vapor trails tour dates

RUSH To Release "Vapor Trails" In May, North American Tour To Follow

Veteran Canadian rockers RUSH will release their much-anticipated new album, entitled Vapor Trails , on May 14th through Atlantic Records . The group's 17th studio recording, Vapor Trails marks the band's first all-new release since 1996, and comes as the follow-up to their RIAA gold-certified Test For Echo . Produced by Paul Northfield (i.e. MARILYN MANSON , HOLE ),the new album will contain the following track listing:

01. One Little Victory 02. Peaceable Kingdom 03. Ghost Rider 04. Ceiling Unlimited 05. The Stars Look Down 06. How It Is 07. Vapor Trail 08. Out Of The Cradle 09. Earthshine 10. Sweet Miracle 11. Nocturne 12. Freeze (Part IV of Fear) 13. Secret Touch

Vapor Trails ' first single, "One Little Victory" , is slated to ship to rock radio outlets nationwide on March 29th. RUSH is currently finalizing plans for a major North American tour, tentatively set to kick off in late June, which will mark the group's first live performances since July 1997. The tour's first leg will be announced shortly.

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Rush (formed in 1968) is arguably the most popular and established progressive/hard rock band of all time. Hailing from Willowdale, Toronto, Canada, the band is known for their long and dedicated touring schedules and as being some of the most proficient musicians in the industry.

Officially formed in 1968 it wasn’t until May 1974 with lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Geddy Lee, guitarist and backing vocalist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and songwriter Neil Peart, that the band’s lineup cemented itself. A year earlier Rush released their debut single “Not Fade Away”, a cover of the Buddy Holly song followed by their debut full-length “Rush” in 1974. With Peart’s science-fiction and fantasy-infused songwriting at the core of the band appeal, Rush released the albums “Fly by Night” and “Caress of Steel” in 1975, followed by their breakthrough album “2112” in 1976. The latter release set the band’s formula for success by combining Lee’s high-pitched vocals, Lifeson’s enviable guitar work, and Peart’s intense drumming.

Rush went from strength to strength with their proceeding albums beginning with 1977’s Top 40 album “A Farwell to Kings”, followed by 1978’s “Hemispheres”, the less progressive “Permanent Waves” in 1980, and 1981’s “Moving Pictures”. By this point Rush had become notorious for their exuberant live shows and instrument proficiency, and although they never found much favour with critics, they augmented a dedicated fan following and huge respect among fellow musicians. The album “Signals” spawned the smash hit single “New World Man” in 1983, which made way for the subsequent albums “Grace Under Pressure” in 1984 and “Power Windows” in 1985.

In a move away from their heavy guitar-driven sound towards a more polished, synth-inspired aesthetic, the two albums “Hold Your Fire” in 1987 and “Presto” in 1989 alienated a number of the band’s fans. The ’90s however saw a return to form with the release of “Roll the Bones” in 1991 and the U.S. Billboard 200 Top 3 album “Counterparts” in 1993. Following the release of “Test for Echo” in 1996 and a subsequent tour, Peart’s daughter died in a car accident and his wife lost her battle with cancer. Despite this upset Rush remained a solid unit, and retuned five years later to release their 17th studio album “Vapor Trails” in 2002. Rush’s 30th anniversary tour was celebrated by a documentary DVD “R30” in 2004, followed three years later by the full-length “Snakes & Arrows”. A string of video productions arrived in the 2000s documenting the band’s epic stage show and history, interspersed between the band’s 19th studio album “Clockwork Angels” issued in June 2012.

Live reviews

I've seen a lot of shows over the years and a handful of those have been Rush shows. It's Tuesday, July 21, when I step out of arguably the sketchiest hotel I've ever seen, onto the Portland streets, and anxiously make my way towards a sold out Moda Center for show number six. Quickly, I join the middle-aged, t-shirted, kids-in-tow exodus of fans swiftly navigating their way to the promised land, arena bound. A brief beverage stop, Laurelwood's Mother Lode Golden Ale, before "finding my way" to my seat for what could be, what will likely be, my final Rush concert. It's show time.

