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On their last studio release, Snakes & Arrows, Rush frontman Geddy Lee proclaimed, “All my life I’ve been workin’ them angels.” On this epic new album, the Canadian trio is having those angels put in some serious overtime.

 For once, Lee’s soaring wail doesn’t overshadow the virtuosic musicality he and his mates spew forth. Album opener “Caravan” slowly revs up with Neil Peart’s rolling snare; Alex Lifeson’s crunchy riffs and Lee’s staccato bass build to a bellowing intensity and then POW—we’re in the thick of the 1974 to 1978 prime Rush era—concepts galore and nothing but full-on rock. Highlights include the album’s nearly eight-minute opuses: “The Wreckers” and “Clockwork Angels.” “The Wreckers” contains some of Peart’s greatest introspective lyricism since 1980’s “Entre Nous,” while the title track features an awesome four-note groove from Lifeson backed by Peart’s jazzy playing. There isn’t any softness to this album—even closer “The Garden,” which tries to tone things down, ends things on a heavy note.

 Crunchy and full of bite, Rush’s work here echoes the intensity of such classic staples as “Xanadu,” and “Cygnus X-1 Book II.” Consider this one giant victory for the overall Rush discography.

– Ira Kantor