It's the biggest cliché in the world, but Rush is a band that needs no introduction. Their 40 year career stands with the greatest bands in rock and they have nothing left to prove to anybody. So what do they do? They hunker down and work on the most ambitious project they've ever tackled.

The result is Clockwork Angels and it's almost impossible to describe how huge this record sounds. The production is absolutely massive, creating a wall of sound bigger than anything else Rush has ever done. It's a very heavy and electric record, with Alex Lifeson coming up with a bewildering variety of guitar tones and techniques. Geddy Lee's bass sounds monstrously fat and groovy. It literally made the walls of my bedroom shake. And, as always, Neil Peart's drumwork is flawlessly inventive. While recent Rush albums have backed off the synths and keyboards a bit, Clockwork Angels gives us a rich,layered sound full of keys in various configurations. There is even a piano-driven song and that's something rarely, if ever, heard from Rush.

The concept driving the record is also big. In some ways, it's a step back to the days of Hemispheres and 2112, as Peart conjures up a lifetime journey across a steampunk world ruled by "The Watchmaker" and his mechanical angels. But those expecting a full return to the 70s style of metallic powerchords might be disappointed, because there is a lot of introspection as well and sounds reminiscent of the less bombastic Rush of the 90s. All in all, this album seems to cherry pick sounds from the band's long history as well as tossing in some new approaches as well. It's the best thing they've done in many, many years and fully worthy of their name.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

A ringing bell signals the start to our journey. A kind of ominous, jumpy guitar riff kicks in, very catchy and heavy. The clarity and depth of the sound is immediately apparent. You can debate endlessly about how "metal" this record is, but the heaviness of Lee's bass is not in question. It propels this whole voyage with a thunderous groove. On top of that groove, Lifeson's guitars really crank loud and clear. On this one track alone, he demonstrates more different tones than some guitarists use in a whole career. "In a world where I feel so small, I can't stop thinking big."