I've not had in years.) Then just in time, a single ray of sunshine comes shining through the storm clouds with Lifeson's beautiful Bouzouki solo "Hope". Though I long for Alex's guitar Pyrotechnic insanity of his earlier work, I'm finally understanding where he's going with the layered soundscapes he's been creating in recent projects. And such beautiful and mind shearing insanity it is on cuts like We hold on and Malignant Narcisssism. Sit down, turn it up LOUD and give this one a dedicated listen.I don't care what Rush phase is your favorite, this is one BADASS album!

What do you do when it seems the majority of people were dissatisfied with your last album? You make the next album better. Rush seem to be pretty good at, with the most famous case being the poorly-recieved "Caress of Steel" 1975, and then 7 months later they pop by the label office and say "Oh yeah, just to let you guys know, we're awesome" and drop off "2112" in the process. While I feel the basic principle is the same in these latter days, it's execution was...not in possession of that prior youthful vigor. Taking about 3 DVDs, 2 greatest hits, 1 live album, 1 EP, an anniversiary tour and about 5 years -and a bunch of travel guides from Neil Peart- their next album was finally released, but it was worth the wait. Anyway, this album has what I love- cohesiveness. You'll be hard pressed to find me only listening to a few songs off of this album because it flows so well, I just end up leaving it on until the end. Even 5 years older, Rush STILL rocks harder than bands a quarter of their age. The production is crisp and vibrant. That producer dude they keep talking about really did a great job. "Snakes & Arrows" features a lot more acoustic instruments (in every song), which I find particularly enjoyable. Like usual, the band's performance is top-notch, probably having just recuperated from Feedback. Also, they bring out some old friends, like those Taurus pedals and a mellotron. A freaking mellotron. Sweet. You'll have to listen carefullly to actually find them, but when you do, you'll realize how nicely they complement the music without being too easily noticeable. Alex Lifeson also brings out a mandolin, mandola and bouzouki. Neil Peart's lyrics are great, rather pointed and direct about his feelings and views (what else is new?) on religion and stuff.

One bit that has most Rush fans drooling are the presence of three (!) instrumentals. Perhaps they learned their history lesson and are now three times more likely to win a grammy. The Main Monkey Business is pretty much amazing- something only Rush could pull off live. This one will surely be right up there with YYZ and La Villa Strangiato as awesome Rush instrumentals. The second one is Hope, an Alex Lifeson penned acoustic piece that's nice and pretty. Malignant Narcissism is probably one of the most fun Rush songs where Geddy and Neil just rock about and Alex fills the gaps with with guitar. It's energetic and has a sweet bass line- I hope they play this one live.

So in case you haven't already figured it out, this a great Rush album. It may take a little getting used to, but that's where the biggest reward comes from. Even though it took a while to release the follow-up to "Vapor Trails", Rush still has it in them.

Standout songs: "Armor And Sword," "The Main Monkey Business," "We Hold On

Well it has been over a month since Snakes and Arrows was released, and as a believer that music (or any art really) requires a certain amount of time to sink and register before a fair evaluation can be made, I now feel confident in my familiarity with the album's nuances -- both musically and lyrically -- and how they add up as a cohesive whole. Hasty judgments can often lead to inaccurate reviews, but after a month and many listens, I now feel safe to review the album. One word comes to mind with every listen of Snakes and Arrows: sublime. Rush has definitely evolved indeed; no, they are not writing ten to twenty minute epics any more, song length is afterall merely an arbitrary formalism. Rather it is the quality of Rush's music that has changed. This is not to say that they have abandoned virtuosity altogether, they just approach their music with more restraint and patience, attitudes gained with age and wisdom. With this album, both in terms of music and lyrics, the band has reached a new level of maturity, a certain depth that Neil Peart described as "spiritual" upon his first listening of Alex and Geddy's demos; spiritual in the most secular sense of course. A fellow reviewer on this site described the album as having a Western (American southwest) atmosphere, and I definitely hear this myself.

There is a great depth of sound in these songs, evocative of the vast echoing landscapes of the West. Syme's artwork in the liner notes booklet echoes this sense of open space with his sublime interpretation of the desert night sky set to the lyrics of 'Faithless' and also his depiction of the tall scraggly pines clinging perilously to the "bare wind-blasted shore" in his artwork for 'The Way the Wind Blows'. A common theme here is the experience of the sublime, that feeling of vulnerability in the face of sweeping, overwhelming landscapes, a complexity of simultaneous fear and awe (again, I refer specifically to a secular sense of the sublime, not the religious sublime which sees fear and awe in the presence of God). Peart's lyrics deal with the oppressive landscapes and equally oppressive religious ideologies that pervade the current world scene; in this sense there is definitely a sense of fear, but the album also finds a sense of awe, not necessarily in the ideologies themselves, but in humanity's stubborn will to move on despite what often seems to be a futile and doomed effort. I think this feeling is best exemplified (ironically) in the song 'Faithless' (one of Rush's most inspired songs of their career). 'Faithless' is an up-tempo song and generally awe-inspiring despite the negativity implied by the song's title, the reason being in Peart's lyrics which detail the author's resolve to "quietly resist" the "preaching voices" of the modern day evangelical resurgence. 'Faithless', with its sweeping, epic chorus is truly sublime -- the vast landscape of music and atmosphere created by Ben Mink's haunting cello, Lifeson's acoustic and electric textural flourishes, Lee's subtle use of the Mellotron and Neil's sweeping yet relaxed groove, all contribute to a sense of musical grandeur; a sublime soundscape. The sound team is to be credited no less, to create that sublime sense of open space effectively, to allow all the instruments to be heard fully and still allow for a sense of depth without distorting the mix is no small feat (Vapor Trails unfortunately failed in this respect, oftentimes creating a dense, flat wall of sound). Also, Lifeson's solo on Faithless ranks as one of the best of his career, it's great to hear him play like this again, with his unique combination of beautiful tone bending and quick bursts of picking.

I could go on and on about the beautiful moments on the album, but I will refrain from overindulging (if I have not already done so!) Briefly, other highlights are the songs 'Armor and Sword', 'Spindrft', 'The Way the Wind Blows', 'Bravest Face', 'Hope' ... it's all good really. This album is teeming with moments of sublimity, whether in a solo, a chorus, a pre-chorus or a verse, they shine throughout, perhaps characterizing a new Rush sound for a more mature and wise band.

"Snakes and Arrows" sees Rush doing everything that made me fall in love with them when I was 17 years old: playing absolutely outstanding rock music with artistic flair, boundless energy, technical flourish, and lyrics which gave voice to a jaded teenager's free-thinking fight against conformity (now a thinking-man's fight against the delusional majority). "Snakes and Arrows" is, hands-down, one of Rush's best albums of all time, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with classics and-- I hope-- setting the standard for things to come.

Not to belabor my obvious adoration for the band, I will sum up to say that this album features some of Neil's best lyrics ever (especially for their direct statements, which need to be said), as well as the group's cumulative song-writing. However, "Snakes and Arrows" is dominated by Geddy, whose vocals and bass playing outperform expectations. There is not a single song which tarnishes the album's stellar play, from start to finish. Dazzling.

Songwriting: 5 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 5 Style/Emotion/Replay: 5

With Vapor Trails Rush proved that they weren't going soft in the new millennium. However, it would take the crisp production of Snakes & Arrows to show just how good they still are. Sure, by this point Rush have long drifted away from the 10 minute epics. Deal with it. Those days are gone, and they have been since Moving Pictures. Instead, you get an album that crams all of the prowess and songwriting ability into easy to digest songs. Geddy's voice has aged rather well in my opinion and the shrieks that sometimes grated have matured to let Geddy have a nice range but without the tight-pants screams of yesteryear. His bass playing has also evolved into a great groove machine. He displays as much talent as he ever did, but he does it with less notes. Alex shines despite not swamping the songs with solos; he shows off his kill without showing off. He also uses much more acoustic guitars this time, yet he never loses the rock feel. Neil as always blends technicality with groove. Lyrically, this is one of the band's best albums. The only album of theirs I consider better is Vapor Trails, and maybe Permanent Waves.

The album kicks off with "Far Cry," a great look into how the world and society have failed to live up to everyone's expectations. Alex proves he's still the riff-master of prog rock, and Geddy's bassline is great. "Armor and Sword" warns against using beliefs as weapons. "Working Them Angels" reflects Neil's fear of testing his luck with his constant motorcycle riding. "The Larger Bowl" is my least favorite song, with Peart using some weird lyrical idea (Melomaniac says it's pantoum). Still, this song grew on me after hearing it live. Plus, Alex has a great solo on it. "Spindrift" has an almost Metallica-like opening that culminates into some truly dark sounds and vocals. Songs like this one are why Rush are often labelled metal. "The Main Monkey Business" is the first of three instrumentals, and it is by far the best on this disc. It has Porcupine Tree and Tool influences, but you can tell that it is a Rush song. The band plays off each other so well it can make fusion groups green with envy. Everyone gets to display his talent, but no one person dominates the sound. It manages to be technically dazzling yet seem so simple because it never loses it's beat. Rush can do in 6 minutes what so many prog metal bands cannot in 20. Utterly sublime. "The Way the Wind Blows" follows with bleak lyrics that provide a stark contrast to the upbeat material found on their last album. "Hope" is the next instrumental, and it's a lovely solo from Alex and his 12 string acoustic. It's short, but it's a great piece. Live, this came after Neil's drum solo and served to bring the crowd back to Earth. "Faithless" has some more dark lyrics about Neil's disillusionment with organized religion. "Bravest Face" has some of the best lyrics of the album, which is saying something. Musically, however, it's mediocre. "Good News First" deals with the sad state of the media. The final instrumental, "Malignant Narcissism," is a fun piece that has a funky bass part anchored by guitar fills and a groovy performance from Peart. The album ends with "We Hold On," a terrific closer that counterpoints the bleakness of the album with a positive message that would not have sounded out of place on Vapor Trails.

This album puts Rush on top of the 70s prog bands still plugging away. Whereas so many of their contemporaries have either disbanded or have stayed only to release poor material, Rush prove that a trio of middle-aged Canadians can rock harder than any snot-nosed punk who plays MTV-approved crap. The choruses here are reminiscent of the bombastic choruses of classics like Freewill. People often criticize how Lifeson had no input in the modern era of Rush, that he had no solos. While he solos less than he did in the 70s,he's never truly faded into the background, and this album should quiet quite a number of complainers. Lee's multi-layered vocals have never sounded better, and the band as a whole bring restraint to their instruments.

The beautiful thing about Rush's music is how they can change moods, tempos, styles, and every other proggy change on a dime, yet you can never tell until they've already done it. In other words, they move seamlessly within their songs, always changing but never losing the groove and feel. That is why every band in the sub-genre they all but single-handedly inspired (prog metal) can never hope to match their influence. Even the godly Dream Theater cannot match these guys. Snakes & Arrows may not seem so progressive upon the first listen, but that's because it's so genius it's takes a few spins to understand the true complexity behind their simplistic sound. Ultimately, it isn't quite a masterpiece, but I think it will go down as a solid four star Rush classic alongisde Signals, Permanent Waves and A Farewell to Kings.

Grade: B+

Phew! Having listened to this album more than ten times already, it's about time to express my view about it. First off, thanks God, these gentlemen from Rush finally released an album of their own after an appreciation (to legends) album called "Feedback" (2004). It proves that this legendary band is still being productive with their music creation and we all should be proud of this achievement. They still demonstrate their virtuosity in their respective fields and no doubt about it at all.

Let me ask you simple question: how do you actually appreciate music in general and prog rock in specific? Do you appreciate the music or the lyrics or combination of both? If you appreciate more on the music first, how do you actually weigh the lyrics against your overall appreciation which is typically represented by a rating (one to five stars)? If you appreciate more on lyrics, how do you weigh the music against your overall rating? Tough question, isn't it? Well, that's also the case with me - honestly.

Let me tell you how I actually rate a music (note: because I'm more into prog music, I wanna limit this on prog only). First, I try to comprehend the music composition as a whole. I always start from opening track until it finishes its entirely in a particular album. I'm much more inclined to appreciate at album level and not interested to review at song level. The test meter for doing this is "how coherent" the album from track to track. Is there any discontinuity of style and themes as the music moves along? Spock's Beard latest album (2006) is a good example where I say that the album is not quite coherent. There are tracks that discontinue and disrupt the overall theme of the album - in my humblest opinion. Second, I would scrutinize at track by track level to give an individual rating for each track. Track by track rating results add up into overall album rating. I have been very little to give enough attention to lyrics even though in some cases I do like to see from this perspective as well.

Why giving you a long background to review this new album by Rush? Well guys . I got problem here that you might be able to help. I got the CD on a loan basis from a friend of mine, Zulfikar, a die hard fan of the band. Countless have I spun the CD at my player and, in fact, have ripped it into my iPod. I think it's more than 10 spins (on CD) plus some others in my iPod, and this is my experience:

First off, the music is really excellent and the composition is quite tight from one track to another. I'm proud with Rush who still can compose good music. Is the album coherent? I would definitely say: YES! From the opening track until the end the album sounds to carry a coherent message which I can feel it without having to understand the lyrics. Once I answer this, I still have something back in my mind which says "Hmm . it seems like something missing in this album even though each track is good to excellent ones".

Then I move it to the next cycle: scrutinize on track by track basis. I do enjoy doing so and I find there is no bad track at all I think. Some tracks are excellent like "Far Cry" and also all instrumental tracks are excellent. But again, I still find something is missing in this album. Then my colleague Zulfikar gave his thoughts that the lyrics are so powerful - so I did read the sleeve and digested the meanings. Yes, I do agree with him, the lyrics are so powerful. But for me, it does not help improving my appreciation towards this album. I would say that overall this album does not provide a good combination of ups and downs in the composition so that overall it sounds and it feels so flat. It boils down to the feel that this album does not quite stir my emotion.

Overall, this album is good but there is nothing that truly catchy from the music it produces. In Indonesian language, we have a good expression that I cannot translate (sorry!) to English: "gak ada greget nya". It can mean :"there is something missing" (but it's not as powerful sentence as the original Indonesian version). For me personally, this album sounds like a combination of the band's "Signals" and "Power Windows" albums. I leave it up to you to make final call whether or not to purchase the CD. Anyway . Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Thirty-three years ago I heard my first RUSH song, Working Man. I instantly became enthralled with their sound. To say that I have been an avid listener since then would be a gross understatement. I have digested the large majority of their body of work listening to it over and over. Their early work, Rush through Hemispheres remain my all time favorite albums recorded by anyone, and I love all kinds of music. RUSH has produced some very good music since these albums but not a collective work that equaled the quality and excitement of these earlier albums. Not until Snakes and Arrows.

I had not eagerly rushed out to the music store for the last 4 or 5 albums, rather would get them when I happened to be at the mall. Mainly out of a sense of nostalgia my wife and I went to see RUSH in Virginia Beach in June. All I can say is WOW! They played 9 songs from Snakes and Arrows and I could not wait to get to the music store the next morning! Since then I have listened to the CD 12 - 15 times. Let me simply say, if you love "old" Rush you have to listen to this album! Really listen! It is awesome!

It is difficult for me to say which songs I like best, I believe all of them are good in some ways but the standouts are Far Cry with it's hard RUSH rhythm, strong bass line, excellent percussion and catchy melody, not to mention the "Hemispheres" cord. Armor & Sword tells a great story and offers, A Farewell to Kings feel instrumentally and vocally. It has a real edge that the majority of their recent music has lacked. Unlike several other critics I have read here, I really liked Workin' Them Angels. I loved its' rhythm changes and the acoustical to electric phases. Classic RUSH! The Main Monkey Business is a 6 minute instrumental that offers a wide range of sounds and rhythms changes that define RUSH. The Way the Wind Blows starts with a surprising blues rift that transforms into a classic rock rift then into a 12 string acoustical chorus. It also offers a strongly melodic vocal line. Then back to the blues rift... What a rush! Hope is a short acoustical instrumental that shows Alex's true versatility. Again this is not to take away from any other song; I believe they are all good. They all deserve a good listen.

Overall I believe this is the best complete work by RUSH in 20 + years and I would give it 4 ½ (out of 5) stars.

