Most acts don’t get to see 40 years together, let alone continue to put out quality music or feel inclined to challenge themselves as long as Rush has. Very technical music and deep concepts that you’re probably going to want to square off multiple listening sessions to get through all the way.Īt the end of the day, Clockwork Angels is a great effort from a band continuing to challenge themselves. If listening to Snakes and Arrows or Vapor Trails from start to finish left you feeling worn out and tired of listening, then this album will leave you feeling the same way. With another album with 13 songs clocking in at over an hour of playtime, there is a lot to listen to and a lot to take in. Musically, yes, this is certainly Rush challenging themselves again. For a band so reknown for their setups and storytelling as Rush, one might have ex Some of the effects and background wails feel a little cheap and under-thoughtout. This album is for the fans and the fans will, at the end of the day ‘get’ the messages Neil embeds into this album.Ĭlockwork Angels isn’t without it’s hangups, however. They don’t need to impress anyone or win anyone over with their work. Additionally, this is Rush making a concept album approaching their 40th anniversary – their fanbase is established, they were recently inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (finally) and universally recognized as powerhouses in rock and deemed a culturally significant rock band. One thing is for sure, that the story of this progressive rock album is not nearly as clear cut and, arguably, as listener friendly as their past works. This tumult, along with a long voyage overseas that culminated in a ferocious storm on the return home, are the impetus for the collapse of faith the protagonist comes to on Clockwork Angel’s shortest work, the string-backed “BU2B2”…” Throughout the story, a recurring character called “The Pedlar” stops by to ask the central question underlying the protagonist’s quest: “What do you lack?” To this, the Anarchist responds: “Vengeance.” The domineering force of fate is met by the unquenchable thirst of boundless rage, reaching its climax during a nearly devastating encounter at a carnival on “Carnies”. This is a society rife with conflict, here embodied by the titular contrarian of “The Anarchist”. As the unnamed protagonist journeys from his humble village to Crown City in search for greater meaning, he finds himself crushed under the weight of society’s prolonged quest for understanding divinity. The character of the Watchmaker, a reference to Christian apologist William Paley’s teleological argument for the existence of God, is the site of Peart’s biggest lyrical exploration here, namely the battle between human will and determinism. The setting is a futuristic, steampunk-esque world, the center of which is the majestic Crown City, where the Watchmaker presides over his creation. “The story of Clockwork Angels centers around an existential crisis of sorts. Here’s an excerpt from his piece over at PopMatters, Rush: Clockwork Angels: One lead I got came from PopMatters, where the piece’s author, Brice Ezell, supposes that the premise of this album is an existential crisis. One thing worth noting about Clockwork Angels is that despite the inclusion of a book and all these additional parts outlining the story and concept of Clockwork Angels, one can’t help but wonder: what exactly is the story around Clockwork Angels? Unlike 2112 and even ‘The Fountain of Lamneth’ and ‘The Necromancer’ off of Caress of Steel, I found myself doing some deep digging to find some leads on to what exactly the concept of this concept album is. The band, the press and Snakes and Arrows producer, Nick Raskulinecz, said that this album would be a throwback to the band’s progressive material ala 2112 and Hemispheres. The album was well recieved by Rush fans and charted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 upon release.Ĭlockwork Angels was promoted as a concept album. Additional singles, ‘The Wreckers’, ‘The Anarchist’ and ‘Clockwork Angels’ would be released June 25, 2012, Februand Novemrespectfully. ‘Headlong Flight’ dropped Apand the album dropped June 12, 2012. After the tour, additional singles continued to drop leading up to the 2012 release. The singles ‘Caravan’ and ‘BU2B’ were making regular appearances during performances on this tour. In the buildup to the release of what would later be called Clockwork Angels, the band teased the imminent release of new material during their Time Machine Tour from 2010 to 2011. Rush fans knew that there was something new brewing after the band’s extensive Snakes and Arrows Tour. Rush’s latest effort aims to rekindle the spirit of 2112.
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