Metallic Observer

Approaching the Alien Shore       The year is 1993.  If the eighties were a big shake up in the music landscape for Rush, it was nothing compared to this section of the nineties. To give clarity, only two and a half weeks after the release of “Roll the Bones”, on September 24th, 1991, a little band in Seattle released their sophomore album: “Nevermind”.  To say that this record was a shake up for the rock world would be a gross understatement, almost single handedly pushing the rock genre into a new era. With this shakeup, how would Rush be able to compete in this landscape of grunge and alternative rock?  Would they fail to rise up to the challenge as many legacy acts succumb to at this time?  The answer: ...a resounding hell to the no. To assist them in the project, the band entrusted the help of producer Peter Collins, the man who worked with them in the past on “Power Windows” and “Hold Your Fire”. With this change, “Counter...

The Workmen Have Arrived I have probably never seen a more fitting album cover than the debut studio album of Rush.  A white, empty background that is then heavily contrasted with the gigantic, bold purple of the band’s logo; Rush didn’t just arrive into the rock genre, but as the cover suggests, they exploded.  The one image I have when listening to this record is fire, and just like fire’s pure nature, the band on their debut are unrestrained, wild, and ferocious.  The trio of bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer John Rutsey were here to prove a statement on this release, and the combination of their aggression and sense of melody helped make them stand out in the early seventies hard rock scene. For around six years they were jumping from school dances, to clubs and now on this album all their experience up to this point is unleashed on their first record. The charm of Rush’s self-titled is that it is a non-comp...