Antlantic Records has announced that Rush's new album, Snakes & Arrows, will be released on May 1st. A single from the album, titled "Far Cry", will be released to the radio on March 19th.
A very short "teaser" of Far Cry is available on Rush's website (see the link on the left side of the page).
This 10-second teaser doesn't give you much, but it certainly allows you to hear that A) the sound quality is superb, which is important considering all the problems with sound quality on their 2002 Vapor Trails album, and B)the style of the song (and possibly the whole album) is similar to some of their older sounds - syncopated rhythms with unusual time signatures (7/8, 11/12, etc.) - and also pretty heavy. The clip, in fact, sounds quite a lot like passages in 1980's Jacob's Ladder and 1979's Hemispheres.
In interviews, and on their websites, the band members have said that the album's theme is spirituality and belief. The title, then, makes sense, since Snakes & Arrows is an ancient Hindu game charting the ups and downs of the soul's journey towards its reunion with the Great All.
This new album is particularly exciting for me for several reasons. First, many of you know that I am very interested in religion and spirituality, for both academic and religious reasons. So the content of this album should be right up my alley. Secondly, this is the first Rush studio album of new material that I have had the pleasure of "anticipating" prior to its release.
I didn't start getting really interested in Rush until about late 2001 and 2002. Their last new studio album of new material was released around that same time, but I did not buy it until probably 2003 or early 2004. By 2004, my Rush obsession was in full swing, and Rush did have a new album out that year, but it was all remake material of 1960's rock songs. So it wasn't original, new material.
So I am anticipating this new album greatly, and my appetite is even stronger now that I've had a glimpse, through that teaser clip, of what the new album is going to be like.
May 1st can't get here soon enough!
So snakes and arrows is a lot like Chutes and Ladders? Have fun worshipping at the alter of Rush.
ReplyDeleteThe children's game Snakes & Ladders is a take-off on the ancient Hindu tradition of Snakes & Arrows. The American version of Snakes & Ladders was named Chutes & Ladders to protect innocent children from the scary image of snakes. Snakes, after all, are a symbol of Satan.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was dragged to a Rush concert by David, I mainly just elected to get drunk. But I'm glad you have something to get hyped about. I'd be that way too about DMB or whatever. :)
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