Rush — Clockwork Angels
The album comes in a few different forms: Standard MP3 download, a double vinyl release, Cd format, and a fan pack CD & magazine form. I’m reviewing the last of batch the fan pack.
Anyway enough about the formats, lets press on into the sonic meat of the album. The album offers up twelve tracks in all, and just over sixty six minutes of playing time. Track lengths vary between three to just over the seven minute mark, so there are no huge epic twenty minute plus prog epics here. Many of the tracks focus on a dense, and at times quite loose/ pounding mixture of heavy blues rock riffing, meaty almost metallic riff craft, and the odd subtle weave of synth texture/ effects. There are a few mellow more pop-rock moments here and there; like in some of choruses, or the few clean or acoustic guitar break downs, and one or two of the tracks towards the end of the album. But mostly it’s a really pounding beast of an release, which really finds the band harnessing their early heavy blues rock sound with pumped-up live sensibilities to create an album that’s hard hitting, powerful & emotional.
“Clockwork Angels” is a concept album based around a future steam punk world, and a character's journey through it to find salvation. Yet it’s a fairly loose concept, so you’re not too over loaded with story details with in each song, and you can listen to them as stand alone tracks too with-out too much trouble.
The Fan pack edition offers up: The CD version of the album in a hardback book form that features a thirty page booklet, which takes in lyrics & sci-fi stream punk artwork. A 132 page magazine that offers up: new/ fairly lengthy interviews with each band member, an interview with the albums producer, an interview/ article with the makers of recent Rush documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage, Gear & equipment talk, and a complete review of Rush's main back catalogue by some celebrity fans.
You also get a poster, and a key ring. I’d say that it’s certainly worth getting this version of the album, because you get a nice amount of extra & interesting material that’s exclusive to this magazine; it’s just a pity the magazine couldn’t have come with a bit thicker cover or in hard back form so it would keep better.
I really can’t think of many other bands that are forty plus years into their careers putting out an album as punchy, powerful yet as thoughtful & emotional as “Clockwork Angels”. Clearly a must have for Rush fans, but I can also see this appealing to those who enjoy pounding yet creative heavy blues rock/ prog mixes.