After two months of listening to the CD and attending three concerts in the tour supporting it, I have to rate Snakes and Arrows very highly. Sorry for being so slow! There are not many average songs on the CD (The Larger Bowl being the one that immediately comes to mind). Far Cry is an outstanding opening track, featuring excellent guitar work that oscillates between "tricky" during the bridges and verses, and straightforward and smashing during the intro and main riffs. Geddy plays bass with a vengeance on this album. It is much more noticeable here than on Vapor Trails, perhaps because the production is much better. On that note, this is one of the cleanest and best sounding albums I've heard from any band in a long time. Five stars to the producer, Nick R. Peart has a more straightforward role in this album, while Alex and Geddy provide the awe and flash. The drums sound great, but most of the complication in the drums comes from the elegant use of hats and cymbals, with occasional great snare-kick interactions as in Faithless and The Way the Wind Blows.

The album moves around quite a bit even within its songs: Far Cry being explosive, Armor and Sword alternating between heaviness in the verses and melody in the chorus, Spindrift being grinding and menacing, Workin' Them Angels being retro-powerful, The Way the Wind Blows alternating between blues, rock, and 60's acoustics, the two three-piece instrumentals being very dynamic and energetic, and Bravest Face and Good News First being straightforward rockers. The Main Monkey Business is a fantastic instrumental that displays their musical flexibility. As an added bonus, Rush plays many songs from Snakes and Arrows live on the tour, and they all translate superbly. The biggest criticism I have is that of the vocal layerings on many of the songs. It would be nice for them to return to a single vocal or two-part harmony sound and leave out the layering. It is sometimes distracting and annoying.

Lyrically, the album is very strong. The anti-religion tone carries throughout most of the album, and is most welcomed. Just call these guys the "Dawkins of Rock". Although at first pass the lyrics may be perceived as moody, dark, and hopeless, most of the songs feature themes of resistance, eventual hope, and resilience in an uncaring reality and a world threatened by mindless and arrogant religion and power-mad fanatics. Faithless and The Way the Wind Blows are the best lyrical efforts on a very strong album. I think it's good, timely stuff. Although I think Rush has passed the mantle of being a through-and-through progressive rock band to the likes of Tool, I like the mix of dynamic sounds and the occasional time change and odd time signature with more straightforward songs where the progressive nature is all in the arrangement. There is no need for Rush to continue to put out 2112 and Hemispheres over and over again. Their willingness and eagerness to explore all aspects of rock music is welcomed (the notable exception being their foray into "rap" with Roll the Bones... ugh!). Snakes and Arrows isn't an exercise in prog-rock mastery, but it is an excellent musical and lyrical effort that provides a nice undercurrent of Rush's prog-rock roots and expertise.

My memories of this album are bleak, Rush sticked to 1 defined sound throughout the album. Their premire song was "Far Cry" and in my opinion is the best song of the album even though it wasn't that great...On this album they really made nothing special as I've listened to other Rush albums that blow this one away. Check out 2112 or some other famous album if your new to Rush. I give this album 3 stars because what they've made here on Snakes&Arrows is overshadowed by things they've made in the past, even though this album isn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't special...

3.5 stars, actually

I would say this is easily the best Rush album since Counter Parts. This album absolutely deserves to be heard from what has come out this year.The music is very accessible to just about anyone, even if the lyrics arent. Neil's percussion is astounding and actually quite fresh, seems he's got some new inpiration, very south african. Geddy's Bass playing has honestly not been this good in a decade. In fact what really makes Snakes and Arrows great is the consistency, just like Counterparts, that hold this together as a whole.

This really is about the sum of its parts, which come together with great production and musicality. Unfortunately the lyrics are not for everyone, especially for me, and the some of the songs themselves aren't that great. It's not the best of 2007, but it's up there.

From the dramatic opening of "Far Cry" one hastily forgets the wave of mediocrity from Test For Echo to Vapor Trails. Indeed, it tempts one to think that Rush have returned to their early 80s level of composition. If the rest of the album continued with songs like "Far Cry" this would be true, but unfortunately it does not. While Snakes & Arrows shows a great new energy present within the band's playing, much like Signals after Moving Pictures, and easily the best album since at least Counterparts, I cannot with good faith say Rush are back. Is this album great to listen to? Yes, but to say it can truly compete as one of Rush's finest I think would be blowing it out of proportion. The most important thing about this album is that it reverses Rush's ongoing trend of sinking into obscurity. Snakes & Arrows signifies a turning point and gives me great hopes for the next album which may return Rush to their level of composition.

Snakes & Arrows sounds less like Rush than anything they've done before, save Vapor Trails (which sounds that way only due to atrocious production). Snakes & Arrows shows Rush taking on a heavy rock sound, a very sophisticated one at that. Without being ostentatious they deliver some technical (and incredibly solid) playing. The songs are layered and improve from the departure from the nearly sole guitar/bass/drum trio of the past few albums. Most of the songs were written using acoustic guitar, and those origins are apparent in the tracks. Never before has Alex's acoustic work been so prominent. Despite the large acoustic presence, heavy still best describes the album. Alex, Geddy, and Neal all give their best performances in years. Neil's playing has taken quite a turn, being every bit as entertaining and surprising as ever, but more rock rooted and with less flair than before. Alex's solo work is not yet quite up to par, but rhythmically (his real strength) he's about as good as ever.

The three announced instrumental tracks gave the most promise for the new album. "Main Monkey Business" certainly doesn't disappoint, it's on the level of "Far Cry" and one of the best songs Rush has ever recorded. "Malignant Narcissism" offers so much potential and sounds the most like a classic Rush instrumental, but they don't develop their themes sufficiently. The song still entertains, but could have been so much more. "Hope" is a short acoustic number, nothing amazing but nothing objectionable.

Despite some great compositions though (besides those mentioned "Spindrift" "Armor and Sword" and "We Hold On" are also fantastic) the album still manages to wander around with some pretty straightforward, nothing special about them songs that lose me. Songs like "The Larger Bowl" and "Faithless" remind me too much of the dull mediocrity of Test For Echo. If they weren't so determined to use up the entire CD this would be of such higher quality. If released as an LP length album I could say this stands up to excellent albums like "Power Windows", "A Farewell To Kings" or "Caress Of Steel", but as it is it falls short of them. Still, everyone should probably pick this album up, even those who are only mild Rush fans. Songs like "Far Cry", "Spindrift" and "Main Monkey Business" rank among the band's all time best. This album certainly is good despite its flaws, and points towards a bright future.

An excellently produced, arranged, and overly diverse album such as this cannot leave the listener unsatisfied. Unless you are expected an epic, grand, goose-bumps delivery, tear-jerking progressive rock experience, then you cannot truly detest this album. Ranging from aggressive metallic sections, to serene folk segments, with consistently beautiful and intelligent lyrics, perfectly placed effects, and a crystal-clear sound quality, how could one possibly detest this album? With the lacking of the flamboyant, grand scale that other Rush releases have offered, and the sometimes over-the-top playing, I don't think it would be fairly categorized as a masterpiece, as well.

From the sharp blues pieces, to the complex prog-pop compositions, with the off-the-wall musicianship of each individually infamous musician, the album fulfills the Rush quota. Intense instrumentals contrast the serene acoustic parts, for an even balance. Geddy's vocals, the disease that haunted many non-Rush fans for decades, have been toned down from their sometimes-irritating screeching status. Again, nothing at all has suffered over the years, from the musical virtuoso's skill to the proudly-naive and creatively original lyrics of Peart. In fact, one could argue that most attributes of the bands' have improved significantly. Production has certainly done so: but if their skill has in fact improved, it does not show in the writing. Following in the typical vein now known as pop-prog, this album is filled with tracks spanning no longer than six minutes, and do not feature any unfathomably unique features, or any unexpected complex compositions.

However, it does shape up to be a very nice album, filled with semi-frequent prog elements. It will not imprint its sound on the listener, as many of the songs are uninteresting, and parallel much banal standard contemporary rock. Some simple guitar sections mock Lifeson's outstanding skill as a guitarist, and Peart resists his drumming urges, and very rarely unleashes the hounds. Bass is simple, yes, by Lee's standards, but when standing next to much of today's music, bass is not exactly an instrument that requires outstanding playing to complete its task and purpose in the band. However, the often (but not consistent) lackluster playing does not make the album at all boring. It does make it feel a tad classier, and maybe less wild. Don't forget, these fellows ain't youngsters anymore! For the Rush fan in you, you'll be wanting this album. Don't be expecting an album full of mini-epics, though, and do not overlook the very beautiful sections that sit between the more typical segments.

3.5 stars really!!

The decidedly tireless trio is now back after a three years silence, interrupted only with the cover album Feedback, Rush comes back with their stronger albums over the last two decades (at least, but I'm not that familiar with some of their albums) and it came at a point when the band seemed more content on living on their own heritage and legend (DVD's, live albums, world tours etc..), but this fear is now history! Fear and angst is exactly what this album is about: Peart's lyrics seem to make a constant theme over the whole album (wouldn't call this a concept album, though) and Lifeson is the unsung hero and loads the album with acoustic guitars. With a related artwork depicting a gloomy world full of dangers and destructions, until the prophetic and hope- filled end of We Hold On (where you see the skies of the futures clearing away), it only serves the themes

Starting on the very strong Far Cry (almost bringing us back to Waves) and its failed expectations message is one of the album's highlights. The next Armour And Sword follows suit and delivers a message of fanatism used as weapons, but we are more in the Signals realm, musically speaking. While Angels and its follow-up Larger Bowl are both acoustically-driven, they are uneven and present a shallower depth on the album's overall tenure, the later being an obvious reef in the album's smooth sailing. The album experiences a second wind with the very good but dark Spindrift, which is of the opening Far Cry's stature. But the main bravado piece is the excellent Main Monkey Business instrumental bringing us to MP's YYZ track, but fails to better its model.

Unfortunately after the bluesy and overlong Wind Blows (still catchy, though) and the short acoustic guitar instrumental Hope, S&A seems to drift a little too easily in a less-inspired vein, with three below-par tracks (for S&A, but they would be highlights on many other albums of theirs): Faithless is a tired reflection on religions and the tired music fits it quite well, while Bravest Face is the low point on the album (just saved by its chorus), and Good News First is anything but that, really!! By this time, the listener is K-O from the sheer mass of noise and even if Malignant Narcissism is a fiery instrumental, again in the YYZ vein, it comes simply after the overdose set in! The closing We Hold On is another track that could've sat on Pictures or Signals, but it is too late, this listener has hung up!

I can fully agree with my buddy Tony Riviere that this album is certainly Rush's best in the last 25 years and even up to Moving Pictures, but it is a far cry from that landmark as well! I certainly wouldn't call this essential, unless you feel like owning one album per decade from a classic band. Had this album an epic track on it, it could've even bettered some of their early works. Had this album had three songs less (from 10-12), it might have been less watered down!! But let's not nitpick, there are some really good moments on this album that can occasionally bring you back to the trio's heyday glories, but this is far from often, though! A good album that shows Rush still has some spunk left.

Very good album! MVI 5.1 surround mix is defenitely worth having, even if you don´t have surround system. 5.1 sound gives much more dynamic & details than normal cd -version. I have only two speakers, so I cannot tell you about surround, but I really enjoy to hear for example Neil´s deep drum sounds very clearly and separatedly (also Geddy´s vocals more closer, Alex´s acoustic instruments sounds more authentic and so on). Even with two speakers this 5.1 surround mix sounds very balanced. Normal Hi-resolution audio is also very well done, but somehow I prefer 5.1. that gives a bit more dynamics. DVD is mosty interview, but there are also some clips from studio playing sessions. I expected more better picture quality, because this MVI was quite expensive (and because it´s called MVI). Anyway it´s nice to see them together and to hear their exited feelings of making new record. Music defenitely deserves at least 4 stars. I think this is much better than for example Counterparts, because "Snakes" sounds more freely played. And there´s somethin interesting is going on all the time (many levels). Hopefully next time they go to studio, every track is recorded live, just like Main Monkey Business was made.

Well after the disappointing "Vapor Trails", especially talking about its bad mixing, being too much loud (above all the distorted guitar by Lifeson), the authors of a couple of masterpieces within a couple of years (1977-1978) - such as "A Farewell to Kings" and "Hemisphere" - return with the present "S.& A.", after 5 years. It's a good album, not particularly inspired if you regard of the composition, except on the intelligent insert of a few strange instruments like a mandolin for instance, the Greek bouzouki and the Mellotrons (giving their album a 70's sound...) or considering also their effort to make the tunes more varied in comparison to their previous album.

Therefore their short citation concerning "YYZ" from Moving Pictures inside "The Main Monkey Business" (this latter not properly equal, especially if you think of another exceptional instrumental number entitled "La Villa Strangiato"- from "Hemisphere" for example) or their attempt to make a surprising dejavous in "A Far Cry", with its typical chord like within the above mentioned "Hemisphere", let me think of an old band which tries to comeback to the origin, even though failing sometimes...nevertheles you can find some interesting breaks-through inside, often reminding me of "Counteparts"; and moreover their technical skill as well as the odd time signatures (like in their instrumental) let me stay and listen carefully to it!! Their attempt to make a renewal is quite intelligent, as They maintain the sound and in a certain sense the old 70's- 80's structures of the old songs as well, (just a little bit at least, as a stereotype...).

At the end their new strategy consists of two goals, in my opinion naturally:

1) Increasing their popularity

2) Let the old fans captured by a few citations of their glorious past in order to bring them into the arenas!!

Then consider their remarkable lyrics or once again the metaphor used by means of the snake and an arrow, symbolizing the fear an the violence (or the tremendous aggression if you prefer), which is well transmitted by their music.

All these features, along with a good tune like "Armor And Sword or the opener mentioned above, make the present album an interesting work, even though not a must-have probably...make your own choice!!

Rush might not be an extremely innovative and ambitious band anymore as they were in late 70's, but surely they still know how to write excellent, memorable songs. That's "Snakes & Arrows": a collection of good songs. No epics, no long, progressive instrumental sections, but loads of beautiful melodies and good taste instead. Outstanding tracks include "Far Cry", "Armor and Sword" and the instrumental "The Main Monkey Business", but actually every song is worth listening thanks to the brilliant vocal lines and (obviously) fine musicianship. The production is crystal clear and gives the right space to every instrument. Overall, "Snakes & Arrows" is a very nice album, perhaps not really progressive, yet classy and elegant. These guys' talent doesn't seem to fade throughout the years.

Guess who I met ? First of all I thought tonight was as good a time as any to review RUSH's latest album as they are playing in front of their home town fans in Toronto this evening. It's after midnight now so everyone has left the building except for the roadies i'm sure. I saw them in Toronto on the "Vapor Trails" tour and actually was approached by a friend in my store this morning saying he had an extra ticket if I wanted to go tonight. Not enough notice, plus I would have to close up the store. Crap ! Anyway who did I meet ? Last week an older man came into the store and asked if I could fix his central vac, so I said sure and brought it in from his van and asked for his name, he says "Glen Peart". I said "There's a famous drummer with the same last name as yours". He said "That's my son Neil". I just about fell over. I felt like I was beaming, I couldn't believe it. I told him I was a huge fan. He told me that they're from St.Catherines but he has had a trailer up here for years. When he retired he bought a house up here. He also told me he has some gold records on the wall and other momentos that Neil has given him. Anyway I phoned him three days later to tell him his vacuum was ready, I made sure I had my "Moving Pictures" t-shirt on that day. When he came in I pointed proudly with both hands to my shirt and he laughed. He said "I have something for you", and handed me a white plastic bag. I pulled a new black "Snakes & Arrows" t-shirt. Nice. My older daughter put it in perspective for me when I got home by saying "Neil Peart's dad just gave you a RUSH shirt, how cool is that !" Well we talked for almost a half hour about Neil. Glen was so willing to talk too. You could tell he's so proud and loves to tell the stories. And talk about a supportive father. He told me Neil wanted a drum set so bad when he was young and he would be constantly banging on the furniture or whatever he could until finally they got him a set of drums and put them in the garage. Well the neighbors complained and the police came until Glen heard about a guy who wanted to rent out his barn. So that's where Neil's drums went. They also got him a drum teacher at some point. Anyway Glen owned a farm equipment business and he had Neil working in the parts department. Neil decided at 18 years old he wanted to go to England and try to make it in a band. So they loaded up his stuff and drove him to the airport and off he went. They went to visit him sometime later only to find him working in some store. Glen said to Neil "You could be doing this for me you know." So Neil agreed and came back home and worked in his dad's business again. One day this white corvette pulls up to their farm equipment business and out comes these two guys who want to talk to Neil. They did and then left, and for the rest of the afternoon Neil seemed so preoccupied. Glen finally asked his son whats wrong. And Neil told him these two guys (RUSH's management) were looking for a drummer to go out on tour with them. Their former drummer John Rutsey didn't want to go out on tour. I guess Neil felt bad about the thought of leaving his dad's business again, but Glen told him to go for it. And as Mr.Peart said "The rest is history". No kidding ! I met Neil's mom who all that time was sitting in the van. She said "Is he boring you with stories ?" I said "Are you kidding ! I could talk to him all day."