Some things never change, and when it comes to Rush, that's not only a good thing, it's what's expected. And this night is, as expected, stellar musicianship by three of the most talented artists on the planet. All nicely complemented by the impressive sound quality, typical attention to detail, geeky sense of humor, and bar-setting performances that have become the rule rather than the exception.

It's show time. From beginning to end, or literally, from end to beginning, as the Canadian trio runs through their 40-year catalog in reverse timeline. A playlist, obviously of their choosing, giving the fans what they need, not necessarily what they want. Headlong Flight, Distant Early Warning, Red Barchetta, Jacobs Ladder, Xanadu, Lakeside Park, and Working Man being a few unexpected highlights, with a few standards, Subdivisions, Tom Sawyer, 2112, thrown in, and of course, a drum solo.

Yes, a drum solo, a Rush show wouldn't be a Rush show without a technical masterpiece from Mr. Percussionist himself, Neil Peart, sending the sold-out crowd into a collective frenzy. Not to overshadow the other wheels of this super-charged tricycle. Geddy Lee brought his epic, complicated bass lines to life with unparalleled precision and talent, equally on recent offerings (Headlong Flight) and earlier work (Cygnus X-1). Of course, all while not missing a beat on the bass pedals, keyboards, and vocals, which in 40-years haven't lost much in range and intensity. And Alex Lifeson, an underrated "working man" simply doing his job, it’s never flashy, never showy, just perfect execution, song after song, guitar after guitar.

There was no shortage of guitars as Lifeson and Lee both swapped them out frequently, as if showcasing 40 years of instruments responsible for 40 years of music. At one point, both firing through Xanadu with classic double necks on their way to a grande finale. A finale that brought our time traveling to a new set, a high-school gymnasium with a crystal ball and replica ‘75 drum kit, and to 1975s Fly By Night, and their debut, 1974s Rush.

And with that, it ended where it all began, well, sort of. I was on the streets again, The Lloyd district in the aftermath, with the midway hawkers, post-show tweakers, prostitutes and crazed pizza delivery boys, not exactly the subdivisions of Rush classics. Not exactly an easy show to wind down from either, requiring cheap beer, cigarettes, lawn chairs, and heated discussions in the hotel parking lot. Although the alternative was going to bed, and that was not an option this night, not in that hotel. But, we were momentarily in the same building with Rush, the three kings, and nothing could kill that buzz, nothing except the reality that this may be it, this may be the farewell.

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Flew up from South Florida to see what Geddy said may be the last big tour for a while. Just couldn't miss this one, seen most every tour since Hemispheres. This was the first show in many years where I avoided reviews and set lists prior to going, I wanted to be surprised. Opening up with The Anarchist was not a shock, but two more from Clockwork Angels got me wondering if they were counting down. They confirmed that was the plan when they did Far Cry from Snakes and Arrows. There is no way to do everyone of my favorites but their setlist below was very well thought out. Even some of my least favorite mid-late 80's albums were represented with the best cuts like Between the Wheels and Subdivisions. I told a first time Rush Concert goer sitting next to me to get ready for Set 2 knowing it was going to kick off with Moving Pictures. Needless to say, I was blown away!!! Highlights of the night for me were; How It Is, The Camera Eye, Jacob's Ladder, Cygnus, Xanadu and Lakeside Park, songs I've not heard them play live very often, or at all. This is a must see for any Rock and Roll fan, do not miss this Tour!!

The Anarchist

The Wreckers

Headlong Flight

(With mini drum solo)

The Main Monkey Business

Roll the Bones

Between the Wheels

Subdivisions

The Camera Eye

The Spirit of Radio

Jacob's Ladder

Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres Part I: Prelude

(The Voyage Part 1 & 3 with drum solo)

Closer to the Heart

2112 Part I: Overture

2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx

2112 Part IV: Presentation

2112 Part VII: Grand Finale

Lakeside Park

What You're Doing

The number of times I've seen Rush span across the years from 1978, on only their second visit to the UK, to last year at the O2 Arena in support of their Clockwork Angels album.

