Exploring the band's return to a more guitar-heavy sound from their synth-drenched experiments in the '80s,
The Studio Albums: 1989-2007 is a seven-album box set from Canadian prog icons
Rush. Featuring 1989's
Presto, 1991's
Roll the Bones, 1993's
Counterparts, 1996's
Test for Echo, a remixed version of 2002's
Vapor Trails, their 2004 covers album Feedback, and 2007's
Snakes & Arrows, the set follows the band as
Lifeson began to reassert himself, bringing the guitar to the forefront while the electronic elements began to take on more of a supporting role in the band's sound. Of most interest to
Rush fans will be the remixed version of
Vapor Trails, which finds the band and producer
David Bottrill returning to rework one of the victims of the "loudness wars" that resulted in so many albums from that period being mixed and mastered far too loudly, crushing the dynamics and adding noise where it didn't belong. While die-hard
Rush fans will no doubt own all of these records already,
The Studio Albums: 1989-2007 is a perfect opportunity for casual fans familiar with the band's earlier, more celebrated work to dive into
Rush's output during an era that found the band continuing to do what they do best, while the rest of the world was dealing with the rise and fall of grunge and the return of the boy band. ~ Gregory Heaney