This new record from RUSH really seems like Alex's baby, at least instrumentally as Neil as usual takes care of the lyrics. Alex is more versatile on this record then i've ever heard him before. Acoustic guitar is all over this one too, which is unusual. You know I was really reminded of "Test For Echo" with the shorter, direct songs and even the style at times. Neil's lyrics focus on war, religion and politics, many of these thoughts were derived from his tour of the U.S.A. on his motorcycle. The album cover is a disappointment for me, but not the picture on the back,or the pictures in the liner notes, all of which are probably some of the best i've ever seen (like the "Test For Echo" pictures). I wish the picture on the back was on the front cover, it's so meaningful.

"Far Cry" opens with pounding drums as we are treated to a nice heavy soundscape. Alex lays down some good guitar lines.This is the only song that reminds me of "Vapor Trails". 3 1/2 minutes in the sound is amazing. "Armor And Sword" may be slower than the opener but it's no less powerful. There are some beautiful mellow sections in this one as well. 5 1/2 minutes in the sound is so great and uplifting. "Workin' Them Angels" is a similar mid-paced powerful tune. Check out Alex playing mandolin on the bridge. "The Larger Bowl" features electric guitar on the chorus and acoustic guitar on the verses. "Spindrift" has some atmosphere to open as Geddy then cries out. An incredible sound 2 minutes in. Some great drum passages in this one as well as mellotron.

"The Main Monkey Business" is an instrumental and my favourite track. Background synths and Alex's fierce playing is fantastic ! The vocal melodies remind me of "Limbo" from "Test For Echo". This one smokes ! "The Way The Wind Blows" has Alex playing a blues style guitar that remind me of CREAM. Some scorching guitar 4 minutes in and some tribal-like drumming. Great lyrics. "Hope" is another instrumental. This is all Alex (Lerxst) with his 12 string guitar. "Faithless" opens with some powerful guitar and check out his solo 4 minutes in. Not a fan of some of the lyrics, but they are so well done. Some strings from Ben Mink too. "Bravest Face" has some great lyrics and more acoustic / electric guitar. Mellotron too. "Good News First" has some meaningful lyrics but it's just an ok song to me. "Malignant Narcissism" is a short instrumental where they are having a lot of fun. Great tune. "We Hold On" is a nice way to end the album. Some ripping guitar and encouraging lyrics. If anyone knows about perseverance it's Neil Peart.

Barely 4 stars for me but I hope this will grow to a solid 4 stars. I do find it lags later on, but then it ends well. Love the guitar. I get excited thinking about this album and that's the main thing. Remember though that I really like "Test For Echo" and "Vapor Trails".This one is a touch below those two in my opinion. That may change with time and listens.

I would have to call this the worst Rush Album yet. I can't find many good points about it. The first time I listened to it I liked it. Then after about the third time of listening to it I realized how bad it really is. The musicianship of this album is still up to par with the lowest standards of Rush. The thing that really makes this album bad is Geddy's voice. It's not that I don't like his voice at all. On other albums I don't mind it. But on this album his voice is very different. The voice just got bad over the years. I would have to say that The Main Monkey Business is a good song. I think that Rush should have been more like the Beastie Boys and done an entirely instrumental album.

What can I say? This album is amazing! Now if you are looking for the next prog masterpiece, please don't look here.. You won't find it, but you will find an amazing show of hard rocking musicianship from a group of guys who prove they still have alot left in them!The only flaw isn't really a flaw,in that it just isn't very progressive.But that doesn't mean it is a bad album at all. The sound quality and production is top notch, the playing is excellent, the lyrics are meaningful and moving. Basically if you are looking for some "smart" rock, then look no further! Don't settle for what's been coming out of these newer so called "rock bands"! Go buy a copy!

I'm sorry, maybe I don't get it.

This album has no great, some good, a lot of average, and a little bit of inexcusable. Songs like "Far Cry", "The Main Monkey Business," and "Armor and Sword" make me think that the holy trinity hasn't lost a step, but, then I hear songs like "Spindrift," "Faithless," and "Bravest Face" that leave me scratching my head.

This album could have easily been a 3 star album with some editing. For one, (in general) I don't have patience for long albums. I like them to make a statement in 40 minutes. There is no reason this albums could not have been 40 minutes. Spindrift not only puts me to sleep, but it puts me into a nightmare. I'm pretty notorious for listening to albums all through, regardless of the weak tracks, but I really can't stomach that one.

The lyrics of "Faithless" seem pretty cheesy to me. I mean, you're secular, that's fine, who isn't? And even if you are, is there a more cliche way to go about announcing it than saying "I don't have faith in faith"? Puh-leas Neil, we were willing to let "Dog Years" slide... but a second slip up is going to cost you a half a star.

The good on this album wasn't enough to make up for the rotten cheese that stunk this one to a measly two stars.

A new Rush album is never a bad thing to hear about!!

And really, Rush released a musically great album here, nearly every track is strong, even the instrumentals.

Rush tackles a mid-eastern theme throughout the entire album, each song with a big sound that sounds to me as they got the idea in a sandstorm. Each track is fairly heavy, and has Rush's signature lyrics (sung by Geddy's depleting, but still strong, voice). I was actually surprised with how much i enjoyed this album, all though it took a bunch of listens to really get behind the album.

and the Snakes and Arrows tour had them playing 8 or 9 songs off of this album!! and they did really good, each song is a welcome entry in the Rush encyclopedia. A good Rush album, not their best by a far shot, but good non-the-less.

I'm not a Rush completes and bought this album primarily because, having had a number of their albums in the 70s and 80s on LP and cassette, I have found it hard to find CDs of theirs to replace them: I like their sound and their style of music making, heavy yet varied and intelligent, and so bought the CD soon after release.

I don't know why but I'm always surprised when artists of Rush's vintage produce such stunningly good work. I was amazed at how good this is - simply, if it's not THE best Rush album (and I can't be definite because I haven't heard them all) it must surely be very close to it.

Musically, this album has plenty of pace and energy, like listening to a young band just starting out. From the moment you hear the opening bars of the opener "Far Cry" you know you're in for a real treat. What makes the album so special though is how Rush bring their experience of song composition and arrangement to bear on the music. Their songs have often been complex but here they just seem to always pick the right solution.

The album is also very appealing lyrically. From the vantage point of their age they take a look at the problems of our world that will resonate with many of the fans who have followed them down the years. The fact that they can do so in combination with such stunning music makes for a powerful mix.

My favourite section of the album is a glorious period about half way through the album which features four of the best songs and whilst there is a unity between all the songs on the album it seems to me that these four particularly form a little family.

The quartet starts with a FANTASTIC, blistering rock instrumental, "The Main Monkey Business". I'm not one that is over keen on rock instrumentals but this is an absolute gem! Given the lyrics that are to follow I'd say that this is the "Mother of All Rock Instrumentals", or the "desert storm" that leads to "The Way the Wind Blows" a song that rues the current conflicts between east and west: "now it's come to this/ hollow speeches of mass deception/ from the Middle east to the Middle West/ like crusaders in unholy alliance" sings Geddy Lee to some pacey, angry and effective music. This is followed by "Hope", a softer, shorter acoustic guitar instrumental. The quartet ends with "Faithless": "I don't have faith in faith/ I don't believe in belief/ You can call me faithless/ But I still cling to hope/ And I believe in love/ And that's faith enough for me".

Amen to that! A great section of songs from a great album - well done guys!

The best Rush album since Moving pictures.

Rush come comes back with a great album that really impresses me. This album is not really prog it is just straight hard rock. These guys are in their mid fifties and still making amazing music, not many bands have stayed together this long like Rush. This album has very powerful lyrics and the musicianship is topnotch, a very crisp sounding album. Rush will never make anymore sci- fi prog epics that we all love, and many people do not realize that , they are past that stage in their careers. But Snakes and Arrows is a darn good Rush album, and there are many great songs on it like Far Cry, Armor and Sword, Working Them Angels, The Main Monkey Business, Faithless,Hope, and The Way The Wind Blows. For almost three decades this Canadian Trio of musicians have created wonderful music and the continue still to amaze me. 5 stars

The release of Vapor Trails in 2002 after Rush's hiatus brought about by the tragic death of Drummer Neil Peart's daughter and wife was a welcome return that a lot of fans thought might never happen. Although an adventurous and good album in many respects it was somewhat flawed sonically with a harsh production making it not the easiest of listens. However it was enough to make the release of Snakes and Arrows one of my most eagerly anticipated albums of this decade and I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. This is Rush at their very best since Moving Pictures in 1981!

What makes this album so good apart from the obvious excellent musicianship and incidentally they are really on top of their game here, is that the song writing is so good with strong melodies and inventive playing throughout. Excellent lyrics from Peart, often inspired it would seem, by his current worldview and Geddy Lee is singing extremely well. I tip my hat in particular to guitarist Alex Lifeson for his wonderful playing which is always going off where you least expect it with imaginative chord structures, riffing and a fantastic solo on Armor and Sword. The use of Nick Raskulinecz as co- producer proves an inspired choice as the sound is powerful and clean allowing each member of the band space to shine and a vast improvement over the afore mentioned Vapor Trails.

We get thirteen tracks here, three of them instrumental and all worthy of inclusion. Nothing longer than six and a half minutes but Rush learnt the art of fitting a lot of interest into shorter songs a long time ago. With so many good tracks picking favourites is not the easiest of tasks but deserving special mention are opener Far Cry which has a very catchy hook, my favourite Lifeson guitar playing on Workin' Them Angels, the atmospheric yet powerful Spindrift and The Way the Wind Blows which starts off like Rush are going to play a Blues song before totally changing tack for another great Lifeson riff. Faithless sounds the most like the Vapor Trails material here though stronger musically.

The three instrumentals are all excellent pieces with The Main Monkey Business being the best which is as good as or better than any instrumental since La Villa Strangiato including YYZ. Hope is a nice acoustic guitar interlude midway through the album and Malignant Narcissism packs a strong punch in just over two minutes with some excellent bass work from Lee.

Rush have produced an album better than I dared hope for and deserving of five stars and my album of 2007.

Still in (monkey) business....

They're old, they're just not yet retired, but does Rush still rock at the average age of 54? I like most of their albums, although I have some trouble getting into Caress of Steel and Vapor Trails, for obvious reasons (obvious to those who know Rush' history that is).

The opening track Far Cry provides us with a great wall of sound - tons of Geddy's amazing bass work and many megawatts of energy from all three band members go into this track. Luckily, the band has mercy on us and slows down a bit on Armor and Sword, which is more in the vain of the 1990s. It could have been found on Counterparts had it been written at the time. To me, it brings recollections of Nobody's Hero and Resist. On Working them Angels an interesting mix of electric guitar and acoustic guitar shows us what Rush is about - an opinion that only gets stronger after seeing the band perform it live at Rotterdam. Too bad it gets followed by the more straight forward rocker The Larger Bowl, which has only a very brief guitar solo to distract from the long windedness of the track. The second single from the album,Spindrift, makes up a bit for that, even if not my favourite track on the album. With The Way the Wind Blows, we are back at the Counterparts level - could it be that Counterparts is the beginning of the Rush era of which this album is also part, despite the fact that there's a live DVD in between the two? A real modern Rush track, from the drums and the bluesy guitar at the intro to the last note. Faithless fits the same model, but has a more melancholic atmosphere to it. There's a hint of the early 80s Rush work in this one, it could fit in with the work on Signals or Grace under Pressure, even though the keyboards are less prominent compared to those two albums. Bravest Face is one of the best tracks on the album, together with Working Them Angels and Armor and Sword. Same type of cooperation between acoustic and electric guitar and solid bass work. Good News First is the orphan track of the album - which means that it is that one track that I enjoy when I hear it, but that I always have to look up and play to remember how good it is. Closing track We Hold On is a typical modern Rush track, and a great outro for the album, that shows the composition and playing skills of all band members, and the power of lyricist Neil Peart - lyrics wise this could have been part of Hold Your Fire.

All of the above is interleaved by three instrumentals. The Main Monkey Business (a real band effort and very strong composition), Hope (Alex flashing fingers on a bouzouki) and Malignant Narcissism (Geddy in a - narcissistic? - lead role, causing a lesser balance than The Main Monkey Business) really show the quality of these three instrumentalists. Rush at their best, even though these tracks will never beat La Villa Strangiato and YYZ.

All in all, this album is a landmark in the career of the band, being the first studio release after their 30th Anniversary tour. Subject to discussion - have they lost it, are they still prog and, darkest of all, will this be their last? Disucssions that are all valid, and in the conclusion of which the album itself has a strong vote. Being a long time Rush fan, this is one of my favourite releases of 2007, but definitely not the strongest Rush release ever. Still, any serious Rush or prog lover should consider this album, which allows only one score on the ProgArchives scales.

Snakes & Arrows may well be one of their best efforts in a while, probably since the early eighties. If I still have this much energy at their age, I'll make a Snakes & Arrows of my own. For now I'll just admire this one.

Brought to you by the letter 'A'.

Wow what an excellent album. There's not a wasted note and it's thematically and sonically cohesive, huge sounding and hugely emotional. What struck me right off the bat was how well the lyrics, vocals and music mesh, how tight and integrated the band sounds and how powerful. Snakes & Arrows sound is some serious ear candy. Alex's acoustic stringed instruments blend perfectly with his rich distorted guitar, Geddy's monstrous bass and heartfelt vocals and Neils drums to make one hell of a diverse sonic treat. I don't think Neils drums have ever sounded better, they're just whipcrack smart and like I said Geddy's bass and Alex's guitar are powerful and well recorded/mixed. Rush brought the rock with this one baby. Snakes & Arrows is about guitars both acoustic and electric; it's a riff monster of a cd. Now it's not as metalic as Vapor Trails, the sound is much more lush with acoustic guitar blended with multilayered electric. What little keyboard there is is used for atmospheric effect. But for me the most striking thing is Neil's lyrics and Geddy Lee's vocal delivery. The lyrics are very dark actually and certainly the death of Neil's wife and daughter have much to do with the very personal and somewhat introspective content. But it's not quite as personal as Vapor Trails, the focus is more towards society and religion and it's juncture with the individual. There's a maturity of outlook towards life in general that I find extremely moving, oftimes resigned but not entirely hopeless. Neil makes some hard observations about the times we're living in, the modern world and what it means to be human. Geddy's vocals perfectly emote the lyrics and though he can't hit the high notes like he once did, he makes up for it with feeling. There are also three instrumentals, one of which is a beautiful acoustic piece appropriately title Hope. The other two aren't flashy a la La Villa Strangiato or YYZ, instead they're dark and grooving. It's taken me about two weeks to properly digest this album and I feel that with Snakes and Arrows Rush have created one of their most emotional offerings in years and one of the hardest rocking of their entire career. For me it's their best work since Signals. In fact because of this cd and the R30 dvd I bought tickets to see Rush which will be the first time I've seen them since the eighties. I am jazzed about this album in a way I haven't been about Rush since Permanent Waves. BTW the concert was amazing. The 9 songs they played from Snakes And Arrows all sounded even better live.

For an unashamed Rush fan as I am, I get to reviewing this album somewhat late... Even if I bought it immediately upon its release (something I only do with bands or artists I really love), and for days it hardly left my CD player, I was still grappling with a form of writer's block which prevented me from being timely in my reviewing duties towards one of my all-time favourite bands. This means my review will probably offer nothing new to those looking for information about this album... Oh, well, I suppose I'll just have to try my best, and strive for a bit of originality.

"Snakes and Arrows" comes in a classy, stunningly beautiful, package - the photos inside the booklet are nothing short of works of art, and the Eastern-themed cover art sees a skillful use of cool and warm tones. Though such factors may be considered unimportant in comparison to the actual musical content of a record, being a child of the Sixties I grew up in the golden age of gorgeous, legendary album covers (Roger Dean, anyone?). Moreover, I strongly believe in the importance of offering the complete deal - not only great music, but great visuals as well. And, judging by the two times I saw Rush perform live, they have not been slow on the uptake, and become purveyors of 'Art Rock' in the true sense of the word.

