Difficult ... 1

Rarely I found it so hard to write about an album like Rush's (still) current disc. Two reviews I have written and discarded again before publication (both of which are to be read with the comments, if there who cares). This could have several causes. The music of Rush, the Canadian power trio is now less positive "complex", "unwieldy" as negative. The adjusted here often the view of the good tunes that resurface often to "Clockwork Angels" and link the album with the 80 plants. Even more serious is the questionable sound of CD - sound loud and unfortunately relatively dynamiklos Rush already since the late nineties, and the mercilessly overdriven and spongy blended "Vapor Trails" had neatly plug beating the band. With "Snakes & Arrows" the band seemed to get at least to the mix under control again, but the album also suffered enormous compression. In "Clockwork Angels" the sound is "inflated" that it almost hurts. Unlike S & A CA was not mixed by Richard Chycki, who among other things created all previous 5.1 mixes of Rush albums but from producer Nick Rasculinecz itself, which could be a reason for the sound problems. On the DR-side someone but also leave the comment "Art destroyed by Brian Gardner," which implied that mastering engineer Brian "Big Bass" Gardner meets the principal. Here, the initial impression is not so bad, but over time the spongy sound is always annoying. At the first listening test I've seen for three songs on the track list, and thought, "How long has this yet?". The second time I had a headache from listening to the album. Melodies or hooks are not stuck with me, I could not remember anything. A "wall" stood between me and the songs ... well, anyway, I am then came out that the main problem is the sub-bass shares the bass drum, the so much "pushing" include sound energy here that of the actual music distracts. I would recommend anyone who could not do anything with the album, sometimes experimenting with EQ or high-pass filtering (or at least, if available, turn off bass boost). A DeClipping can be effective, however, the "cut-off" frequency response can never reproduce accurately. How far we have come when an album first time itself must reprocess in order to enjoy it? But a guitarist, who believes in all seriousness, 100 guitar tracks in one song ("BU2B") to be able to accommodate, which has really taken leave of his senses as well. Sorry Alex. The wide variety of effects on virtually all instruments and vermatschten Drums (sound partially really dull, pool barely audible) increase not just your listening pleasure.

Musically tried "Clockwork Angels" as Rush to sound in the old days. Many a time the band but this seems too hard and hard, especially in the "heavy" therefore coming Tracks ("BU2B", "Headlong Flight") provide fast wear one because there is no air between the distorted Lifeson guitar riffs easily. In addition, it creates Geddy Lee also rarely ("Caravan"), apply the associated power in the vocals. Better me his singing like whenever he sounds more relaxed (stanzas of "Halo Effect", "The Garden"). Neil Peart's drumming is conducive song and robbed by the production of its force. Well thank you. The total return greater complexity and the mixture of 70's guitar riffs and choruses make 80 "Clockwork Angels" but already at a decent work that lies at least musically his three predecessors in the pocket. The concept story unfortunately does not lead to more relationship between the songs as something like "Roll the Bones" or "Snakes & Arrows": the transitions are rather weak, recurring motifs, there is apart from "BU2B" / "BU2B2" no, at least not obviously. Upon closer examination I might me imagine that "Seven Cities of Gold" / "The Anarchist" and "Clockwork Angels" / include "The Wreckers" similar bodies and the beginning of "Wish them well," the melody of "Carnies" is heard. The strings provide a dramatic paint in some songs. Guitar solos are unfortunately rather scarce (instead often dissonant squeak), and many songs have fallen about 1 minute long.
The edgy opener "Caravan", the dramatic "The Wreckers" and the unusual ballad conclusion "The Garden", the album contains three future classics; "Clockwork Angels" (exaggerated untwisted), "The Anarchist" (a lot of nice ideas - alone three great riffs) and maybe "Seven Cities of Gold" (a bit exhausting) are similarly good. "BU2B" would have this level may be able to also reach, but the scratch-celled "Vapor Trails" -Gitarrenspiel ensures unfortunately for point deduction. Worst of all (despite an interesting melodic idea in between) the seven minute "Headlong Flight": head and aimless Herumgerocke and -gebolze that listening does not make me more fun than watching someone who hits his head against a wall. Just annoying. The hectic "Carnies" (guitar solo nipped in the mix ...), the partially acoustic ballad "Halo Effect" and something pieced together "Wish them well" (a poor imitation of undervalued "Carve Away The Stone") are rather mediocre.
Pleasing to "Clockwork Angels" is mainly that Rush finally go back more confident and ambitious to work; whether it makes musical sense, they revert to the stylistic device, of which they had tried to emancipate itself for years, is another matter. But what on "Clockwork Angels" also painfully clear is: Another "2112", "Hemispheres", "Moving Pictures" or "Grace Under Pressure" is the band no longer succeed. That "Clockwork Angels" was still so celebrated and has been called by some fans even as the best Rush album at all, she will not reveal to me. For Geddy missing now the vocal versatility, and the band an original, "unthickened" (trio) sound.

Addendum: Have you ever tried to play along with some songs with the guitar and am always encountered the problem that I could not see properly in the Soundwust what can be heard for a chord or just the reef goes exactly. Something I know of no other album. Not even the rhythm is correctly defined, for example at the end of "Caravan" you can hear the drums barely. With headbanging so is nothing. In some places I succeed though, to focus on details such as the strings in "Halo Effect", but the keyboards are in "BU2B" and remain in a Klangsoße sunk. Why a band produces a so enamored detail work and then ruined everything by a so lousy sound, is a question to which I find still no answer. Given the quality of the compositions and the performances of the band really sad. I do not want to imagine how good this album would have sounded, and how much more fun would make me listen to me. Although this is only a utopia, but if someone were to ask me: I would remix this album personally.
Songs & Performance - 4.5 stars; Concept - 3 stars; Sound - 1.5 stars => total - 3 stars