Despite several early line up changes, the core of Rush has been for an incredible 40 years: Geddy Lee on Bass and Vocals, Alex Lifeson on Guitars and the Drum Professor himself, Mr Neil Peart.

A live show by Rush is a full on, near 3 hour experience with lights and lasers, screen projections, fireworks and even props on stage. And that's even before you get to the soaring music. With 19 studio albums under their belt, Rush have an impressive back catalogue to delve into. There will always be the crowd pleasing tracks such as Tom Sawyer and The Spirit of Radio but Rush are not content with producing a mere Greatest Hits package, they happily play more recent material too. It's a real achievement that they are still selling out large arenas at this late stage of their career and the passion of the fans is as strong as any band I've come across.

To sum up, this trio of amiable Canadians have produced the nearest thing to the soundtrack of my life as any other band and I'll be first in the queue when their next tour is announced.

Rush was simply awesome last night in Greensboro. After 40 years of some making great music, they are still going strong. The evening started with a couple of Clockwork Angels songs and slide back in time until the encore of Rush Album hits. The stage was modified to fit the time period as we continued back in time. Washing machines early in the show through huge stacks of amplifiers in the 80's, back to more humbler beginnings. Alex and Getty pulled out the double necked guitar and zebras on Xanadu, while Neil used two drum kits! Fantastic night.

Set one - The world is....The world is...

Headlong flight (w/mini drum solo)

Main monkey business

Roll the bones

Between the wheels

Intermission

Set 2 - No country for old hens

Camera eye (on memory of Andrew McLaughtin)

Spirit of radio

Jacobs ladder

Cygnus X-1 Book II hemisphere

Part I prelude?

Cygnus X-1 (w/Drum solo)

Xanadu (double neck guitar and bass!)

Temple of syrinx

Presentation

Grand finale

Encore - Mel's rock starring Gene Levy

Lakeside park

What your doing

Working man

Toronto trio Rush has always been praised for the musicianship and skill that its members obtained. Having formed over forty years ago, the band clearly has had its practice playing live and they are described still as one of the most technical bands working on the circuit. Often extending tracks such as 'Grand Designs' and 'Far Cry' to include complex instrumental bridges and outros that are as hypnotising as they are impressive.

A lengthy affair, the band perform two sets of tracks along with a huge encore featuring all three parts of '2112'. Armed with a barrage of visuals though Rush create more of a show than a simple gig as the stage design seems to twist, turn and adapt to the music being performed. The skill of drummer Neil Peart cannot go unrecognised as he plays an impossible amount of drums at a blistering pace despite being over sixty years old.

Rush's loyal audience are enthusiastic throughout, cheering, singing and dancing to the very final track following a total of around five hours on their feet. This band are a credit to progressive rock and show no signs of slowing after forty years together.

I give what may as well be their last performance for a long time a 10/10 review! The show last night was a spectacle from the present to the past. They touched on many albums over the 3 hours they played. It was my first show at the fabulous Forum, and man did Rush bring it down. They played Subdivisions which is my favorite song, also a live staple, it brought me to a place of happiness i haven't been in a long time. The entire first set was full of present day hits. The second half of the show saw the guys breaking down their '70s music, finally ending with a finale of four songs from their first three albums. It was an incredible sight to see Cygnus X-1 books one and two, Xanadu, and four parts of 2112 played along hits like Closer to the Heart, Tom Sawyer, Spirit of Radio, and they even played Red Barchetta! It was simply a magical night and i couldn't see my time in Los Angeles coming to end any better than with my second favorite band of all time! Thank you Rush for all that you do for music and as people!

If you are a fan this is a must see show as it may be their last tour. The set list is somewhat fluid which I was very thankful for as some of their selections in the first set are not my favorite. But they changed things up in Denver and played Distant Early Warning in the first set then played YYZ instead of Camera Eye in the second.

I had never seen them do Xanadu live and it was a big plus, also seeing Getty and Alex both playing double necks was a visual treat.

Great show theme taking them backwards in time to a high school dance complete with mirror ball was fun.