Now we come to the burning question - is it prog? Indeed, many PA members maintain that Rush stopped being progressive with "Moving Pictures", or, in some cases, even earlier than that. Knowing my own limitations as regards having any real idea of what 'prog' really is, my answer is, who cares? Does being 100% prog make your music better? Personally, I think there is a lot of progressiveness on Snakes and Arrows, even in the absence of 15-minute tracks or wild time signature changes. Obviously, it's not the kind of progressiveness you can find in the likes of TMV - Rush still favour traditional song structures, with choruses being as usual rather prominent (though only in very few cases you would call them catchy). As a matter of fact, they write SONGS, not epics, suites, or what have you. For some prog fans, this is almost a crime - though certainly not for me. It takes a lot of skill to write a good song, and Rush have that in spades.

And then, they are HEAVY. You would think that, at the age of almost 55, and after 30 years of activity, they would have mellowed out. Well, when I saw them perform live in October, I was amazed at how heavy and powerful they sounded. The songs from "Snakes and Arrows" they played (8 out of 13) really came alive in the live setting, and revealed their various facets to the listener in a way no recording can ever convey.

And now to another, even more burning question - is it the best Rush release ever, on a par with, say, "Hemispheres" or "Moving Pictures"? The answer here is a definite no - as good as Snakes and Arrows is, it is not perfect. In my opinion, its main flaw is being too long (a very common feature of modern albums), and its second half is not as memorable as the first. A song like "Good News First" could have very well been left out, and "We Hold On" does not have the effectiveness required from a good album closer. Furthermore, the slow, somewhat plodding "Faithless" is a sort of throwback to the band's less inspired Eighties output (though I do like its lyrics, which seek to demolish the myth that non-religious people are somewhat lacking in moral sense). If I have to be perfectly honest, I find "Counterparts" a more consistent, cohesive effort - hence the five-star rating.

However, when "Snakes and Arrows" is good, it is VERY good. "Far Cry" continues the band's tradition of opening albums with fireworks (and an unforgettable, fast'n'furious guitar riff to boot), and the three instrumentals are, each in its own way, true gems. "Hope" offers an aural feast for lovers of the acoustic guitar, showing Alex's more reflective, mellow side. "The Main Monkey Business" is modern-day Rush's answer to the likes of "La Villa Strangiato" and "YYZ"; while the intriguingly-titled "Malignant Narcissism" is a brisk bass-fest of the first order. However, the album's strongest tracks are probably "Armor and Sword" and the following "Working Them Angels", two similarly-structured tracks - the former (an indictment of religious fanaticism) darker and unrelenting, the latter more upbeat, featuring a pretty, lilting mandolin interlude.

As I said earlier, if you were expecting "Hemispheres II", chances are you'll be severely disappointed. Though some may find the current version of Rush not progressive enough, it cannot be denied that they have progressed in their career, and they have created a sound that is immediately recognisable, and therefore unique. Far from being tired, washed-out has-beens, the mighty Canadians still have a lot to offer to the musical world. Watch this space.

It's a far cry from the band they started as.

(For my centen-review I'll do one that I've been waiting to do for a long time. Listening to it again and again to make sure that I've got the rating just right before I'd tackle it. And here it is:)

Over the years Rush has been a constantly evolving and changing band. Moving with the times like pictures, powering through the rough spots like windows and generally flying through the night on wings of a mixture of rock and prog to create the subgenre they currently inhabit. While controversial in the last coupe of releases, Rush has still managed to keep fans happy by releasing new, original material that reflects on where they've been, and where they're going. Snakes and Arrows is an album in that exact sense. Moving forward by keeping true to their evolving nature and looking back to make a blend of modern music and 70s classic. This album may not be as progressive as some fans would have liked it to have been, but theres no doubt that this progressive rock band is still on the move. This release debuted at #3 on the billboard charts in their native land of Canada and stayed there much longer than expected by anyone. As well, their Tour has had to be extended to a whole second, larger tour to accommodate for the fans that wish to see them. It's also been said that this has been their highest grossing album to date. Truly, Rush was deserving of the ''Most Promising Rock Group'' award that they won back in '75.

Back-story behind, let's move on to the music.

A perfect blend of old and new, Snakes and Arrows delivers headbanging rockers that Rush has always done as well as some fresh new material reminiscent of their classic albums mixed with their more recent outputs. The album opens with the rocker FAR CRY, a song that any hard rocker would love to hear from the band. With a crunching riff and a great chorus, this is the ''Anthem'' of the new millennium. No sooner does that end does the drum beat for ARMOUR AND SWORD kick off, with a great riff by Lifeson following close behind. Brilliant lyrics by Peart and over-the-top delivery by Lee makes this song a Rush classic, even among their entire catalog. WORKING THEM ANGELS is a bit softer, if only in subject matter. This song is more or less the new ''Ghost Rider'', Neil reflecting on his travels and putting them on paper in the form of song. This is somthing he's always been able to do very well anyways, put to Lifeson's and Lee's music it only gets that much better.

THE LARGER BOWL is up next, and what a reflective piece it is. A story about the fortune and misfortune in life that can really get one thinking about what the world is all about. SPINDRIFT is another rocker, this one just as heavy as FAR CRY. Not the most remarkable song, but it does have some great vocal delivery from Lee that proves that he can still hit the high notes.

The first of three instrumentals on the album, THE MAIN MONKEY BUSINESS is something else. Possibly the best instrumental to be performed by the band since YYZ, this is a track that can't be missed by prog fans. This track leads seamlessly into the next song. Another song revolving around global awareness, THE WAY THE WIND BLOWS is a very progressive track that works with the previous instrumental to show a side of Rush that's truly unique to this album. Lifeson strikes back in his old guise of Lerxt to deliver a fantastic acoustic track in HOPE.

FAITHLESS is a song under a bit of fire for seemingly attacking organized religion. Really, this is just a theme that Peart has used in his lyrics since '91s ''Ghost Of A Chance''. There may be something out there, but I think and act for myself. More great performances from each member. BRAVEST FACE is easily one of the standouts on the album, dark, well performed and written, this is a track that demands repeated listens. GOOD NEWS FIRST is one of the weaker tracks on the album, but it's topic once again makes it worth listening to.

Starting to conclude the album is the bass driven instrumental MALIGNANT NARCISSISM. Quick playing and heavy riffs make this one a standout along with the track that it leads into. WE HOLD ON follows the Rush tradition of excellent coda tracks. Heavy, quick, with great performances and writing, WE HOLD ON is a great end to a great album.

Rating?

Maybe not as prog as some of their classic albums, Snakes and Arrows is likely the best album Rush has done since the early 80s. Excellent album that gets no less than 4 stars. Just short of a masterpiece. It's a shame that MONKEY BUSINESS and WIND BLOWS weren't one song, because that might have put it over the top to have a long song after so long a time. However, with excellent performances with only one weak track this is an album that can't be missed.

This Rush release really makes me want to board a musical time machine that would transport me back to the 1978-1984 Rush recordings. Hemispheres, Permanent Waves, Signals, Moving Pictures, and Grace Under Pressure all showcase Rush's talent and creativity better than any other era. Snakes and Arrows is not even in my top ten Rush favorite CDs.

To put it bluntly, Snakes and Arrows lacks the energy, punch, originality, and creativity that has made Rush a legend. Many of the tracks sound similar, tired, and uninspired. Armor and Sword is a great Rush track, but unfortunately everything goes downhill after that. Is this a good release? Sure it's good...Because it's RUSH, but that's about it. Armor and Sword, The Main Monkey Business, Spindrift, and MalNar are the highlights. Nothing else jumps out at me at all. Would have loved and expected Rush do something much more creative and better than Snakes and Arrows.

In the run-up to the release of Snakes & Arrows it was hyped up as being a return to Rush's late seventies sound. It doesn't feature Cygnux X-III or another 'Xanadu', but what it does feature is a set of 10 rather good modern day Rush songs and 3 rather good instrumentals. Hope and Malignant Narcissism must be two of the shortest Rush tracks of all time, but they are still worth a spin. The overall style is quite rocky, although some of the songs have clearly benefited from the simpler style of arrangement that Rush toyed with while recording the 'Feedback' covers.

I would also say that the album is a real grower as I didn't really like it at first and it took five listens to really appreciate the typically intricate musicianship of Geddy, Neil and Alex. (The same applies to my view about Power Windows as well) My favourite tracks are Far Cry, The Way The Wind Blows and Faithless, but there is definitely no filler.

All in all, Snakes & Arrows is a glorious return to studio form and my favourite album since Counterparts.

This album took a long time to grow on me. What really drags this album down is how overpoweringly negative the lyrics are. The lyrics come off like a lecture more than poetry, telling you how horrible the world is and how evil or delusional you are if you belong to any organized religion. Regardless of your feelings on religion, the negativity about how screwed up the world is really drags on you by the end.

But, if you can get past the lyrics, Lee and Lifeson have crafted some good music here. Not much for prog, but good none the less. Rush is one of those bands that when you listen to their songs, your heart gets pumping, and you really get into it emotionally. The contrast (and problem) here is that while I'm getting into the music emotionally, the lyrics are dragging the feeling down.

Standout tracks are "Far Cry" and "Workin' Them Angels".

Solid, interensting and mature Rush's last studio album...

And a very worthy one speaking of this great band! The truly symphonic and progressive years are gone... And except a pair of tracks, what we have here is a good rock album, with only a few progressive elements. But the quality of this outstanding trio of musicians is still here, of course. It's incredible hearing this group of dinosaurs making this fresh, original and powerful music! You only have to give a listening to Far Cry to notice... A lot of younger bands sound more tired and they lack the good ideas that Rush have!

The album style follows the paths of later releases... It's not really different from Test for Echo, for example. Maybe not so riff oriented and more diversified and complex, with longer songs and more intrincated instrumentation. Maybe the lyrics are also a little more introspective... Some of this lyrics are great: Far Cry, A Larger Bowl, Bravest Face... Good job on lyrics again, Mr. Peart!

Another highlight of the album is the production... Relly impressive sound. Every sound track fits really perfect, specially bass and guitars. This is just one of the best musical productions I've heard in the last years. This marvellous sound of course helps to increase the good level of almost all the songs included in Snakes and Arrows.

Best songs: I think Spindrift is the only weak track in the album... The rest of the songs are pretty good. This is an album you can hear from beginning to the end without any interruption! If we talk about the composition, maybe the chorus of each song is the best fact... Good News First, Faithless, Armor and Sword, Far Cry... Really catchy! They will be in your head a long time...

Conclusion: splendid rock album made by the best trio in the history of music... Powerful, with deep lyrics and outstanding production, Rush released another first class album last year. Maybe it needs a pair of close listenings to starting to appreciate the details and quality of the songs... But once you've done it, you will realise that you're not able to stop hearing it. Great!

My rating: ****

I've listened to this album enough times that I can safely say it is my favorite Rush album (I bought it a year ago - I think that's long enough). Here, I have found my perfect blend of emotion, musicianship, and storytelling. Older Rush albums, such as 2112, Roll the Bones, etc. provide red-line levels of virtuosity and complex composition, while later ones such as Counterparts and Vapor trails are much better at moving me emotionally and telling a comprehensible story. I have found, to my immense delight, that Snakes and Arrows does all three of these things so well, I enjoy it more than other albums from either Rush era.

There... I have said my piece. The key word to describe this album is: balance. I technically am giving this album a 4.7, but that rounds up to five.

Rush was my first musical love, prog or not. Bought all of their studio output without question. But, after being pretty disappointed in Vapor Trails and Test for Echo, I just knew this one would be below par so put off buying it. Gone forever the days of counting down to release dates for this once great band. But then I get a $25 gift certificate to Amazon. Coma Divine and this set me back 6 bucks total. Coma Divine is an absolute monster. This is pretty bad stuff. All the songs sound the same and all our uninspired. Just imagine one of the straight forward songs from one of the previous two albums, write the same thing again and then write more songs almost just like it with a few variations thrown in and different lyrics. Gets boring fast. I'm sure Alex and Geddy's songwriting is contributing to Neil's depression even further at this point.

These three guys have none of the spark or hunger of the early years. Their imagination is shot. They last wrote an epic 26 years ago and I bet if you put a gun to their heads, they could not do it again. And what is a real crime is that this ranks above Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, Presto and Roll the Bones here on PA. All of those at least have some of the magic of what made this band great and I like them all. But, this is the end for me buying any of their stuff, assuming they release any more studio product.

The boys have not lost their chops as the band is still tight. The new producer, the one that was supposed to bring back the glory, does a fine job on the mix, but certainly was not the elixer that the old boys needed when it came to compositions. I give them credit and two stars for making an effort. Heaven knows they certainly aren't starving and the motivation to crank out product at this stage of their career has to be low. At a time when a lot of the older set are resting on their laurels, Rush gave it the old college try. And for those out there who are a whole lot less discriminating than me, I am sure they are lapping this up. This is Rush by the numbers, a rote exercise of utter blandness that will not be seeing much rotation in my CD player going forward. I hoped for better.

Now I enjoy a lot of Rush's classic stuff. They are definetely a very good band that has made some great stuff in the past. I suppose that's part of what makes this album so dissapointing.

I was astonished after hearing this album the first time. It was very basic. There's nothing that's absolutely outstanding on here. Almost every song is your regular rock track, filled with some basic rock chords and compositional structures. This made it a very dissapointing listen, as most of Rush's earlier work has always jumped out and caught my attention.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. I love Geddy's voice overdubs on the album, it gives a nice harmony element to their sound, and vocal harmony isn't really a huge part of Rush music, so it gives a new perspective. There are 3 instrumentals on the album, and they are all very nice. The Main Monkey Business is exceptionally fun and Hope is a good acoustic number. And as always, Rush throws in a few odd times in their music, most notably in Far Cry, but there are drastically few odd times than in the past.

Of course, this isn't a really bad album. It's just a major dissapointment that it's this band that's doing it. However, it's a pretty good basic rock album and it's great for listening to in the car. The songs all seem about the same, but that's okay. Nothing bad, but it's just not all that great.

I picked up the new Snakes and Arrows CD the day it was released. I'm one of those people that, although I love music, and listen to lots of it, all the time, I still usually cannot get a feel for an album without a few listens.

I just got through listening to the whole thing straight thru while working on the computer, and I have to say...Wow, this is some good stuff! I have all of Rush's music. In fact, Farewell to Kings was one of the first albums I ever walked into a record store and bought. Just for a perspective, I consider Hold Your Fire they're worst album. I liked Vapor Trails for the music, but still don't like the bad sonic properties of the mastering job.

Some people have said that the instrumental The Main Monkey Business just didn't do anything for them? I think it rocks! Sure it's not gonna be as exciting as hearing YYZ back when you were in High School and you and all you buddies thought Rush were Gods, but it is the YYZ of Rush in 2007.

I have definitely been let down by New Rush discs before (Power Windows, Presto, Hold You Fire, etc.) But, this one is so diverse. It's got that heaviness of Counterparts, with the sprinkling of acoustic guitars reminiscent of Farewell to Kings. No keyboards. No Rapping (OK, I like Roll the Bones...but). Just really good modern Rock from a very mature and intelligent band. Four and a half stars actually. Don't dismiss this one as just another modern Rush let-down. This is probably the best piece of work they have done in a decade. Check it out.

I have been a Rush fan since 1987. I have almost a religious feeling for this band. I admire them and I suffered with them during their dark ages.

The rumors about a new album started. I was looking forward to this album. The very encouraging studio reports was fanning the flames in my heart. But my high hopes was surpassed by this album.

It is a miracle that Rush still exist. Why they still exist, is very much evident in this album. Rush = three guys who loves creating new music, their own way. They brought in a new producer for this album and that has resulted in one of the best sounds I have ever heard. The music too kick ass. Rush, who has existed for over 35 years, sounds fresh and very vital on this album. The music is at times heavy, but also reflective and melodic. The keyboards has almost gone and the guitars is very dominant. The bass and the drums are flawless and the vocals better than ever. The songs are superb, with a couple of exceptions. The album was voted best album of the year by the Classic Rock magazine and I can only agree. I am full of admiration for this band and dead proud of this album from my all-time favorite band.

Best songs are........well, never mind. All of them are superb and very different from each other. There is one exception though......... The Larger Bowl is almost like a child's lullaby. It is too simple and I feel it devalues this album. Except from that song, this is a very good album and one of their best albums.

4 stars.

I starting listening to RUSH when Moving Pictures was new. I haven't missed an album or tour since. I have just loved everything they recorded in the past, including the Feedback EP and the first album.

