(Review from progarchives.com, sputnikmusic.com)

The decidedly tireless trio is now back in studio after a five year break, interrupted only with the cover album “Feedback”.

Rush comes back with a strong album 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, cover albums, 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 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.

From the sharp blues pieces, to the complex progressive-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.

The more things change the more they stay the same. A wise old adage that applies squarely to Rush just as it does most things. Nothing is new here, yet everything is new. A rebirth, if you will. Not that Rush ever went away. But in a career of a band with many peaks and valleys as is to be expected from such a long recording history, Snakes And Arrows definitely represents not just a peak, but coming after the shaky ground this band has stood on the last ten odd years, a peak that is an unexpected and welcome surprise. Meet the new Rush, same as the old Rush….and as it turns out after all these years that’s a pretty good thing.

Line-up:
- Geddy Lee / bass guitar, bass pedals, mellotron, vocals
- Alex Lifeson / six & twelve string electric and acoustic guitars, mandola, mandolin, bouzouki
- Neil Peart / drums, cymbals, electronic percussion, tambourine

Track List:
01. Far Cry (5:21)
02. Armor And Sword (6:36)
03. Workin’ Them Angels (4:47)
04. The Larger Bowl (4:07)
05. Spindrift (5:24)
06. The Main Monkey Business (instrumental) (6:01)
07. The Way The Wind Blows (6:28)
08. Hope (instrumental) 2:02)
09. Faithless (5:31)
10. Bravest Face (5:12)
11. Good News First (4:51)
12. Malignant Narcissism (instrumental) (2:17)
13. We Hold On (4:13)

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