Rush Return With New Album And World Tour

03/28/07 6:00pm

by Antoinette Mercurio (CHARTattack)

Loyal Rush fans waiting for more details on the prog-rock trio's new album can now breathe easy.

The Toronto-bred rockers have unveiled the songs on Snakes & Arrows and announced six Canadian dates on their forthcoming world tour. The 13-track album is their 18th studio effort to date and follows 2005's R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour live collection. The new record will be released via Anthem/Universal on May 1, and a special DVD version is scheduled to come out on May 15, although there are hopes that it can be pushed up to coincide with the album's street date.

The DVD edition will come in a deluxe box and include the 13 songs in hi-resolution audio and 5.1 surround sound, as well as a video documentary on the making of the album.

Snakes & Ladders was recorded last fall and co-produced by Rush and Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver). The album's theme stems from drummer/lyricist Neil Peart's motorcycle journeys across North America and his personal reflections on faith. Lead single "Far Cry" has been making the rounds on rock radio stations.

The 62-date Snakes & Arrows World Tour will kick off on June 13 in Atlanta, Ga. and finish on Oct. 29 in Helsinki, Finland. Tickets for Canadian shows will go on sale on April 20 and 21, but there will be a pre-sale on Rush's website.

Here are Rush's Canadian tour dates:

July 18 Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
Sept. 12 London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
Sept. 14 Quebec City, QC @ Colisee De Quebec
Sept. 15 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
Sept. 19 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Sept. 21 Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place

Here are the songs on Snakes & Arrows:

"Far Cry"
"Armor And Sword"
"Workin' Them Angels"
"The Larger Bowl"
"Spindrift"
"The Main Monkey Business"
"The Way The Wind Blows"
"Hope"
"Faithless"
"Bravest Face"
"Good News First"
"Malignant Narcissism"
"We Hold On"