This RUSH CD is unlike any other CD in their catalog, in my opinion. I believe that is so, because of the content of the lyrics. Neil Peart, for the first time, seems really unhappy about the state of the world and he lets it show. I haven't really heard anyone as bitter and cynical about religion, politics and humanity itself since listening to some of George Carlin's later works. It really seems like Neil did not really end up as a very happy person. All the lyrics are definitely insightful and interesting, but they are not uplifting or inspiring at all. It's just a huge change for RUSH. I never thought that I would listen to a RUSH album and feel so down about....everything.

Musically, it is a really tasteful album. Lifeson's guitars sound so good, he should teach a class on how to get good tone! Geddy sings with conviction and I am entertained by all his parts, as always. It seems like a lot of thought and time has been put into the song writing. The performances that were captured in the recording sessions are all pretty impressive. It has been said that this is not a Pro-Tools album, it is not! I also have the MVI DVD, which has the high-quality 5.1 mix of the album. It is just great sounding, especially the acousting guitars.

Basically, RUSH seems to still care greatly about their product, but the lyrics on this album destroy it for me.

its good old hard rock, but with a touch of prog!

this album seems to be a stereotypical 90's rock album yet a rush album at the same time. this isn't very surprising counting on the fact that rush has done this from every album after signals throughout the 80's and 90's to just keep on making music that relates to the common man. (and to make some cash moneys haha)

this makes the album very accessible at first listen, but never to grow on you as much as other rush albums. at first i was amazed at the album when it was new, and had to get it as soon as possible!! it was awesome! but now i'm just as eager to have another album be released and to see what it is capable of.

neil is of course an amazing drummer as always, but seems to just keep the beat trough the heart of the song. geddy still has his voice! and is playing good as he ever was. alex on the other hand, could solo more and play more than just fill the atmosphere with chords.

a good half and half album, 3 stars!

As a fan, I read all the announcements the musicians did previous to the release of Snakes and Arrows. In one of them, Geddy (or was it Alex?) said that the record had been composed as in a gig, with one´s ideas being the counterpart of the others´, as it was supposed to be in the first days, feeling fresh and excited about the result of this.

It seems to be a common place between long-career bands to summon their beginnings as a comeback to their essence, and I must say that it rarely works, and more rarely work near past things out. So, if Vapor Trails was a weak album, Snakes & Arrows not only doesn´t fix his predecessor faults, but also insist on that, and pretends to be a comeback. But it´s not revision of the past glory, just a very poor and reactive movement, and by no means this could be related to an essence of Rush.

What about the music? Predictive, raw sound, repetitive. Mid tempo songs move between the insipid and the unbearable, such as Spindrift, Faithless or Good News First. Arrangements almost absent from Alex´s guitar, and totaly predictable when present. Melody, variations, tempo changes, are also out of this record. Geddy´s voice doésn´t show any variations between the songs, poor interpretations, and the worst fact is that it fits extremely forced with the lyrics in some cases (check the awful Good news first). Even lirically is a depressing one, words by Peart are strangely obvious and full of common places about religion, injustice and freedom of thought, but nearer to a rebel confidential school teenage than to the composer of Natural Science or Freewill. Really disappointing on The way the wind blows (how many more times will we hear comparisons with dark Middle Age days) or The Larger Bowl (inequity on the world, what an original topic; is this Neil that brilliant liberal of the 70´s, the one who wrote Anthem, Freewill, Dreamline, Roll the Bones? I resist to believe so...).

More general: the album is very long, with few new ideas and no risk at all. The strong points are first single Far Cry, the three instrumental tracks and maybe Armor and Sword or Working them Angels. But insufficient to lift the disappointing feeling of a very bad album. And, for me, an absolute opposite to progressive music.

'Snakes & Arrows' - Rush (6/10)

After a lengthy hiatus, Rush is finally back in full form, although not nearly to the glory of their former days. What we have here is a very well songwritten album, but an album that flows down the vein of a more modern-rock sound, instead of a more musically and compositionally complex style. However, while this album certainly doesn't have any form of 'immortal' quality about it, it's more or less solid.

'Snakes & Arrows' got a little bit old for me, rather quickly. The songs 'Armor and Sword' and 'The Main Monkey Business' are the only two great songs on here. 'Armor And Sword' is actually great to the point of being fantastic. It's probably the best song Rush has done in over two years. It's something of a mini- epic. The lyric 'no one gets to their heaven without a fight' has a resounding power to it. Despite what I said before about the modern-rock sound, this can easily be considered progressive rock. There are some strange rhythms in it, and it's a very solid composition. Unfortunately, thats the only bit of prog the listener gets on 'Snakes & Arrows.'

Geddy's voice has really matured, and although there isn't as much of a vocal range on him anymore, theres a more universally appealing sound to his voice, falling into a tenor range now, instead of the usual alto.

Unlike most 'new' non-prog albums, this album actually has a decent flow about it. It's not fantastic, and this can't by any stretch of the imagination be compared to 'Moving Pictures' or 'Hemispheres,' but what the hell, I'm happy to have Rush back anyways!

Much ado about nothing!

I listened to this album a couple of times in a row now and I can't detect anything worthwhile here. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Rush fan for more than twenty years now. Although I hate to say it, it has to be done: almost all the stuff on this album is second or even third rate, can you believe it? Neither could I before I listened to it.

The only track seeing them back on form is the instrumental The Main Monkey Business. But that alone cannot justify buying the album.

Far Cry is just a weak copy of the great starting tracks on the other albums.

The short, wittily titled instrumental Malignant Narcissm is entertaining for a while - then it becomes clear that it is not a solid composition but just fun and artistry. So you get what the title promised. Not standing the test of time.

The other songs sound to me not well thought out, using only second rate melodies and hooks.

Rush, please don't carry on in this vein. Then this will be my only 1 star rating for you.

Favourite Songs: --------

A very, very solid album. Probably one of my favourite Rush albums and one of my favourite albums of 2007 (second only to Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet).

Musically this album is a combination of the band's hard rock work from the '90s coupled with their late-'70s prog, but with a new emphasis on acoustic guitars. Lyrically the tracks on the album share the themes of faith and war; nothing groundbreaking but no particularly bad lyrics.

The strongest tracks on the album are definitely the first four tracks (Far Cry, Armour and Sword, Workin' Them Angels and The Larger Bowl), which compare very favourably with the highlights of Rush's career. These tracks might even be better than the best tracks on Counterparts, which was arguably the best Rush album of the '90s. Those four tracks by themselves are incredibly diverse: they are all standard guitar-bass-drums-vocals tracks (plus acoustic guitar), but range greatly in terms of emotion and energy.

The three instrumental tracks on the album (The Main Monkey Business, Hope and Malignant Narcissism) are also very well-written. The Main Monkey Business is an epic mellotron-driven track. Hope is best compared to Broon's Bane from the live album Exit... Stage Left. It's just Lifeson playing an acoustic guitar. Very relaxing, emotional playing. A nice break from the rest of the album. Malignant Narcissism is a piece of highly-charged, energetic fun, primarily driven by Geddy's bass.

That's seven of the thirteen tracks on the album, and they're all outstanding. The other tracks are far from bad, but they lack that polish which makes the other tracks shine. They're perfectly listenable, but feel more like padding to the album rather than well-crafted songs in their own right. This is probably due to the fact that these tracks aren't particularly varied. I generally don't listen to the whole album in one sitting, because the latter half of the album is largely unexciting.

Despite that, this is a very strong album and in my opinion the best Rush album since the '80s. Recommended to any Rush fan, and anybody interested in music which isn't overtly prog and isn't too heavy. A definite 4/5.

Snakes & Arrows is Rush's 1st album in 2 years and boy did they not lose a single drop of their awesomeness. This album features tight playing, and while less proggy than their previous albums, S&A still sounds like a helluva good Rush album.

Far Cry, the opening track, is a hell of a good start for an album, introducing to the album's overall sound, which is great, but a tad too tight. Lerxst has a great wah line around the song's verses, which shows us that Rush hasn't grown old by a wrinkle. With Peart's amazing drumming and Geddy's amazing vocal range (which hasn't changed, by the way) and bass playing, S&A gets 5 stars for showing us that prog did not die down with the rise of prog metal bands such as Dream Theater, Tool, and Porcupine Tree.

This is a must-have for any Rush fan, and anyone who thinks prog died around the 80's, like me. Snakes & Arrows = winning masterpiece of prog.

My first impression of this album was rather indifferent. It stylistically and sonically returns to the previously visited territory of Presto and Roll the Bones and not to Hemispheres as the first few bars of the album might make you expect.

But did you ever hear a Rush album that you fully appreciated at first listen? No, I don't think so and this one is no exception. With every listen you get dragged in deeper in its enchanting realm. With the exception of some nasty choruses and modulations, the songs are simply stunning. Ok there's the all too frequent legion of overdubbed Geddys ooh'ing and ah'ing all through the album, but even so, it all sounds beautifully rich and powerful. We could only wish that this album's producer gets his hands on the Vapor Trails master and reveals the true potential of that album. He's doing a real fine job here.

Originally I would have rated this 4 stars but I was quickly tired of playing this album. Maybe, if I'm in a bigger Rush mood I'll upgrade it again. 3.5 stars

I heard the the single from the new album (at that time), 'Far Cry' just a month before the record come out, and to my surprise was a great track, after a record of covers, Feedback (2004) (which is fine), and several compilations and live albums, breaking its history to record a live album every 4 studio albuns, the band became active again with Snakes & Arrows (2007), back and well. And recorded in just two months in New York in November and December, 2006.

I made a point of not downloading from the internet and expect prices to calm down a bit to buy it, and did not regret, Snakes & Arrows have a highest level. He's in the line of Vapor Trails (2002), especially with regard to heavier guitars in some parts, which is very good, since he is also a great record. Geddy is back in thie one playing some parts with the keyboards, even though still shy, which had not happened in Vapor Trails. I hope he comes back in the next to the keyboard, harder.

The album booklet is simply brilliant, Hugh Syme who works with the band since 1975 made a brilliant work on his illustrations.

With regard to the songs we feature up to say enough, listen carefully to the opening track 'Far Cry', which is strong and requires the signature of Rush's quality. 'Workin' Them Angel 'the third is a semi-existentialist ballad with great bass line and superb melody. 'The Larger Bowl' has a unplugged feel, which is a little explored part of Rush, unfortunately. The record also has 3 instrumental tracks, which did not happen for some time, but unlike most bands who have their instrumental songs extremely annoying (and I do not like instrumental music, with rare exceptions) the band has always managed to compose instrumental tracks of a way that we could all sing the melody together. In this one we have 'The Main Monkey Business" with its eastern feel,'Hope', a solo piece by Alex on guitar (superb) and 'Malignant Narcissism' with a great bass line.

'Bravest Fac'e is another highlight. 'Good News Firs't is a brick on your window. And to finish with style 'We Hold On'.

It's always great to see bands like Rush, who age with dignity in the world.

In 70's, 80's, 90's and despite sumed in 00, too, that come another 30 years for this giant.

A perfect album? Definatly, fresh, new, and inspiring is what I would call this album. The music overall is much better than Vapor Trails and easier to get into because the mix overall is much better and the production is excellent, everything is well heard. We do get a special apperance on this album too, a mellotron makes its way into a song.

"Far Cry" is already a perfect track from the start. With its pounding riffs, beautiful basslines, perfect drumming, incredible lyrics and vocals it's really hard not to like this song. It's always got an upbeat tempo and such a progressive metal feeling to it when you listen. "Armor and Sword" another essential track. It's got some of the best lyrics ever on the album, and the bassline is to die for. The acoustic guitars are really fitting to the overall darkness of the song, and it makes it that much better. Geddy's vocals on this song are very good, beautiful when he is playing is strong bassline. Also longest track. "Working them Angels" is a very upbeat song, it's very happy sounding. It kind of scares you at the first note because of how quick it happens. The lyrics are very good on this track, and the musicianship of all the band members is to die for. "The Larger Bowl" is a favorite for some reason, but I still don't know why people don't like it. It has nice guitar, dark, haunting, and thought-provoking lyrics, isn't that what most Rush fans like these times? I guess not, but at least I do. The acoustic works well with the rhythm section here. "Spindrift" is another favorite from the album, beautiful and scary intro. The music itself is intense and it's a roller coaster that you will want to go on forever, with some of the best bass riffs ever. The vocals are a little high for Geddy, you can tell. The guitar is very nice on this track. "The Main Monkey Buissness" is our first instrumental, and one of the best ones that Rush has ever put out. Geddy is playing some awesome basslines on this track, and the acoustic guitar is very nice. Though this is not a bass-heavy track, there is another instrumental that will be, though shorter. The drum playing is superb for this kind of music. "The Way the Wind Blows" is alright, nice drumming and very good guitar solo at the beginning after the drum solo intro, but this song isn't the best ever because it lacks to catch on very well with me. "Hope" is the all acoustic track, 12-string acoustic guitar if I remember correctly. It's simply stunning from start to finish. It makes you rethink how good of a guitarist that Alex Lifeson really is. "Faithless" is an interesting track with some nice vocals and some really good guitar playing. The lyrics are alright and the bassline isn't my favorite ever, but its a good some. Nice drumming throughout. "Bravest Face" is a different song, it's a little scary sounding on the Rush standard. It's a very dark sound with some nice dark vocal harmonies. The bassline isn't really there, it's a little hard to heard at least. It's got some nice acoustic guitar on this song. "Good News First" has the mellotron on this track, though it's not my favorite ever. I don't find the lyrics very facinating, but I really do like the music overall, nice guitar riffs, and the mellotron makes the song one. "Malignant Narnissm" is amazing. The best bassline ever in my opinion, I could not beileve that Geddy could ever play such an amazing thing in my life! Neil, espeicially on a 4-piece drumset, is doing some amazing stuff there! Though Alex isn't doing too much, he is playing fairly well here. "We Hold On" is a forgetable track, to say the least. The lyrics are alright here, but the music overall is just okay, nothing very special for the track.

This album is near perfection, a barley flawed masterpiece. 5 stars for a flawed masterpiece, definatly.

Snakes & Arrows is the eightenth full-length studio album by Canadian progressive rock act Rush.

Throughout their long history Rush have always been able to renew themselves and it´s obvious to talk about several phases in their discography. Snakes & Arrows is an album that lies in continuation of the warm alternative rock sound that the band initiated on Counterparts (1993). There are several charming elements in this phase of Rush discography but for the first time I´m also sensing a creative standstill. Snakes & Arrows really isn´t that much different from what Rush have been doing in the last nearly 20 years and while I find Snakes & Arrows to be a good and solid album by Rush, I do hope that they will try and re-invent themselves on the next album. None of the songs on the album fail to generate some kind of enjoyment, but the standout tracks are few and far between. The instrumental The Main Monkey Business is one of those for me.

As always the musicianship and production are top notch.

Snakes & Arrows deserves a 3.5 star rating as I feel that it´s a good album that reaches excellence a couple of times, but unfortunately doesn´t stay on that level all the way through.

Modern-era Rush has yet to disappoint me. Geddy Lee's voice is at its most mature and his bass work is thick and satisfying, Neil Peart's drumming is robust and his lyrics are at their most relevant, and Alex Lifeson employs a more varied palette of guitar tones and sounds. Almost every track from Counterparts onward has been hard rock bliss for me. Rush has long abandoned lengthy song structures, the lyrics are not entrenched in science-fiction or fantasy, and they have achieved commercial success beyond what most progressive rock bands attain. Perhaps these are reasons some people feel justified in spurning Rush's latter-day output- I don't know. To me, those are lousy reasons. Snakes & Arrows consists of intense heavy pop rock music with occasional progressive tendencies, meditative and philosophical lyrics, and an amazingly vigorous sound. The packaging of the CD is one of the most impressive artistic efforts I have ever seen- each piece that accompanies the lyrics in the book is practically a masterpiece (it would be difficult to choose a favorite, but I might go with the poignant painting paired with "The Larger Bowl"). My major complaint with this album is how it loses steam just over halfway through, and the compositions (with the exception of "Malignant Narcissism") are insipid and generic. Instead of prattling on for another twenty minutes about the same themes that had already been far more eloquently expressed, the band would have produced a much superior album by cutting the dross. That said, the weak songs do not detract from the assertively thoughtful music that makes up the bulk of this disc.