As always 5 stars on a 0-4 scale. No one matches these guys dedication and honest effort to give their fans a great show. They NEVER "mail it in" like some bands.

What a great show, Rush was in top Form, loved the progression of the show from Mew Rush to the beginning of rush, the light show, changing of stage to reflect the time period of the songs were very cool.. I hope this was not the last show ever, Neil Peart is the best drummer in the world, Alex is one the most polished, professional and under-rated guitar players in the world, but I saw Van Halen last week and he played much better than Edfie Van Halen. Geddy, the man with the golden Voice, still can sing every song as good as it was done originally, not like the washed up David Lee Roth I saw last week who speaks when he can't sing. The holy trinity is my favorite band live of all time, all Hail Rush

Rush really knows how to put on a great show! Great setlist, cool lights and the energy to rival any 20 year old...they really rock! This is more than likely their last tour so catch them if you can. The only negative was that the acoustics at the Seattle the venue were so horrid that I think it messed them up a few times. Subdivisions, Camera Eye and Hemispheres were out of sync at times.

I've read other reviews complaining about poor sound engineering and I would have to agree. At times Geddy's bass was just too overpowering. Although give the venue, it may have been the best they could do.

All in all it was still an amazing show and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

It was my first Rush concert, my brother's second and my dad's 7th or something. I thought it was really good, considering they are as old as my grandparents, but the first half the sound was weird with the bass. It had nothing to do with Rush, it was the sound system and the way it was reverberating. It was an experience and I had fun, the old fat man next to me wouldn't stop smoking and I got high since it was blowing IN MY FACE for HOURS. But whatever. It was a good time and I would see them before they retire absolutely if you like them at all.

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Vapor Trail is a Rush tribute band made up of four experienced musicians who were always huge fans of the band. While each pursuing their own music careers, they found each other seeking a different route. The lull in the live music industry during the pandemic motivated them to start something virtual.

After the instant band chemistry and the social media reaction, they knew they had something special. The passion continued and they put together 9 videos on YouTube .

In 2021 Vapor Trail’s cover of Spirit of Radio was chosen to be on a SONGS FOR NEIL CD produced in Scotland with other bands around the globe.

This year Vapor Trail’s cover of The Camera Eye has been selected to be on Tributes to Neil Volume 5.

Just discovered your band. Excellent Amazing renditions of Rush songs!”

– John Copple

LAUREN BEACHAK

Ray carrano, vapor trail band, jonathan guenthner, craig welton.

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Rush Follows ‘Trails’ To More Touring

Veteran rock trio Rush has tacked on a new leg of North American tour dates in support of its latest Anthem/Atlantic album, "Vapor Trails." The group will pause briefly following a Sept. 28 show in…

By Billboard Staff

Billboard Staff

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Veteran rock trio Rush has tacked on a new leg of North American tour dates in support of its latest Anthem/Atlantic album, “Vapor Trails.” The group will pause briefly following a Sept. 28 show in Chula Vista, Calif., and return to the stage Oct. 5 in Mexico City. The new dates encompass an Oct. 22 hometown show in Toronto and run through a Nov. 6 finale in East Rutherford, N.J. Tickets for the Tampa, Fla.; W. Palm Beach, Fla.; and Atlanta shows go on sale Saturday (Aug. 17). “Vapor Trails” debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 254,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Latest single “Secret Touch” is No. 27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart this week; first single “One Little Victory” reached No. 10 on the same tally in May. Album track “Sweet Miracle” will be the third single from “Vapor Trails” and will be serviced in mid-September to U.S. radio outlets. As previously reported , Rush drummer Neil Peart recently published a book detailing his emotional recovery from the separate deaths of his wife and daughter several years ago. “Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road,” which shares its name with a song on “Vapor Trails,” is available from ECW Press. Here are Rush’s new tour dates: Oct. 5: Mexico City (Foro Sol) Oct. 10: Tampa, Fla. (Ice Palace) Oct. 11: West Palm Beach, Fla. (Mars Music Amphitheatre) Oct. 13: Atlanta (Phillips Arena) Oct. 15: Baltimore (Baltimore Arena) Oct. 16: Rochester, N.Y. (Blue Cross Arena) Oct. 18: Montreal (Molson Centre) Oct. 19: Quebec City, Quebec (Colisee) Oct. 22: Toronto (Air Canada Centre) Oct. 24: New York (Madison Square Garden) Oct. 25: Hershey, Pa. (Giant Center) Oct. 27: Philadelphia (First Union Center) Oct. 28: Boston (FleetCenter) Oct. 30: Chicago (United Center) Nov. 1: Ames, Iowa (Hilton Coliseum) Nov. 2: Minneapolis (Target Center) Nov. 4: Cleveland (Gund Arena) Nov. 6: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)

