COUNTERPARTS

With 'Counterparts' Rush returned to a sound much more familiar to themselves and to their fans, in a metaphorical way "abandoning" entirely their synth-based meanderings and composing a heavy album that can without a doubt be seen as the band's strongest and perhaps most consistent release since 'Moving Pictures' and 'Signals'. Juggling between crushing riffs with a rampant rhythm section and gorgeous melodies with balanced writing, 'Counterparts' is a great example of a return to form after the less enthralling albums 'Presto' and 'Roll the Bones'. Of course, as the story goes, some turmoil did encompass the band during the writing of the album, mainly coming from Lee's desire to use synths extensively for the embellishment of the songs, and Lifeson's insistence on sticking to a more guitar-based sound. Notwithstanding, the end result is a strong collection of songs dealing with the duality of human nature as well as love and sexuality, which is a bit unusual for Rush as a band not known for their love songs.

Stylistically, we can hear the prevailing influence of alternative rock and grunge over many of the album's tracks - the band utilized heavier guitars and a more organic production resulting in a daring and unfiltered sound that simply suits Rush well. Working with produced Peter Collins, it becomes even less surprising to understand why the Canadian trio opted for a heavier sonic presentation on 'Counterparts'. Cathartic opener 'Animate' sets a fantastic and engaging tone for the album, declaring its strong departure from the more lighthearted nature of preceding albums. 'Stick It Out' follows up with an even more traditional hard rock sound, this is a great track in which each player is able to stand out. 'Cut to the Chase' is a bit more experimental but still very good. What makes a lasting impression here is the excellent songwriting and the smart arrangements - e perfect combination of Rush's sophisticated classic albums and their accumulated experience, given that 'Counterparts' is their fifteenth studio album. 'Nobody's Hero' is another beautiful entry, a bit more melancholic, this is not the typical Rush song. After that, the middle of the album loses some of the initial steam, although still cramped with good songs that tend to get less heavy, until the end of the album where the listener encounters a gorgeous instrumental 'Leave That Thing Alone' and the powerful 'Cold Fire'.

Overall, 'Counterparts' is a more typical Rush album, mature and digestible, the heavier sounds are more than welcome after more than a decade of experimenting with pop and new wave. Both hard rock and prog fans should find plenty of delightful material on here, and while not a perfect album per se, this is a strong and contemporary release that still sounds as good.