HOLD YOUR FIRE

If Power Windows invited the pop sound with open arms, then Hold Your Fire abuses it. I do appreciate some of the risks they took in finding new sounds, especially on 'Tai Shan,' but it simply sounds silly when you're a band that also has the progressive masterpieces of Hemispheres and Moving Pictures in your discography. Songs like 'Time Stand Still' and the sappy 'Second Nature' don't convince me otherwise. All of the songs simply have the same structure, and it gets annoying after a while, not to mention that pop sound I dread so much.

I can't put ALL the blame on Rush, after all many progressive bands released sub par albums in the 80's (Genesis, Yes, etc.) Regardless, this album is simply not good.

2/10