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Rush Tour | Fly By Night Tour | Caress Of Steel Tour | 2112 Tour | All The World's A Stage Tour A Farewell To Kings Tour | Archives Tour | Hemispheres Tour | Permanent Waves Warm Up Tour Permanent Waves Tour | Moving Pictures Warm Up Tour | Moving Pictures Tour | Exit...Stage Left Tour Signals Warm Up Tour | Signals Tour | Grace Under Pressure Warm Up Tour Grace Under Pressure Tour | Power Windows Warm Up Tour | Power Windows Tour Hold Your Fire Tour Presto Tour | Roll The Bones Tour | Counterparts Tour Test For Echo Tour Vapor Trails Tour | 30th Anniversary Tour | Snakes & Arrows Tour

August 14, 1974 - December 25, 1974 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Fly By Night Tour

February 14, 1975 - June 29, 1975 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Caress Of Steel Tour

Down the tubes tour.

September 26, 1975 - January 10, 1976 Dates & Venues | Setlists

March 5, 1976 - August 1, 1976 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

All The World's A Stage Tour

August 27, 1976 - June 13, 1977 Dates & Venues | Setlists

A Farewell To Kings Tour

Drive 'til you die tour.

August 17, 1977 - April 6, 1978 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Archives Tour

May 10, 1978 - May 28, 1978 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Hemispheres Tour

Tour of the hemispheres.

October 14, 1978 - June 4, 1979 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Permanent Waves Warm Up Tour

Summer tour of the 'spheres.

August 17, 1979 - September 22, 1979 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Permanent Waves Tour

January 12, 1980 - June 22, 1980 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Moving Pictures Warm Up Tour

September, 1980 - October 1, 1980 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Moving Pictures Tour

February 17, 1981 - July 5, 1981 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Exit...Stage Left Tour

October 29, 1981 - December 22, 1981 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Signals Warm Up Tour

Tour of the nadars.

April 1, 1982 - April 14, 1982 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Signals Tour

New world tour.

September 3, 1982 - July 23, 1983 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Grace Under Pressure Warm Up Tour

September 18, 1983 - September 23, 1983 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Grace Under Pressure Tour

May 7, 1984 - November 25, 1984 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Power Windows Warm Up Tour

Second tour of the nadars.

March 10, 1985 - March 15, 1985 Dates & Venues | Setlists

Power Windows Tour

December 4, 1985 - May 26, 1986 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Hold Your Fire Tour

October 29, 1987 - May 5, 1988 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Presto Tour

February 15, 1990 - June 29, 1990 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Roll The Bones Tour

October 25, 1991 - June 28, 1992 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Counterparts Tour

January 22, 1994 - May 7, 1994 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Test For Echo Tour

October 19, 1996 - December 18, 1996 | May 7, 1997 - July 4, 1997 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Vapor Trails Tour

June 28, 2002 - November 23, 2002 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

30th Anniversary Tour

May 26, 2004 - October 1, 2004 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Snakes & Arrows Tour

June 13, 2007 - October 29, 2007 | April 11, 2008 - July 22, 2008 Dates & Venues | Setlists | Tourbook

