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VAPOR TRAILS
Well prog heads and lonely suburban males, Rush are back and sounding more
aggressive than ever. What really surprises me about this disc upon first
listen is that it kicks harder than any of their previous releases and they
play with a youth abandon seldom heard in acts half the age of these guys.
The songs are tight and to the point, void of
any self indulgent wanking usually associated with this genre. Drummers can
rejoice in Neil Pearts simply staggering
grooves and finesse, and he usually always throws in a fill in each song
that will keep drummers scratching their heads
in wonder thinking 'how did he do that'. Geddy Lee's voice is in fine form
and has taken a far more laid back approach
from the screeching early years as evidenced on the opening track 'One
Little Victory', 'The Stars Looked Down' and
'Secret Touch'. The overall feel of this album can be compared to Rush's
'Counterparts' and Lee's solo opus 'My Favorite Headache'. I simply loved
the layering of Alex Lifeson's guitar work which embellished each track with
a prestine quality and sense of space and nuance. Tons of layers and tons of
tones weave in and out of each track creating a slick mosiac of sound that
thickens the mix and creates a dense soundscape that only makes me think of
how these songs will be reproduced in a live setting. Once again, these
Canadian monsters have created an album to be reckoned with. It's so nice to
see a band of this caliber and history NOT repeating themselves like so many
classic 'rock' bands do (Ummm Aerosuck who seem to have become the most
ballad oriented band in the world....go back to the herion boys and create
some rock!!!!)
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