Band:	Rush
Album:	Hold Your Fire
Style:	Progressive rock
Release date:	1987

01. Force Ten
02. Time Stand Still
03. Open Secrets
04. Second Nature
05. Prime Mover
06. Lock And Key
07. Mission
08. Turn The Page
09. Tai Shan
10. High Water

Take your chequered jacket out of the closet and go get a slick and oily haircut; yes it is the 80's all over again when listening to Hold Your Fire. Canada's own progressive rock icons Rush did release a lot of studio albums over the years and I doubt this one ranks very high even amongst die-hard fans. Nevertheless, 1987's Hold Your Fire deserves due credits. It is after all a Rush album.

From the get-go, the music sounds more like 1980's pop music than it ever did. However, the great musicianship is still there. The extended progressive breaks featured on previous efforts are gone and the choruses are rather generic for Rush's standards. This renders the songs easier to assimilate for the general public, which is bound to anger fans who grew up grooving to 2012. Yet, Neil Peart's drumming is once again dead-on. Geddy's bass gimmicks are top-notch and Alex Lifeson's guitar parts are striking.

The songs generally harbour cheerful melodies and oodles of keyboards. If you can get past the dated aspects of these compositions, Hold Your Fire is a solid release. Standout tracks include "Lock and Key", which has a clear-cut power edge over the rest of the album, and "Mission", which features a grandiose chorus.

Despite the definite eighties sound, Hold Your Fire remains a solid progressive rock album with classic moments such as "Lock and Key" or "Mission". The amazing trio might not be famous for this specific release but it is definitely a solid album in my opinion. While some of you might be wondering where are the insane freestyle progressive trips showcased on previous albums, some of you might ending up enjoying the more light-hearted pace and the overly happy melodies of these songs.


Highlights: "Lock and Key", "Mission"