Vapor Trails

" S uccess is not the result of spontaneous combustion; you must set yourself on fire."     I found those words on the wall of a bar in Montana, attributed to somebody named Reggie Leach. It seemed an unlikely place to find inspiration, but I carried it away with me, and thought of it more than once during the making of this latest Rush album.     On a cold Monday morning in January of 2001, Geddy, Alex, and I gathered at a small studio in Toronto to start work again. It had been almost five years since Test For Echo, but after twenty-seven years and sixteen studio albums together, we were hopeful that the chemistry among us could be awakened once more, the fire rekindled. Deep down we were a little apprehensive-would we really be able to put together enough songs that we liked to fill a new album?     Always a burning question, and more so this time, when so much life had flowed beneath our bridges. Also, in the past few years both Geddy and Alex had produced their own projects, for themselves and for others, and each of them was used to being the Supreme Boss of Everything. For many reasons, the process of meshing again had to be gradual, exploratory, and careful.     We laid out no parameters, no goals, no limitations, only that we would take a relaxed, civilized approach to this project. No hurry, no pressure, no marathon stints in the studio (at first anyway); we would simply keep working, day after day, trying to strike sparks from each other and feed the slow-burning fire of collaboration and mutual inspiration.     Per our usual pattern, Geddy and Alex started working together on musical ideas in the studio's control room, while I retreated into another little room with pen, paper, and computer to start trying to assemble lyrics. I began by going through my "scrapyard" of jotted notes and phrases I had collected, looking for connections to stitch together, while Geddy and Alex began by simply playing, setting up a rhythm machine and jamming along with guitar and bass.     After a couple of weeks I had put down a few lyrics to pass over to them, but it seemed they weren't ready to get serious yet-they just wanted to "play." Sometimes I would take a break from wordsmithing and go down the hall to have a bash at my drums in the main recording room, and I would pass the control room where the two of them were working. Usually I heard them riffing away, exploring some interesting directions and recording everything, but there weren't any songs yet.     We would talk at the beginning or end of the day, and I knew the two of them were starting to get excited about their explorations, but didn't want to stop for the relatively tedious job of listening through all those raw ideas and choosing the best ones to assemble into a coherent structure.     For myself, once I had a half dozen lyrics finished I began to feel a little unsure how to proceed. I wanted to know which ones might be "working" for them, to receive some feedback, and some influence, from where they were going musically. So I stopped lyric-writing for awhile, and started writing a book instead. (As one does.)     Eventually Geddy began to sift through the vast number of jams they had created, finding a verse here, a chorus there, and piecing them together. Often a pattern had only ever been played once in passing, but through the use of computer tools it could be repeated or reworked into a part. Since all the writing, arranging, and recording was done on computer, a lot of time was spent staring at monitors, but most of the time technology was our friend, and helped us to combine spontaneity and craftwork. Talk was the necessary interface, of course, and once Geddy and Alex had agreed on basic structures, Geddy would go through the lyrics to see what might suit the music and "sing well," then come to me to discuss any improvements, additions, or deletions I could make from my end.      G radually the songs began to come together, "Out Of The Cradle" among the first, along with "Vapor Trail," "The Stars Look Down," and "Earthshine." That last is notable for being the only Rush song I can recall that was later completely rewritten, keeping the same lyrics but replacing every single musical part. "Cradle" also underwent some serious surgery as time passed, and that was the kind of relaxed approach we were taking, allowing us to reexamine songs with the luxury of perspective, and repair or replace any parts that didn't survive that test of time. Sometimes a developing song seemed to lose momentum, or our faith (the critical force), and was abandoned, but that had always been our version of "natural selection."     Once I had the reassurance of knowing that some of the lyrics were working, and had a feel for the musical context, I carried on with the lyric writing. And switching to my "drummer" hat, now that I had some song sketches to work on I started spending a few nights a week creating and refining drum parts, playing along to the still-evolving arrangements of music and vocals as my guide. Alex was my personal producer and recording engineer, as he had been for this phase of many past albums.     More songs came together too, like "Secret Touch," "Sweet Miracle," and "How It Is," and as often happens, once we had a few songs finished that we liked, the newer ones started to get weirder. Daring grows out of confidence (or what the ancient Greeks called "hubris," I guess), and from this combination came "One Little Victory," "Ceiling Unlimited," and "Nocturne."     By that time we had been working on our own for about six months, and felt we had enough material to benefit from an "objective ear," a coproducer. Paul Northfield had worked with us as recording engineer on albums going back to Moving Pictures and Signals in the early eighties, and on several live records over the years (as well as my Buddy Rich tributes), but this was the first time we had worked with him in a more creative capacity. We wanted someone who knew us and our music well enough to make a shortcut straight into the composing and arranging area, for there were still more songs to be written and organized, and make a transition from there straight to recording.     That was an important difference in the way we made this record, compared to any in the past. We used to spend a period of time working on the songwriting, arranging, and our individual parts, then do some last-minute preproduction work with a coproducer before moving to a big-time studio to start the "official" recording. The pressure this imposed on us could be productive, and in particular I found that it could often drive me to a level of performance I hadn't reached before, but this time we wanted to do it differently-more gradually, with more time for revision and renovations.     