Album Review: "Snakes and Arrows" by Rush (2007)

There's perhaps no band in all of rock n' roll that elicits strong opinions like Rush. It seems that they are either loved or hated, and even though they've only released one good album of all-original material over the last two decades - 1993's "Counterparts", with 1991's "Roll the Bones", 1997's "Test for Echo" and 2002's "Vapor Trails" ranging from fair (and that's being generous) to curled-up dog squeeze in my humble opinion - I am one of those who firmly consider this power trio to be one of Canada's national treasures, and I'm happy to say that despite their recent track record, this effort, while not a home run, is certainly a stand-up double.

Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who has worked with the Foo Fighters and Velvet Revolver in the past, there are lots of air-guitar worthy moments on this album. Even the songs that begin sounding like a watered-down version of something you'd find on 1989's acoustically-tinged "Presto" soon turn into original, complex, amped-up and riff-laden affairs that, on the whole, don't really sound like anything Rush has ever done before, despite hints of 1978's "Hemispheres" and 1981's "Moving Pictures" from time to time. And, unlike some of their recent albums, instead of having three throwaway tracks for every standout, it's the reverse on "Snakes and Arrows" where you have three strong tunes for each lame one.

Despite being around since 1974, the boys still have a fair bit of fire in them. If you're a fan, I'd pick this one up for sure, and if you're not, well, hearing this album should cause you to afford them at least a little bit of grudging respect if you can't bring yourself to do so already. For those who are looking to get into Rush and don't know where to start, this probably isn't the best place to begin - go with "All the World's a Stage" (1976), the aforementioned "Moving Pictures" or "Counterparts" for that, but "Snakes and Arrows" is certainly closer to Rush's best output than it is to their worst.

A worthy addition to this spring's roster of new releases.

Overall rating: 7.75/10