Rush is a classic rock band that formed back in 1968, and Clockwork Angels is the bands 20th studio album. I'm generally not a huge fan of classic rock, but I enjoyed Rush's last record, Snakes & Arrows, so I figured I'd give this one a shot. I also had a friend request it, and I don't like turning down requests.
Toward their later years, Rush seemed to revert to a time when most of their music was primarily guitar rock, and the synths that could be heard in some of their earlier music seemed to be missing. That is also the case on Clockwork Angels, for the most part. Unfortunately, the lack of variety really seemed to hurt this record.
It's starts off incredibly strong with the track "Caravan." It's a very strong rock song, with skilled musicianship and a beautiful guitar melody in the chorus with Geddy Lee's repeated "I can't stop thinking big" blending great with the musical concoction.
Then things just overall go downhill. Everything on this album is crafted well from a skill point of view, but these songs are incredibly forgettable and just don't offer anything at all unless you listen to music purely to hear how awesome the musicians are. I have very little to say about the next four tracks, as nothing really happens in them that's worth mentioning.
"Halo Effect" tries switching things up with some acoustic guitar, but actually ends up being one of the albums worst songs, as it's not only boring, but doesn't really show off any chops either. "Seven Cities of Gold" is probably the albums second best song, but I still got bored listening to it about halfway through it. The rest of the record just meanders in mediocrity.
One of things I really enjoyed about Snakes & Arrows was that it was not only musically competent, but a joy to listen to. It didn't feel arrogant because the songs sounded well written. This one sounds like 3 guys saying "look what I can do!" as they show off their musical skill and not much else. I just can't get behind that.
Rating: 38%
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