Some of the songs had been worked on over a period of months by that time, and were ready to record, while others were still under development, and a few hadn't even been written yet. So for the first time we were able to simultaneously work on writing new songs, arranging older ones, and recording finished performances on the ones we were "satisfied" with. Geddy had been able to record the vocals on his own, and Alex the guitars, experimenting and layering to their hearts' content, and some of those performances would remain irreplaceably right. In each case we were "leap-frogging" ahead, improving our individual parts and discussing changes, then responding to the work the others had done on their own. After so many years of playing together we intuitively understood each other musically, and even if we worked in isolation, we were working together.     Paul's influence was strong through this phase, for he could help us judge the performances as "finished" or "not yet," and he saw possibilities that sometimes escaped us (urging "Ghost Rider" from the verge of abandonment to its glorious realization, for example). He also encouraged our "eccentricities" in the later-emerging songs like "Freeze" and "Peaceable Kingdom."     By then certain common musical themes had emerged, like a "veiled complexity" in the parts and arrangements (the drum parts for "Freeze" and "Peaceable Kingdom" took me days to work out and refine, for example). Alex's particular agenda steered us away from the use of keyboards or guitar solos, and Geddy experimented with multi-tracked backing vocals as textural alternatives. Lyrically, no overall concept emerged, but I can trace some interesting sources for particular lines, like Walt Whitman in "Out Of The Cradle" and Thomas Wolfe in "How It Is" ("foot upon the stair, shoulder to the wheel") and "Ceiling Unlimited" (Wolfe's title Of Time And The River and looking at a map of the Mississippi Delta suggested the "winding like an ancient river" lines). "Ceiling Unlimited" also offers a playful take on Oscar Wilde's reversal of the Victorian lament, "drink is the curse of the working class," while Joseph Conrad's Victory gave the "secret touch on the heart" line. "There is never love without pain" echoed from my own experience and the novel Sister Of My Heart, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and W.H. Auden and Edward Abbey (Black Sun) influenced certain lines in "Vapor Trail."     An article in the magazine "Utne Reader" called "What Do Dreams Want?" contributed to my ideas in "Nocturne" (as well as the enigmatic mantra, "the way out is the way in," for "Secret Touch"), and I was also struck by a psychologist's approach to analysis and dream interpretation, "without memory or desire."     The nineteenth-century Quaker folk artist, Edward Hicks, painted no less than sixty versions of the same biblical scene, "Peaceable Kingdom," and the tarot card "The Tower" seemed a chilling reflection of the events of September 11, 2001. A series of works by Canadian painter Paterson Ewen helped to inspire "Earthshine," and the title of a novel by A. J. Cronin, The Stars Look Down (which I've yet to read), seemed to express a fitting view of an uncaring universe.     In the self-contained universe of our work, everything had been going very smoothly, and it was only when we moved into the final mixing stage that we got bogged down. It seemed that all of us, Paul included, had become too deeply immersed in the material, and we could no longer step back and hear the songs whole. After a few unsatisfying attempts, we called in a specialist, David Leonard, and he was able to sift through the parts and make them bright and new again, to find the hidden dynamics and textures and bring out the subtleties of the music and the performances.     And so it was that we suddenly found we had been working on this project for over a year. It was not because we had any special difficulties, or because it was at all "overwrought," for many of the final takes of the songs had been captured fresh and spontaneous, more than they had ever been in the past. Far from being stale or over-rehearsed, often they had only been played that way once. The difference this time was that instead of working to schedules and deadlines, we simply carried on writing songs and recording them until we felt the collection of music was complete. (Someone wise once said, "no work of art is ever finished, it is only abandoned.")     While putting so much time and care into every detail of the content and performance of the songs, we hadn't paid any attention to their length, and now we began to worry if all thirteen songs would even fit on a CD, which can only hold 74 minutes. There was some talk of saving a couple of songs for a compilation or something, but Rush has never left any "previously unreleased tracks" for anybody to capitalize on, and we weren't about to start now. All of these songs had taken a lot of time and effort, and we simply couldn't imagine leaving any of them behind. Fortunately they added up to just under 67 minutes, so we were spared any painful choices.     Then there was the album title-never an easy decision. A unifying theme sometimes appears in the collected songs and suggests an overall title, like Counterparts or Power Windows; other times a particular song seems emblematic, like "Test For Echo" or "Roll The Bones." Neither approach seemed right this time, so we went with the song title we liked the best, "Vapor Trail," and made it plural to refer to all the songs. Then I went to work on cover ideas with our longtime art director, Hugh Syme.     The last big challenge we faced, as always, was the running order of the songs, and we fiddled with that right up until the last minute. However, we never doubted which song would open the album, for "One Little Victory" made such an uncompromising announcement, "They're ba-a-a-ack!"     Knowing that our music is nothing if not idiosyncratic, and doesn't really cater to popular "taste," we also envisioned advertising slogans along the lines of, "If you hated them before, you'll really hate them now!" Or, "And now-more of everything you always hated about Rush!"     But of course, like everyone, we do hope people will enjoy our work, and that our shared enthusiasm, energy, and love for what we do communicates itself to the listener. When you set yourself on fire and aim for the sky, you hope to leave behind some sparks of heat and light.     Like a vapor trail.