"Far Cry" As with the opener from the previous album, "One Little Victory," the first track for this 2008 album kicks off nice and heavy. Rush is impressive for coming up with eighteen albums worth of creative riffs, and this one is no exception, and even though it is relatively simplistic, these three men know how to fill out the sound, creating a barrage of tones that simply rock. Of course with Rush, I'm going to rip the lyrics from their macrocosmic context and bring them into the microcosmic, the personal: For the longest time after I first heard this song, this was my anthem (no pun intended): Circumstances (okay, that one was intentional) had kicked me in the balls for far too long, from losing my job, losing my health insurance, losing any savings, losing our automobile, and nearly losing all sanity, but despite two years of this, I remained confident - foolishly so- and this song only bolsters that reckless sense of optimism. Yet when I consider the losses of the man who penned these lyrics, my own pale in comparison, and I give thanks for everything- and everyone- I still have.

"Armor and Sword" Musically, this is a phenomenal piece of work. I relish the big sound of the drums and the thick interactions among the guitars and bass. The vocal melody is initially uncomfortable and may take getting used to due to its meter. With regard to lyrics, I could quibble with the metaphor (Ephesians 6:10-18), and I might also take issue with the songwriter's assumption that there is "good faith" and "bad faith" (I think the latter is self-contradictory), but I appreciate the depth of this song and I actually ally with its author in the spirit of his grievance (though we may disagree on any number of details).

"Workin' Them Angels" A piece that sounds like it would have fit perfectly on Vapor Trails, this great rock song has a catchy chorus. The title is a reference to overhearing an elderly couple, with the woman criticizing her husband's driving by saying he was "workin' them angels," meaning the man probably wasn't the safest motorist in the world.

"The Larger Bowl" Primarily an acoustic guitar song, the lyrics to this plaintive rocker are something of an extension of "Roll the Bones." The electric guitar solo is tasty, bright, and colorful.

"Spindrift" Hauntingly distant at first, this song reveals the darker side of Rush musically speaking. To my ears, it is a throwback to one of the edgier tracks from Counterparts ("Stick It Out" comes to mind).

"The Main Monkey Business" The first of three instrumentals (a record for a Rush album), this has a pleasant acoustic (twelve-string) introduction and slightly more exotic percussion, and the light electric guitar is a nice touch. It doesn't sound as zany as the title might suggest. Despite being an instrumental, the piece has Lee's distinctive voice hovering in the background. Over a fast-paced but uncluttered rhythm, Lifeson pulls off an "elastic-sounding" solo. But whereas most Rush instrumentals sound like instrumentals, this one begs for lyrics- surely some appropriate words were available?

"The Way the Wind Blows" Opening with a tom and snare duet, the song takes on a bluesy visage that hearkens back to the earliest days of the band, but with a punchy, modern sound. The acoustic bit is lifted directly from the foregoing instrumental. Lee's vocal is very warm and honest despite the whirlwind of overdriven rock music sounding it- a beautiful and contemplative effort.

"Hope" Lifeson offers a warmhearted acoustic piece with Celtic tinges.

"Faithless" I consider this to be the spiritual cousin of "Sweet Miracle," as it were. The lyrics reflect an optimistic and passive atheism. Unfortunately, the sin of this song is the weak music. It is bland and barely fits the melody, which is why I call it "faceless."

"Bravest Face" Speaking of face, there's this one. After a harsh opening, the music and singing is acoustic-based and a lot like what can be heard on their recent EP called Feedback. The lyrics reject a black and white view of the universe, and advises the listeners to be courageous and get prepared for whatever the world throws at them. The guitar solo is a funky little bit, again reminiscent of the aforementioned EP.

"Good News First" If there is one pessimistic song on the album, it is this one. This time, the music is quite similar to what one can hear on their very underrated album Test for Echo. For me, this is an okay track- it suffers from a generic contemporary Rush sound and like "Faithless," isn't memorable at all.

"Malignant Narcissism" Something of a pithy instrumental tacked on at the last minute (Lee was jamming alone on bass, and Nick Raskulinecz liked what he heard, so Peart joined in on a four-piece kit). This work is an opportunity for Lee to strut his stuff since much of the album has him merely bolstering the low end.

"We Hold On" Over thin guitar, Lee sings the words to one more flavorless song. Everything about this is good, and sure it rocks out, but the melody, the lyrics, the guitar solo- the entire composition itself- is just relatively weak and does not do the album any favors by ending it this way.

After the disappointing Vapor Trails, the band is back with a new producer and a more diverse album, less raw but then again, the music is still very heavy with this big production and the musicianship that the band is used to threat us. The album start strongly with the two first songs and "Spindrift", but the rest of the tracks are not what you might expect for a band that has give us some masterpiece in the past. For fans of the band, we can be happy that they still doing some music, but for the hardcore progressive rock fan, this is not essential to your collection.

Sadly this is my last Rush review (for a while, at least until I get the rest of their albums, I only need about 7 of them, wow, and I thought I had a load of them), but what a way to go.

This album I believe is the perfect mix between what they were doing in the early 80's and the 90's, which basically was making great music.

I really mean it, there is not one bad song on this album, each is as good as the last.

Apparently they should have another album out by next year, and if it's as good as this one, then U will be happy.

The artwork in this album is also amazing.

1. Far Cry - The closest these guys will get to their stuff from the early 80's. Amazing chorus and incredibly catchy. Just, overall an amazing song.

2. Armour & Sword - Wow, what song. Ok, this song also can be paired with early 80's Rush. Amazing chorus, beautiful vocal harmonies and kick ass riffs. Proves how much of an amazing band these guys are.

3. Workin' Them Angels - The chorus is very cheesy but very cathcy. I love the bouzouki solo. Overall a great song.

4. The Larger Bowl - For those that don't know, a pantoum is a poem, yes I googled what it meant. Pretty interesting song. I love the constant vocal harmonies. Pretty cool chorus.

5. Spindrift - Pretty dark for a Rush song. Amazing chorus. A very underlooked song in my opinion.

6. The Main Monkey Business - This song is very Porcupine Tree. Amazing atmospheric keyboards. An amazing instrumetal.

7. The Way The Wind Blows - Love the drum intro. Great chorus. Very melodic. The riffs in this song kick ass.

8. Hope - Amazing acoustic instrumental. Very beautifull.

9. Faithless - Amazing song with an amazing chorus and some amazing vocals from Geddy. Again, esoteric lyrics.

10. Bravest Face - Great chorus. Great lyrics. Again this song is a wee bit dark for Rush.

11. Good News First - The intro is pretty cool, sounds like Aphex Twin. I love the change from major to minor throughout the song. Amazing chorus. One of the best songs on the album.

12. Malignant Narcissism - The best instrumental on the album. Could easily match up to YYZ. Amazing basslines from Geddy. I love all the noisy bits. They do this song amazing live, with an amazing long drum solo from Neil. Short and sweet really.

13. We Hold On - Love the pinched harmonics in the song. Amazing chorus. Great way to end the album.

CONCLUSION: The best thing these guys have done since Moving Pictures.

Let's get this straight: I'm a late-blooming Rush listener, not a long-term follower or fanatic. All through the 70s and 80s I resisted the trio's charms, put off by Geddy Lee's squeaky vocals. Still, I could "get" their powerful allure when Lee wasn't singing, and I'd sometimes find my foot tapping along to one of their songs on the radio. Now, in middle age, I seem to have mellowed toward many acts I formerly shunned (see AC/DC), and become more accepting of the higher-pitched "screamy" vocals which I associated with metal -- a genre I largely avoided as "beneath" me. These days I don't take my music so seriously. (As someone once sang, it's only rock and roll -- and I like it.) Perhaps it also helps that by now I've heard some truly horrendous vocals in the throat and ear-shredding screams and grating growls of much 21st-century metal. Good ol' Geddy sounds downright dulcet by comparison.

Thus, a year or so ago I picked up a copy of the priced-to-sell RUSH GOLD, a 2-CD compilation of the band's better-known 70s & 80s material. (See my review.) I quite enjoy most of it. Pleased with my purchase, for a few weeks I eyed a suspiciously bargain-priced newer Rush release, 2007's SNAKES & ARROWS, before finally taking the plunge and laying my measly ten bucks on the counter. This time out, however, I wasn't nearly as satisfied with the sounds I found within.

SNAKES & ARROWS is not a bad album -- in fact, I guess I can call it exactly that: not bad. It's just not particularly memorable. There's nothing on here which will dominate the airwaves, or your brainwaves. Opening track "Far Cry" is pretty solid stuff, as is "Workin' Them Angels," while instrumental workouts "The Main Monkey Business" and "Malignant Narcissism" (a short, sort of latter-day "YYZ") seem to reach all the required Rush receptors -- if not make them fully resonate. "Hope" is a nice enough bit of acoustic strumming from Lifeson, even if it's no modern-day Mood for a Day. Still, even at its best, I get a certain underwhelming "Rush by numbers" feeling from this album, as if Mssrs. Lee, Peart and Lifeson were merely going through the motions in the studio, following a formula that they know only too well. For this sometime fan, there's a generic sameness to most of the material, and many songs overstay their welcome. Listening to it now as I write, I can again hear why it failed to grab me by the ears at first (or 2nd, 3rd or 4th) exposure, and why I rarely play it --and never to completion. To paraphrase Peart's lyrics, it's a far cry from what I'd hoped I'd hear.

Casual fans can safely download "Far Cry" along with "The Main Monkey Business," and be done; committed Rush retainers will already have the album, and long since submitted their four-star reviews. I give SNAKES & ARROWS a fair-to-middling 2.5 stars -- generously (and self-preservingly) rounded up to 3 in deference to the slavering legions of true-blue fans, and out of genuine respect for these long-serving elder statesmen of stadium rock. Here's hoping Rush can rekindle more of their former fire and magic on the next one.

Not every later release by the 70s era progressive super heroes has to be a bust. I'll be the first to admit that Snakes & Arrows is not Rush's greatest release, but it show a band which is still expanding its horizons even after 30 plus years. There are times when Snakes & Arrows can be incredibly frustrating and at other times staggeringly beautiful. It is a mixed album with two things at its centre: Number 1, discussions of faith by people who don't necessarily have it and, Number 2, Alex Lifeson. This is the first Rush album on which I've heard him be, without a doubt, the strongest member of the trio.

I can remember hearing snippets of Far Cry back in 2006 in anticipation of Snakes and Arrows. It has a very different feel from the Rush with which I was familiar with at the time. It is slickly produced and exceedingly heavy. Probably heavier than anything Rush has done to date, and I included the Clockwork Angles single in that statement. This is a terrific track. It's a bit of a tease, because it really doesn't belong on this album. It isn't quite preachy enough.

Armour and Sword is the essence of Snakes and Arrows. It is a criticism of religious beliefs and how all their noble intentions more often than not turn into a lethal burden on society. Richard Dawkins probably has it on continuous loop somewhere. I couldn't agree less, but that doesn't stop it from being a pretty solid track. Not a favourite mind you, but a well executed one. It's hard and pounding and has a bit of a mid 80s flair to it. Working Them Angles is much in the same vein. Hard, pounding and critical of religion. Yawn. Two in a row? Seriously? Not a good production choice. It does have a few bright spots, especially the intro, but keeps sounding too much like Armour and Sword.

Much has been made of the fact that A Larger Bowl is written as a pantoum, a type of poetry which I'm not qualified to discuss, because I could care less. It does make from an interesting song. There isn't really a proper chorus just a rolling rhyme. It's a lament for the strife on earth. It gets a little too communist for me at times. It is a good song though, on the heavy side yet, but less on the thumpy side. Lifeson has some excellent guitar work, both acoustic and electric on it.

Ok, I'm getting a little tired of the heavy dark ruminations on the state of the world and religion's role in it. Maybe I'll get a reprieve. Spindrift, no, not yet. Sigh. The first half of the album sorely is lacking in variety. I think people who are more supportive of the message or and more inclined towards metal would prefer it. It's good, but lacking the vivacity and spirit which define Rush's most memorable work. Of these, only Fry Cry gets significant play.

That all changes however on The Main Monkey business! And not a moment to soon. It's a highly entertaining, largely guitar driven instrumental release from the doldrums of the last three tacks. It features great work by all those concerned. It is the weakest of the three instrumentals though. It is something of a turning point on the album; with less (not none) angst angst, and more rock rock.

The subject matter of The Way the Wind Blows is still the same, but the approach is a little different. Rather than simply railing it at offers an alternative just being upset with the state of religious affairs. It has an excellent chorus, both in music and message. The style of the song is hard rock during the body and acoustic during the chorus. During the intro and the solo, Lifeson is also uncharacteristically bluesy.

Hope is the best song on this album and is one of the best Rush songs of all time. It is an Alex Lifeson acoustic guitar solo, which along with Thick as a Brick and the 4th Movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony is one of the only pieces which still give me goose bumps every time I hear them. This is one of the key reasons why I feel Lifeson is king on Snakes and Arrows.

Faithless. Uhhhh, thus spake the atheist peacher. My life is so great because I have no beliefs, thanks. It's as sickening as Christian rock, just with a message that's the polar opposite. Dull. Moving on.

Bravest Face is a little like the Way the Wind Blows, in that it has soft and hard elements. It's a lot better than faithless. I think it has an interesting message about perceptions. It's a pretty cool song over all, and shock! it has notes played in a major key.

There was a serious mistake made on the Good News First. Like a lot of Rush songs, the rhythm section rides in the front seat. When you hear what Lifeson is doing in the back ground I think you'll agree it would have been better at the forefront. This is another real heavy track like those on the first half, but it has a different feel; a little less cluttered with noise and a little more progression. If the others were more like this one I might consider giving this album a four rather than a three.

Malignant Narcissism is a bass driven rock out. Like Hope, I wish it lasted much longer than the paltry 2:17 it's given. Where Hope was Lifeson's showcase, this is Lee and Peart's. It almost doesn't sound like Rush at one point, but once the bass revs up again there's no mistaking it. Second best song on the album.

We Hold On, is a hard rocking track and a good closer for the album. It isn't as intellectual as a lot of the other tracks and I think that's a strength when it comes to this album. The weight of the subject matter doesn't drag the music down with it. Once again, Lifeson should have been made more prominent in the mixing, but c'est la vie.

Snakes and Arrows does get a little bogged down at times. It doesn't destroy the album, but it can make it hard to listen to as a whole each time. The instrumentals, Far Cry and We Hold On shine the brightest. There are some other pretty solid tracks and some pretty rough ones, but Snakes and Arrows shows a band still capable of making excellent music, and to some extent chipping of the rust of creative inactivity. It leaves me wanting more of what I like and expecting quite a lot from any subsequent release. I like it as a whole about three for five, but I like parts of is considerably more.

Rush is truly a unique band. You never really know what you are going to get when you press play on a Rush album and this has been the case from the first track on RUSH in 1974 to the opening seconds of this albums energetic and typically enthusiastic opener Far Cry. On this album you can feel how much work and passion has gone into every song on the album, every drum fill, bass-line and guitar chord thought through and it makes for a stunning sound both musically and emotionally. The production on this album is absolutely perfect. Niel's drums sound absolutely fantastic, Geddy's voice sounds as good as it has in years and Alex Lifesons guitar sound is dusted and perfected into something we haven't heard from him since the early 80's, partly down to his switch back to Gibson Les Paul's as the primary instrument on this album. The albums primary feature is the use of acoustic guitars in almost every song which adds a compositional element that puts the band in a brand new direction that we haven't heard from them before and makes the album a very exciting listen for any Rush fan.

Lots of comparisons have been made of this album sounding like the Rush of the 70's. Well i wouldn't by this album based on such talk because you will be disappointed, this album doesn't sound like the 70,s. But neither does this sound like the 90's or any other Rush period. This albums sounds like a Rush we haven't heard before Snakes and Arrows - The Rush of the 00's.

This is an essential part of any Rush fans collection and is highly recommended.

I've been a huge Rush fan since I first saw them on October 13, 1982 at the University of Illinois during the Signals Tour. I quickly acquired all of their early albums from their first album Rush through Signals and later Grace Under Pressure. I saw them again at the Rosemont Horizon outside of Chicago during their Grace under Pressure Tour and they were still as great as ever live. But, I started to enjoy their new albums less and less and found myself listening to Rush very seldom until I saw the Rush in Rio concert on VH1 and my interest was suddenly renewed. Then a few days ago, I stumbled across this album at a bookstore by chance and I remembered reading some decent reviews here on this album so I decided to buy my first Rush album in years. I must say that I was impressed with what I heard. I'm not going to say its a masterpiece of modern prog, or try to compare it against their great albums of the late 70's and early 80's, because this is not a competition against the past. So the question here is does it live up to the quality of music of its peers today? The answer its most definitely yes. I would put this album up against any Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, or Tool album this decade and it would hold its own by comparison. That is not to say its better than those aforementioned groups, but it is in their class. I like all the tracks on this album, but thereis one track that stands out above the rest. The Main Monkey Business is a five star track that could hold its own against some of Rush's best work from any time period. The Way the Wind Blows and Hope are my next favorite tracks on this album and rate 4.5 stars. I also like the opening two tracks Far Cry and Armour and Sword and the short instrumental Malignant Narcissism and rate those at 4 stars. The remaining tracks rate 3 stars or better. I should add that the overall sound on this album is excellent , but to truely appreciate it this album a good pair of headphones is a must. Overall, this album rates at 4 stars as is a worthy effort that Rush can be proud of and hopefully a sign of even better things to come.

