RUSH

RUSH
VAPOR TRAILS (2002)
320 KBPS

'To fully understand, is to fully forgive'. Okay, we're lucky we even had Vapor Trails. After all the turmoil is Neil's life, this album is very acceptable. Not a classic, but superior in many ways in their 1990-2002 period. The songs are about reflexion and irony. I don't quite remember such mature and intense writing by Peart in a while. In this album, the extremes are evident. When it's good, it's good (One little victory, How it is, Vapor Trails, Earthshine, Sweet Miracle, Secret Touch, Ghost Rider) and when it's bad...it is (Freeze, Out of the cradle). A good 70% of the album is above Roll the Bones or Test for Echo. So I don't know why it gets so much bashing. Blaming Rush for being harder and more metal is non-appropriate because that's what they do best. Synths are Rush's best ally, but they make bad leaders. Lee is a very average keyboard player, but they do know how to make it sound nice. But this time, it's back to basics and it feel refreshing. Never Rush sounded so hard and abrasive. Lots of frustration and mixed feelings in Vapor Trails. Listen carefully. Feel the resignation and the desillusion of Neil's lyrics. A very dark and 'rusty' feeling. Don't expect Moving Pictures or Signals, what they did best is behing them. But Vapor Trail is the only album they made like this, so it's worth the try... Good? No...better!

1. One Little Victory
2. Ceiling Unlimited
3. Ghost Rider
4. Peaceable Kingdom
5. The Stars Look Down
6. How It Is
7. Vapor Trail
8. Secret Touch
9. Earthshine
10. Sweet Miracle
11. Nocturne
12. Freeze (Part IV of Fear)
13. Out Of The Cradle