     T he drums are made by DW, with a custom red sparkle finish - sam as the last tour. (DW offered to build me a new set, but these ones still sounded great, so I decided to keep them.)     The bass drum is 22", the toms are 8", 10", 12", 13", 15" (two), 16", and 18". The current favorite snare drum is a 5" x 14" DW Craviatto, and I'm also using a 13" DW piccolo snare, miscellaneous LP cowbells, and DW pedals and hardware.     Out back, and hidden all around, are Roland V-drums and trigger pads, accompanying the Kat mallet controller and Shark pedals, all feeding into Roland TD-10 modules with expansion cards, Roland 5080 sampler, line mixer, and midi converters.     (I have no idea what any of that means.)     Drum heads are remo white-coated Ambassadors, and cymbals are Avedis Zildjian - 8" splash, 2-10" splashes, 13" high-hats, 14" X-hats, 2-16" crashes, 18" crash. 20" crash, 22" ride, 20" Low China, and an 18" Chinese Wuhan.     (That sort of thing I understand better - you just hit them with sticks. Promark 747 "Signature" ones, in this case.) Someone has also written at the end of this list that I have "a really great drum tech."     That would be Lorne Wheaton, better know as "Gump." Or is that "Grump?" Time will tell...

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CANNIBAL CORPSE's Russian Tour Attempted To Be Shut Down By Religious Protesters

Calls of blasphemy erupt!

"We sent mass requests to the prosecutor with the description of what is happening at the concerts of the group, the lyrics of their songs, which are described in detail in the rape and murder of children." He said that believers particularly outraged by open calls for the murder of priests in the lyrics, as well as a detailed description of sexual acts with children and killing them. "It is absolutely outrageous. This is an abomination. People with such thoughts should simply be isolated from society and placed in a mental hospital, " – says Tsorionov.

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Victor Mukhin

• Scientific Program

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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