SNAKES & ARROWS is a return to COUNTERPARTS-era sonics, focusing primarily on heavy songs that have a great deal of punch to them. Consider it like the SIGNALS/GRACE UNDER PRESSURE two punch; like Signals, VAPOR TRAILS had them explore a new sound (or in this case, a new version of an old sound), while Snakes & Arrows, like Grace Under Pressure, is the capitalization of that sound. The opener "Far Cry" and the song "Spindrift" strike some of the heaviest riffs they've ever written, while the three (!!!) instrumentals break up the action at key points to keep the album from getting overbearing. We get a nice mixture of songs that are closer to hard rock, like "The Larger Bowl", songs that are closer to heavy metal like "Spindrift" (with nice KING CRIMSON sonic references, to boot), songs that are closer to prog like "Far Cry" and "Armor and Sword".

At this point, fans should expect that Rush is no longer just a prog band, or just a heavy metal band, or just hard or pop rock, but are all of these. This album features all of these sounds in a fairly even mix, which is new for the band. The lyrical roll continues from the previous album, with these songs being powerful, mature examinations of the destructive capabilities of faith. The sequencing is also top notch once more, with each song fitting nicely into the next up until the end. This album isn't a masterpiece and it doesn't completely blow me away, but it is solid and features some really great songs. As a result of the consistency in this album, I typically recommend it to more modern listeners who have never heard Rush, as it features elements of all the kinds of sounds they had through their career save possibly for the more synth-oriented material, but also has a kind of cohesiveness and satisfaction on its own. Excellent album. Four stars.

I've tried to get into this album, but it just escapes me. I can hear that Lee, Lifeson and peart had some fun recording it, and the musicianship is superb, but the songwriting leaves me a little flat. It seems that there was very little thought put into the vocal melodies, so it sounds as if Geddy Lee is singing similar vocal patterns in every song. Taken individually, some of the songs are quite good, but as a whole, I find the album to be tedious.

That said, there's plenty of tasty bass licks, guitar shredding and wild drumming for the fan of Rush's virtuosity. And there are two fair instrumentals, as well. But like much of Rush's later works, there is nothing that comes close to their late 70s or early 80s grandeur.

But then, how many bands are still coming this close to their earlier greatness?

This was my first Rush album; weird, right? Of course I had heard "Tom Sawyer" and other similarly famous tracks on the radio before that, and after I decided that those songs were completely awesome, I decided to purchase Rush's then-brand-new album, Snakes & Arrows.

At first I wasn't sold on the sound. Keep in mind that this was my first Rush album. My first thoughts were "where is the synth? why does this sound so dry and different?". I hadn't yet discovered that Rush changes with the times. After purchasing 2112 and Signals, I started to understand their chameleon tendencies. Only then did I start to understand the magic of this album.

The music here sounds like a dry, desert plane. It sounds like sidewinders in the sand, scorpions in their dug-holes, and the arrows of a lone traveler in this setting protecting himself from said creatures. It's a very atmospheric album as a whole, but also very rock oriented like Rush's music has always been. The three instrumentals "Hope", "The Main Monkey Business", and "Malignant Narcissism" are what I perceive as being the biggest stand out tracks on this album. "Hope" especially stands out and was the first track that I seriously enjoyed upon first listen, often playing it on repeat due it's strong beauty. Alex Lifeson is a fantastic guitarist and definitely has always had his own voice among guitarists. Neil Peart's lyrics are also fantastic as always, not to mention the his always fantastic drumming. Same with Geddy Lee - fantastic as usual.

Not a masterpiece, but far far better than their material from the '90s. This album is remarkably enjoyable through-and-through. Highly recommended.

Vapor Trails could have been tough for people to sallow because of the heaviness but with this one they took out the acoustic instruments and made a progressive album. Other albums you could argue that like this one but I believe this is a progressive album. Far Cry is a great opener that even has a Hemispheres tribute in it which is pretty cool. Armor & Sword is a fantastic song that goes in a few directions before it chooses to end on one and is the longest song Rush has made since Moving Pictures. Workin' Them Angels is another great song with some great lyrics by Neil. The Main Monkey Business, Hope and Malignant Narcissism are the 3 instrumental tracks on this album (A first for Rush). Hope is just an acoustic jam from Alex that goes for 2 mins but works. Malignant Narcissism is a drum and bass jam similar to YYZ and is just as good . The Main Monkey Business is a full on instrumental piece that is beautiful and goes far in just 6 mins. The rest of the songs are kinda forgettable but We Hold On is a great ending track. Overall, this is another great album that showed that Rush may be ready to go progressive one more time. 4 and a half stars. Highlights: Far Cry, Armor & Sword, Workin' Them Angels, The Main Monkey Business, Malignant Narcissism and We Hold On.

I'm faithless

Snakes & Arrows is Rush's latest studio release to date and even though it is certainly an improvement over the sonic disaster that was Vapor Trails, it is not the return to form that fans like me have been waiting for. Snakes & Arrows is a more diverse affair and thus a bit more similar to Test For Echo than it is to Vapor Trails or Counterparts and there are some positive surprises. The first things I noticed when I read the credits and track list was the inclusion of as many as three instrumentals as well as Alex Lifeson's wider array of stringed instruments like twelve string guitars, mandola, mandolin and bouzouki (!). Both things spurred my interest and injected hope (incidentally the title of one of the instrumentals) that Rush finally made something really good again. The instrumentals are indeed welcome and so are the acoustic instruments, but the songwriting is not what it once was.

While the three instrumentals stand out in a positive way, there are also some tracks that stick out in a negative way. One of them is the utterly prosaic and straightforward rocker Workin' Them Angels and another is the rambling, Blues-based The Way The Wind Blows. The latter harks back to the band's very early days (before they evolved into a Prog band). Who would have thought we would ever heard such a bluesy number again from Rush so many years after they abandoned their Blues-Rock roots? This is, however, not my cup of tea, but it does at least add a little most welcome variety to the album. Hope - one of the instrumentals - is a Lifeson solo piece and a wholly acoustic affair. But those expecting a classical guitar piece like those of Steve Howe, Steve Hackett or Rik Emmett (of fellow Canadians Triumph), are in for a surprise. This is more like a droning Raga piece! - interesting, but hardly great. Faithless is a semi-ballad on the lines of Resist from the Test For Echo album, but it simply pales in comparison with that modern Rush classic. The rest is pretty much Rush by-the-numbers; neither good nor bad.

Overall, Snakes & Arrows is a rather average Rush album. It is better than most of their 90's and 00's albums, but a very far cry from the efforts of the band's heyday. Those waiting for Rush to do something on the lines of 2112, A Farwell to Kings or Hemispheres will most probably wait forever. I wouldn't hold my breath!

In the 70s and 80s, Rush established a new kind of prog which would also be an important influence on prog metal. It was more riffy and a bit light on structure but involved displays of dazzling virtuosity without jams or improvisations of any great length. The function of a jam or improv was built into the structure of Rush's compositions such that it provided them the space to 'show off' while still developing the music, in a certain way. Not everybody digs this kind of prog and I personally take only what I like from this niche but it's become pretty important.

What Rush did not always have then is an alternative soft touch, a hint of fragility or vulnerability. They could probably be compared to Steely Dan or Sparks in that sense, but they were not tongue in cheek either. Robert Fripp would balance an apocalyptic instrumental (Red) with a stirring portrayal of melancholy (Fallen Angel). Roger Waters's worldly wise commentary on songs such as Time or Money was contrasted with more purely emotive manic moments of expression (Great Gig In the Sky/Don't Leave Me Now). Rush did not seem to possess that other gear. They hinted at a softer side (Different Strings) but rarely explored it.

Years and years later, it seems chief lyrical architect Neil Peart no longer believes in changing the world. At least, the lyrics do not show much evidence of it and, rather, bring forth the feelings of a man's struggle to get on with the world and its mysterious ways. His chosen themes suggest a feeling of despair at not being able to find answers to questions that haunt him after all these years and a resigned acknowledgment that the world is not, after all, a fair place.

This might sound depressing to put down on paper but musically, it helps project a very different, fresh side of Rush. The somewhat preachy tone of Peart's lyrics in the 70s is dispensed it. Instead he writes heavily in the first person and, as mentioned earlier, discusses his feelings about a range of topics. Whether it's the more characteristically hyperkinetic Far Cry ("One day I feel I am on top of the world/The next it's rolling over me) or the defiant Faithless, the focus is now on the way Peart experiences the world and not how he would like all of us to experience it. If you are tempted to find a macro-philosophical angle to everything, you might dub it a trading in 70s idealism for contemporary realism. But a more succinct explanation may be that Peart has just grown older.

And, curiously, after years of rocking out at the speed of light, it makes Rush a more engaging experience for me. They are finally playing at a pace that is more 'real' and singing in more earthy octaves. In doing so, they find the space to develop emotions that they used not to be able to in their heyday.

Speaking of octaves, this album gives Geddy a chance to show a different dimension to his singing. His effeminate pitch and nasal tone may not be to everyone's liking and he has some less edifying tendencies besides that but since he stopped trying to scream like Robert Plant, he has gradually evolved into a pretty fine singer. The more relaxed pace of his album allows his supple voice to soar and he emotes pretty well, especially on Spindrift.

Musically, the album is largely rock and there's not much prog going on here. Not many time signature changes or extended passages, it follows a nice verse-chorus pattern consistently. That may make the album sound predictable to you IF you are completely tuned into the structure of the compositions. Should you focus more on what they are playing or singing, you might find it easier to enjoy the album.

That gives me a good opportunity to wind up the review. It is not a perfect album and while Peart's thoughts engage, they are not always articulated in the most convincing manner. But what you make of this album ultimately hinges on how much you are a prisoner of your expectations - from Rush stylistically, or prog in terms of complexity of approach. It may not have a lot to satisfy your appetite for prog. Whether that necessarily means it is not an album for progheads, I am not so sure of. I enjoyed this album very much, more so than most of their post-Moving Pictures work and will simply rate it based on my personal experience. 4 stars.

Returning to Snakes and Arrows.

I bought "Snakes and Arrows" on its release after a massive build up and way too much hype and I wanted to hear something heavy and proggish and full of brilliant musicianship. I was very disappointed at the time. On the initial listen I think only about 3 songs jumped out and the rest just washed over me. I played it again and that sinking feeling followed; what a poor excuse for an album. The album came in a blaze of mass hype and disappeared from conversation without fanfare. Most Rush fans at the time wanted to forget it existed and it is easy to understand why. I spoke to some Rush fanatics recently at a prog concert and they all agreed that it was not Rush's finest hour, though some wanted to defend it but could not give a shred of evidence why it deserved to be given more than the average 3 stars. The Rush power trio had gone mellow and were treading on a more radio friendly sound akin to their 80s years. I think we Rushaholics just expected something awesome rather than merely good. Adequate is not enough when it comes to brilliant musicians such as Rush. However, I experienced this new Rush in the same way I would experience, say, an Oasis album or U2; nice to listen to on a cold afternoon but not blowing up my skirt tails. It is a real shame, as Rush are capable of brilliance such as "Moving Pictures", or "Signals".

The weird thing is that I left this album alone for at least 4 years without returning to it. It sat isolated and dejected in my CD tower while "Moving Pictures", "A Farewell to Kings" and "Hemispheres" received a veritable work out. Heck, even "Counterparts" has troubled my CD player more than "Snakes and Arrows". So what is the problem here? I put it down to the forgettable songs and overall lack in quality prog. I could not even point toward any prog on S&A unless you can call some of the instrumentals borderline prog. So it was with a certain degree of trepidation that I returned to this album for the purpose of a review that I have been putting off for about 4 years. I have just listened to some 80s Rush albums as well as "Caress of Steel" so I guess I better review this and get it over with before the arrival of 2012's "Clockwork Angels".

What has to be understood when approaching Rush is that they seem to have gone through three phases in their lengthy career. The best phase was the full blown prog phase that lasted for ten wonderful albums. Here we can expect lengthy complex compositons with a plethora of time sig changes, narrations, blistering lead solos, high register aggressive vocals, inventive power drumming and conceptual themes that range from Necromancers to Princes at battle on some mystical fantasy quest. The science fiction themes of Cygnus X permeate the albums and often wholes sides of vinyl are swallowed up by massive multi movement suites such as '2112'. 1974 to 1984 are the best albums of Rush with 10 awesome albums that I could listen to any day of the week.

The next phase was the dreaded 80s and everything became thin and crystal clean drenched in synthesizers and radio friendly AOR. The melodies overpower the lyrics that are focussed on searching for meaning. Lee's vocals are processed, Lifeson's guitars are jangly and crisp with too much treble, and indeed Peart opts for electronic percussion at times. 'Power Windows", "Presto", and "Roll the Bones" are the worst the band has produced. Yes, they have a few decent songs but are inconsistent to the point of delirium; full of filler material and totally dated.

After this the only way to go was up and Rush go back to the heaviness of their early years without the lengthy song structures and prog textures. Rush have aged and the music has likewise matured into solid rock without the flashy solos and concepts. In 1994 "Counterparts" was one of the best albums and was a true return to form, and it was followed by inferior material again with "Test For Echo" and "Vapor Trails". This is why we all wanted something great from Rush with "Snakes and Arrows".

I blew the dust off the cover, that I never was impressed with (I mean "Vapour Trails" and "Test For Echo" has more appeal than that illustration of a cartoon snake pit; Maybe that may make Indiana Jones cringe but it does nothing for me). The actual booklet boasts some fine artwork that is nice eye candy, but it is not Hipgnosis, is it? Anyway the CD cover creaked and finally I managed to wrench the CD out, it did not have a mark on it having had little disturbance over the years, and I placed it into the unfamiliar territory of an actual CD player.

It began and I was immediately greeted with 'Far Cry'. The guitars are quite heavy to me after hearing "Hold Your Fire" and "Power Windows". I really enjoyed the melody and Lee sounds terrific on vocals. Okay, it is not an instant classic but this is a decent song with some nice aggressive riffing and an atmospheric lead break that amounts to a lot of sustained string bending rather than the fret melting work of Lifeson on such awesome tracks as 'Bytor and The Snow Dog'.

After a solid start the next track is 'Armor and Sword' and again it is a very good riff heavy song that has grown on me. One of the primary reasons I have come to enjoy the album is for the insertion of a lot of these songs on the "Snakes and Arrows Live" DVD where the songs are given a new power, indeed feel invigorated with more passion on the live stage. The drums sound huge and powerful and the melody is driven with great riffs.

'Workin' Them Angels' is one of the tracks that I liked instantly hearing this back in 2007 and I still regard it highly, it sounds awesome live too. The infectious chorus is unforgettable and overall I am a fan of Lifeson's guitar work here. Interestingly the band have stated that the title of the track refers to a conversation that was overheard between two elderly people where the lady critiqued her husband's driving stating "he was workin' them angels", in other words had a charmed life as his driving had a lot to be desired. Well, it makes a catchy song title.

'The Larger Bowl' is not a bad song but it took a while to grow on me and once again I liked the live version better. The acoustics are given a workout here but the main drawcard is the melody of the chorus "some are blessed and some are cursed, such a lot of pain on the earth". I think the lyrics have a lot to say about suffering ad are better than the actual melody but this is sufficient for a listen.

So far the return to S&A for me has been quite a pleasant experience. Let's move on then to 'Spindrift'. I had no idea what this sounded like, had forgotten it completely, so it was nice to hear again. It begins with acoustic with a dark edged guitar lick sounding a bit disconcerting, but no complaints from me as I don't mind that. The lyrics are edgey and concern the loss of a relationship; "who cares what a fool believes, what am I supposed to say, where are the words to answer you, when you talk that way, a little closer to you, where is the wind that will get me." The lead break is restrained but okay to break up the verses. Again I don't mind this track at all and am quite surprised than the album is already better than the last few albums previous, apart from "Counterparts" which I adore.

