Clockwork Angels is the nineteenth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on June 12, 2012 by Roadrunner Records. Its total length is 66:04. The band's lineup includes vocalist, bassist, and synthesizers player Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart.
Rush's previous release Snakes & Arrows was a huge comeback for the band. Clockwork Angels continues to wow with very good production, excellent instrumentation, and some of the best lyrics we have ever heard from the band. Rush continues to defy their age by making quality music that shows creativity and lyricism that are as good in many ways as the bands progressive period during the 70's and early 80's.
Clockwork Angels was a popular release as it charted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Canadian Albums chart. The strengths of the album are its stellar conceptual theme, its terrific instrumentation, and its heaviness. The one weakness of the album is Geddy's voice sounds over produced on some tracks, which makes it hard to understand him at times. Here are my thoughts on each track.
1. "Caravan" 5:39 (10/10)
"Caravan" begins the album on a very strong note. I love the guitar riffs employed during this song. They are both heavy and extremely catchy. Neil's drumming is phenomenal and powerful. The chorus is perfectly catchy and impressive musically.
Geddy's bass work is also very powerful on this track. The guitar solo is also very big and demonstrates that Lifeson has not missed a beat. Rush really has not sounded this good since their 1993 album 'Counterparts.' "Caravan" is a perfect start to a great album.
2. "BU2B" 5:10 (9.5/10)
"BU2B" begins with a very psychedelic opening with acoustic guitar and strange vocals from Geddy. Soon the album takes a turn with a big and heavy sounding guitar riff. The bass work during the song is wonderful and Neil's quick paced drumming is great. I love the powerful outro to the song and the overall heavy, but melodic approach Rush takes with the track.
3. "Clockwork Angels" 7:31 (10/10)
"Clockwork Angels" is the most ambitious track on an album full of ambition. Yet again Rush lives up to the extreme reaches they took with this track. Thanks to a powerful chorus, excellent instrumentation, and awesome buildups during the verses, "Clockwork Angels" is one of the most powerful tracks from the album.
Alex's riffs are absolutely awesome and Geddy's bass playing is so good. Not to mention Neil's powerful and fast paced drumming. The guitar solo is easily one of my favorites from the album. "Clockwork Angels" is very impressive.
4. "The Anarchist" 6:52 (8.5/10)
"The Anarchist" is another really good track from the album. I love Geddy's bass playing and many of Alex's riffs that remind me of the progressive period for Rush. It is definitely driven by a catchy and melodic chorus.
"The Anarchist" has a pretty strange feel to it at times, but that is not a bad thing. The drumming is on point as usual and Geddy does overreach with his vocals at times, but during the chorus he's perfect. I love the orchestration on the song as well. Alex throws in another one of his creative guitar solos to top off this really great track.
5. "Carnies" 4:53 (8.5/10)
"Carnies" begins with the heaviest guitar riff on the entire album that is honestly my absolute favorite from Lifeson on the album. Geddy overreaches with his vocals a few times, but it really does not affect my enjoyment of the track. Neil's drumming is great as usual. The chorus is a build up style that works really well. The guitar solo is great again and continues the impressive trend of guitar driven tracks.
6. "Halo Effect" 3:14 (7.5/10)
"Halo Effect" takes the foot off the heavy feel and gives the listener a perfectly placed track in the middle of the album. It is one of the most beautiful and simple tracks from the album. I love the acoustic guitar and Geddy's sweet sounding vocal delivery. Despite the track's simplicity, "Halo Effect" is still very impressive.
7. "Seven Cities of Gold" 6:32 (8.5/10)
"Seven Cities of Gold" begins with an awesome bass line from Geddy that is absolutely killer. Alex's guitar riff is so catchy and the drumbeat makes the listener bob their head. Geddy's voice sounds a little off at times, but he really sounds great during the chorus. The lyricism is pure story telling at its finest. The chorus is one of the catchiest from the album. I like the strange and effective guitar solo as well.
8. "The Wreckers" 5:01 (8/10)
"The Wreckers" has some really great acoustic guitar at the beginning of the song. Yet again, Rush is able to produce another extremely catchy and easy to sing along to chorus. Geddy's voice sounds pretty great on this track as well. "The Wreckers" is definitely one of the lighter tracks from the album, but it should not be taken lightly itself.
9. "Headlong Flight" 7:19 (9.5/10)
"Headlong Flight" is one of the most upbeat and heavy tracks from the album. The bass playing is great and Neil's drumming is powerful and fast paced. Lifeson is definitely the highlight of the song though. His heavy riffing is powerful, fast, and catchy.
The chorus is extremely catchy and has a great lead up to its start. The guitar solo is probably my favorite from the entire album and is definitely one my favorites from Lifeson in Rush's entire catalog.
10. "BU2B2" 1:28
I'm not going to rate this track because it's simply a short interlude. Still it fits well in the album and is not a wasted effort.
11. "Wish Them Well" 5:25 (8/10)
"Wish Them Well" has a great lyrical message that everyone should apply. The song is definitely really catchy, but is somewhat repetitive. Rush employs another extremely catchy chorus that is easy to sing along to. I really like the guitar solo as well. The main strength of this song is its lyrical message about not holding grudges and simply walk away from people who have wronged you.
12. "The Garden" 6:59 (10/10)
"The Garden" is one of the most beautiful songs in the entire Rush discography and is a perfect way to end this great album. I love the orchestration and Geddy's beautiful and calming voice.
The song's use of acoustics are quite beautiful and it's great mood it puts the listener in really speaks to its beauty. The piano used is an excellent touch added to track that increases its effect. The guitar solo is full of amazing emotion and feeling. It is definitely one of Rush's best they have ever done.
My Verdict:
Clockwork Angels is one of Rush's greatest accomplishments and really defies logic, because of how great these guys sound despite them all being around 60 years old. Each member is really in sync on this release and all of them sound great.
I love the concept of a young man's journey the album has and the heaviness of certain tracks. Clockwork Angels is the perfect album to end the career of my personal favorite band of all time.
