Not even the slightest approach creative wear ...

... On the contrary! "Snakes And Arrows" are the most intense, the most authentic 62-minute rush for many years. Although they have never delivered a weak album, but it is noteworthy that on the varied, sage-and-write 18 studio album (not counting Feedback) Rush's not a single song as a weakness, not a minute idle to chalk. Who has the hard, extremely guitar-driven pace of the 2002s outputs Vapor Trails do not like, is delighted that the tunes again have a bear particular function that more space was created for the song. And emerged as the century art song BRAVEST FACE whose elongated chorus follows in the footsteps of classics like Limelight.

Ever these magical moments are scattered again numerous. The quasi-title song ARMOR AND SWORD (begins with the words "The snakes and arrows ...") conjures up the most dreamy moments produced since Bravado. It is very amazing that this works without keyboards. Alex Lifeson, who had declared five years earlier already Vapor Trails to synth-free zone, has his friend Geddy Lee apparently saved from "relapses". Instead, he is himself, who makes long reverberating guitars for atmospheric sounds and sent filling the spaces that were previously served by Geddy Lee's keyboards. His guitar work is more versatile than ever. The 6 and a half-minute film ARMOR AND SWORD he gives so many faces, acoustically highlighted verses on dark steamroller-like reconciliations to heaven and earth ausfülligen arpeggios full of charm and grace. Hard to believe that this is one and the same song. Also with THE WAY THE WIND BLOWS burns Lifeson fireworks from between surprising Blue Rock - a declaration of love to his own youth hero of the 60s - superhard, pressing rock guitars and ominous power chords.

In addition throughout the album distributed a large number of small to medium-long emotional goosebumps solos that are as ever built such a song relevant to the pieces that you never have the feeling that the guitarist had to maintain his ego. No, not at Rush. No other band even the bass is such an important part of the entire song. The melodic basslines at ARMOR AND SWORD or FAITHLESS are sensational, those of Far Cry is memorized even as real hook on the brain's hard drive. And you can hear every sound crystal clear, thanks to a flawless mixing and production. Here, the straighte Heavy-oriented sound most right on the previous Vapor Trails. There were therefore no compromises in terms of heaviness; it was just worked fantastic. At the 2002s-album remember some pieces like FAITHLESS (with strings of Ben Mink, who in 1982 at "Losing It" violin and Geddy Lee's solo album, the guitar playing), Far Cry, GOOD NEWS FIRST and WE HOLD ON with their multilayered , dynamic drives, but the melodies are more pronounced and often already include short passages of acoustic guitar.

Again and again reminds "Snakes And Arrows" but also to Rush in the late-80s and early-90s, only without keyboards. The catchy rockers Workin 'THEM ANGELS example could have been written thanks to its striking harmonies for Presto. 2007 make it a rush to advantage already to have so many creative phases behind and draw only the best of all. "Snakes And Arrows" was the most versatile Rush album, perhaps the most complete. The '60s rock-tinged, quiet Held THE LARGER BOWL (written in the form of a "Pantoum", ie line 2 and 4 form in a changed context, the lines 1 and 3 of the next verse) shall immediately upon the dramatic atmospheres of addictive SPINDRIFT - a true psycho-trip.

Three Instrumentals ennoble the album and give lesson in superhuman device operation, although the songs already usually are quite complex and can accommodate changes in rhythm and Frickeleien. HOPE is a folk-tinged acoustic solo Alex Lifeson. The triumvirate finally complete raging from the melody-dominated THE MAIN MONKEY BUSINESS and the art extravaganza MALIGNANT narcissism that seamlessly also linked 26 years after Moving Pictures at the YYZ tradition. We owe that including the producer, Nick Raskulinecz, who already reaped earlier with the Foo Fighters Grammys. As an avowed fan of Rush has this young guy, 36 at that time (according to Neil Peart was even his mother younger than the three of Rush) "advertised" even in the band. Lo and behold, between "Booujze" (his onomatopoeic nickname, because he even "sung" in the studio, the drum parts has) and Rush the chemistry excellent and the new Producer drove the "old men" repeatedly to to show what they can.

The lyrics of the album throwing thoughtful glances at light and shade of the human condition. Why everyone is as it is what the world has left humanity and how it could have been self-selected or already embossed in childhood confidence and what it uses us and hurts are the focus of the songs. Neil Peart has again packed full of profound metaphors and delicate irony. The most impressive of all is the images of "Leela, The Game of Snakes and Arrows", a year-old Buddhist game to self-knowledge, in which the player of his karma affected rolls one die and then travels through the fields of the board. The album cover is actually such a board. An arrow leads to a higher and the snake to a lower level of (conscious) existence. For Rush the dice fell with "Snakes And Arrows" definitely on an arrow. Trio-theism.