There are three instrumentals on the album and they are all very well executed. The first is 'The Main Monkey Business' which is dominated by synths but they are not 80s sounding but quite effective here. The bassline is wandering and when the main theme begins I get chills as I remember it from the live performances. I absolutely love this track, and begin to wander why I was so disappointed when I first heard this album. It is strange, but I am by now under the impression that I may have held my expectations too high as this so far is far superior to any of the last few albums, excluding "Counterparts".

'The Way the Wind Blows' is the first mediocre moment for me but it is saved by some nice riffing. The lyrics let it down which are a little too self-conscious for my taste; "we can only blow the way the wind blows, we can only bow to the here and now or be broken down blow by blow". Fairy snuff. The lead break is very good and again lifts the track above what I had heard over previous years on Rush albums. However it is too long for its own good at 6 and a half minutes of repetitive choruses.

'Hope' follows with strong acoustic soloing from Lifeson. It is not 'Mood For A Day' but it is okay as a diversion from the loud dramatic rock to give our ears a rest.

'Faithless' is an optimistic track about non belief ("I don't have faith in faith, I believe in love and that's faith enough for me") but I have no interest in this. I focus on the music instead and it is okay but nothing special. The melody is nicely handled, especially the chorus, but really this is one of Rush's ordinary efforts, in the vein of most of "Presto".

'Bravest Face' is next with a pouring out of acoustics over a layer of synths. Lyrically it centres on a worldview seen through the eyes of both blacks and whites respectively; a world with "a sunny point of view", and "a darker point of view." It goes on to state "we might have precious little but we're still precious", and potently "in the sweetest child there's a vicious streak, so you might as well put on your bravest face". Lee warns the listeners to be tolerant as the world is not going to get any brighter so we must take courage and remain prepared or the world may overwhelm us. I like this ideology as it makes sense and the poetic lyrics are cleverly expressed. The music is terrific and suits the theme perfectly and for me this is another highlight, though a bit of a sleeper track that rarely gets talked about and is not on the live setlist.

'Good News First' is the anti-optimistic view of the world, after the previous optimism; "you used to feel that way, the saddest words you could ever say, but I know you'll remember that day, and the most beautiful words I could ever say, some would say they never feared a thing, well I do, and I am afraid enough for both of us, time will do its worst so do me a favour and tell me the good news first." It has a raucous guitar intro with just a lot of hard strumming on an A chord. It settles into very gentle verses and a processed vocal effect. I had no idea what this song sounded like and I can see why as it's so forgettable with precious little to latch onto in the way of musicianship or any semblance of a melody. One saving grace is Lifeson's lead break which is inventive and soaring but too short. No wonder it is left off the S&A live setlist.

'Malignant Narcissism' is the last instrumental concentric on Lee's funky slapping bass work and some of Peart's inimitable drumming to accompany. The guitars are just a lot of down sweeps ringing out and some jangalanga strikes until we get to the feedback squeals. I must admit it is great to hear Lee busting out the bass and it sounds wonderful live and he has such a great time with the crowd.

'We Hold On' finishes the album on a positive rocking note. I love the lead squeals in the main riff. It is not memorable but not too bad as you are listening to it thanks to the heaviness of the track and Lee is very good on multilayered vocals.

So I get to the end of the album realising that it wasn't such a bad release after all. Still not up to the standard of the 70s and early 80s but nevertheless superior to the disappointment of "Vapor Trails", "Test For Echo", "Roll The Bones" and the late 80s albums. I cannot wait for the new Rush album June 2012 that is even more hyped than this release, and as long as it is as good as the first few songs on this consistently it will be a delight. S&A was well worth returning to and I have no problem with the new Rush sound here, as at least it is heavy and the lyrics mean something to me. I believe the band are yet to present their best of the post 2000 years on their next release but this is still excellent music.

A return of the band as I would have expected them to be - the best effort since "Grace under Pressure" in my opinion. This isn't the Rush of old but then this is Rush in 2007 - the music is powerful and interesting. The band survived the eighties and the nineties and now they present us with music that is good and interesting - the metal sounds of yore are very much gone and the approach is very much heavy progressive here. To list the tracks that I enjoy here would be to list all of the tracks and accordingly I will not go into that exercise. In a way I miss the sound of Rush in the 70's and the early 80's however this is a more mature, "together" sound and I find myself drawn to it. I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars here but if I forget Rush of old then it is easier to make the decision - this for me is a 5 star album as it represents the new very good sound of Rush while showing sparks (of the music style that I loved back then - not the quality, which is different but damn good) from times past . Good on yer Rush.

Snakes and arrows is a fairly decent to great recent Rush albums, one of the many released over the years by the band. This one is from 2007 and again I like quite much. I'm a Rush fan for more then 20 years and this one is no less enjoyble from me as other albums from their catalogue. Maybe is sounds to me little more melodic then previous 2-3 albums, but is still a Rush album from all sides. This is not a fantastic record but definetly is not bad for sure either, is a typical Rush album, nothing less nothing more. The lengthy song structures are no more present like in the early days, but the prog textures are present on each piece for sure. The perfect example are the instrumental tracks like the top notch The Main Monkey Business , awesome breaks and tempo changes, quite fun to listen and very well as always produces and played. To me Rush doesn't have bad albums, not a single one is bad, some are more intresting and catchy then others that is the main thing. Good release from the masters, not really excellent but pleasent enough for my ears. 3.5 stars, another fine art work on the album sleeve..

The 18th album by RUSH has the honor of allowing me to listen to the entire thing without losing my interest by the time I get to the end. That is something that hasn't happened since "Grace Under Pressure." Except for the all cover EP "Feedback" this was the first studio album after a lengthy silence. The refreshed sounds I expected to hear on "Vapor Trails" have finally come through on this one. Most of the songs are stronger. There's more originality and the all three members just seem like they're into it this time 'round.

The album was inspired by various sources: a Buddhist game called "Leela," a game called "Snakes And Ladders" and Hamlet's quote "slings and arrows." Even stranger yet was the decision to write the entire album acoustically and then add the electronic sounds later. The band has stated that the theme of the album is based on Neil Peart's motorcycle ride after the tragedies he endured years before, which makes me wonder why "Vapor Trails" wasn't this album. Guess it takes some time to process such horrific events.

After the first listen I really loved this album, but after repeated listenings some of the songs just sound stale. A very strong comeback but unfortunately this album can't compare to any pre-Power Windows era RUSH. Like all their recent albums this one could have used a healthy editing and a few weaker tracks dropped, but despite it all a very welcome new sound that actually works. A much needed replenishing of some musical mojo here. 3.5 but a weak one so rounded down for this one.

Rush-Snakes & Arrows

Following the darker mood and atmosphere of their previous album, Rush released their follow-up album five years later. With Rush taking long breaks in-between albums, expectations may get rather high. Don't expect the same thing as 'Vapor Trails' though, because Rush never remains the same with their recent releases.

The music differs from 'Vapor Trails', with Snakes & Arrows having more of a variety between heavy rocking tracks and softer acoustic moments. You have, as always, the heavy opener 'Far Cry' with driving guitar riffs, which is probably my favorite song on the album. From haunting yet still heavy tracks like 'Armour & Sword' and 'Faithless' to a great bluesy 'The Way the Wind Blows' and a great finale 'We Hold On', Snakes & Arrows never fails to captivate me.

Unlike other albums, 'Snakes & Arrows' is filled with unique instrumentals. You have an experimental jam 'The Main Monkey Business' with heavy guitar, nice acoustics, space-like sounds, and an ambient guitar solo. The 2nd instrumental 'Hope' is a short but sweet acoustic song. Nothing but acoustic guitar, it's a really unique folk-like song. The 3rd and final instrumental is 'Malignant Narcissism', a heavy track with strong bass. Hard for me not to tap my foot to this song, with the driving bass riffs.

The lyrics are dark, like the previous album. There is a less raw and dark sound to the songs though, making them feel a little more uplifting. Certain songs are in fact empowering, like the closer 'We Hold On' which gives the feeling of hope and is combined with great heavy guitar. The instrumentals, having no lyrics, have to let the music speak. The song 'Hope' is, not surprisingly, relaxing, but the other two are heavy and haunting.

If you are one of the people who didn't like the production on 'Vapor Trails', You'll enjoy the loud powerful production 'Snakes & Arrows' has. Production for me sets a certain atmosphere for an album, and that's why I enjoyed the production for 'Vapor Trails'. For 'Snakes & Arrows' the production fits with matching the powerful riffing, vocals, and drumming.

Overall, 'Snakes & Arrows' is another flawless album in my opinion. It's less raw then 'Vapor Trails', but it doesn't remove the rock and dark mood. It's certainly essential if you enjoy Rush's present century releases.

"One day I feel I'm on top of the world And the next it's falling in on me I can get back on, I can get back on"

Whenever I hear the lyrics of the chorus of "Far Cry," I always feel as though it's a metaphor for all the hardships and triumphs that Rush have experienced throughout their illustrious career. Seriously, just think about this for a moment... back in the early 70s, would you have ever believed that a progressive rock trio with complex instrumentation and heavy lyrical themes regarding fantasy and philosophy would become the rock juggernaut they are now? It's quite incredible, especially when considering what tragedies and struggles have befallen the band over the years. And here they still are, over four decades after Neil Peart first joined the band, still maintaining the same lineup after all that time has passed. The fact that Rush continued even after something as tragic as the deaths of Peart's wife and daughter and made an album as good as Vapor Trails is a true testament to how close-knit and committed these guys are. However, where were they going to go after their 2002 effort? Well, Snakes and Arrows strengthens the band's newly modernized sound found on Vapor Trails while managing to be one of their most emotional and sentimental works.

The instrumental "blend" I mentioned in my last review is honed to near-perfection on this album. In fact, the more economic playing styles of each member here are really effective in keeping the album cohesive. Even the primary instrumental "The Main Monkey Business" offers very little in the way of flashy musicianship. Instead, there's a much more warm and inviting sound at work; Alex Lifeson's gorgeous acoustic guitar work is one of the most prominent elements of the record, and there's a lot more subtlety in Geddy's bass playing. But don't think for a second that this is a complete step down in intensity from Vapor Trails; one listen to the opener "Far Cry" will immediately dispel that notion with its heavy riffing and hard-hitting rhythms. However, there's a certain beauty to Snakes and Arrows that's a bit difficult to describe. There are a lot of lush arrangements and beautiful layers that give many of the songs an otherworldly quality, one of the best examples being the chorus "Armor and Sword." After a distorted riff from Lifeson and harmonized vocals from Geddy Lee, the song breaks into a very spacious and dreamlike portion for the chorus, with the guitar work sounding massive and almost cathartic.

Much of the album is based on personal reflection, however, as stated by Peart himself when describing the faith-based aspects of the record. Indeed, there are many intimate moments that really recall classic Rush songs like "Madrigal" or "Different Strings." One of my personal favorites is Alex Lifeson's solo acoustic piece "Hope," combining the typically complex playing he's known for with a very folky and organic vibe that almost sounds like it's being played at a campfire. Also, Geddy Lee's voice is a bit more restrained this time around, which is a much better fit with more subdued pieces like the mid-tempo rocker "Working Them Angels" or the acoustic-based power ballad "The Larger Bowl," the latter benefiting from combining these vocals with more minimalist songwriting and instrumentation during the verses. Of course, the band still engage in a little bit of prog self-indulgence when they want to, like in the short bass-driven rocker "Malignant Narcissism" as the subtle tempo and time signature shifts of "Faithless." As with Vapor Trails, the biggest problem I have with this record is that it's a bit too lengthy. Cutting out some of the fat would have been beneficial to the album, perhaps if the band trimmed it down to about fifty five or so minutes.

Despite that, Snakes and Arrows really is among Rush's finest works. It's hard to believe that the next album also surpasses this one, but it just shows how strong and relevant the band still are, even in today's rock scene. As it stands, though, this is one Rush record that should not be overlooked if you're even remotely interested in the group.

Over the 10 years after this album was released I've spun it many times, at first unsure of how I'd rank it among Rush albums but still listening every once in awhile to give it time to settle in my mind. Rush appear very inspired on this album, helped a lot by their new choice of producer in Nick Raskulinecz who is a die-hard Rush can. Watching "The Game of Snakes and Arrows" which documents the creation of the album shows us a happy group recording music they are proud to be making, working over the course of 5 weeks using mostly acoustic instruments. Far Cry ended up being the most well known from this disc, described by Geddy as a "really good day", although Workin Them Angels also enjoyed a bit of success as a single as well. The Larger Bowl and Faithless each have great things going on lyrically, the latter also featuring an interesting main riff and great solo section towards the end. Armor and Sword and Spindrift are favourites of mine as well,I love that it gets a bit heavier and was a highlight during this album's tour. Malignant Narcissism was the last song written for the album, on a whim when Geddy received a fretless bass at the studio after all else has been recorded. Peart's drums had already been removed, causing him to record on a 3 piece kit for the first time possibly ever! The Main Monkey Business is the longest instrumental and uses 2 or 3 different riffs to great effect, staying interesting the entire time. The remaining tracks aren't essential for me, especially The Way the Wind Blows which goes on too long, and We Hold On which is just the one riff and not much else. This is still a very inspired album for a band 35 years into their career, certainly worth hearing if you've somehow missed it or giving a try if you haven't yet. 8/10

Review #91

I gave 2 stars to "Grace under pressure" and after that, I did the same with every single RUSH album until "Vapor trails", so it made no sense to write a bunch of reviews about the same band saying exactly the same and rating every album with the same amount of stars, so I just rated the albums without writing any review until now and why did I decide to write a review about "Snakes and arrows"? What was different? Well, for starts I'll give one more star to this album because I find a lot of reminiscenses to RUSH's great albums from the seventies and start of eighties, this album got originality and clearly an improvement in the quality of the compositions.

The style of "Snakes and arrows" is probably not as Heavy and powerful as "Hemispheres" or "Permanent waves" but at least it has a lot of interesting and fresh songs such as "Spindrift" "Faithless" or "Armor and sword", we can hear a very revitilized band with very original material that doesn't sound as mototonal and boring as the previous 8 or 9 previous albums of the band. RUSH had a tremendous change of style in this record, it is probably their only album after "Signals" that I would ever buy.

SONG RATING: Far cry, 4 Armor and sword, 4 Workin' them angels, 3 The larger bowl, 3 Spindrift, 4 The main monkey business, 3 The way the wind blows, 4 Hope, 4 Faithless, 4 Bravest face, 4 Good news first, 4 Malignant narcissism, 3 We hold on, 4

AVERAGE: 3.69

PERCENTAGE: 73.85

ALBUM RATING: 3 stars

The days when Rush would majorly evolve their sound over every four albums or so were long since over when Snakes and Arrows came out - to a large extent, this is a continuation and refinement of the same general musical direction they'd been taking from Counterparts onward, which by and large had served them well, bar for some lightweight moments on Test For Echo and the botching of the original mix of Vapor Trails. Still, as a polishing and further refinement of that approach, Snake and Arrows is very good - perhaps the best of this era of the band. If you don't like anything they've done since 1993, it's not going to persuade you otherwise, but if you're at all open to conceding the merits of the run of albums from Counterparts to Vapor Trails you will likely find a lot to like here, and probably less to dislike than on the weaker parts of those albums.

2007 saw the release of Rush's next album, Snakes & Arrows. "Far Cary" opens the album strong. It features a heavy, slightly weird riff in the verses, and the chorus is some of the catchiest music the band had written in a long time. "Spindrift" is another highlight, having an idiosyncratic main riff.

Snakes & Arrows features a trio of instrumentals, which are some of the strongest tracks on the album. "The Main Monkey Business" shows Rush returning to their prog rock heyday. It's full of complex rhythms, just the right amount of instrumental flashiness, and Mellotron is deployed to great effect. "Hope" is a lovely little acoustic piece, and "Malignant Narcissism" is a funky, aggressive two-minute showoff session for Geddy and Neil.

There are weak points on Sankes & Arrows, though. "Armor and Sword" is one of the least-interesting songs on the album, which only serves to reinforce my bias against slow Rush songs. "Workin' Them Angels" shows continued alt rock influence, particularly in Alex's guitarwork in the chorus. The verses are weirdly folky, and folky wasn't really a sound that suited the band too well. "The Larger Bowl" reminds me of Test for Echo or Vapor Trails in how bland it is. Despite these shortcomings, Snakes & Arrows is considerably stronger than their previous couple albums, due in no small part to the tonal and textural variation deployed.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2020/04/27/deep-dive-rush/