Facing the Killing Instinct Similar to “Caress of Steel”, 1987’s “Hold Your Fire” is another entry in the Rush catalog that hardcore Rush nerds looks on with...at best, suspicious glances and at worst vile contempt. I f the past three records were flirting with and eventually diving head first into the realms of synth and new-wave, this release is just drenched in that sound, even more than “Power Windows”. This was the album that broke the audience's patience with this synth heavy direction, with “Hold Your Fire” routinely regarded as one of the very few “bad” (by Rush’s lofty standards) albums the three have released in their career. At the very least the idea that the band presented was at least , this more chilled out experience than what was presented on previous releases. There are various jazz fusion influences such as Allan Holdsworth or Chick Corea’s Return to Forever, more focused on atmosphere than direct impact or aggression. In terms of standout tracks, the