Test for Echo

Test for Echo is the sixteenth album on which Rush puts the raw feel of a trio to the fore and powerfully builds the songs with hard guitar, thick-outlined bass and precise drums. It pushes the heavier, guitar-centered direction established on the previous Counterparts further. Even with complex meters and phrase craft throughout, the playing never loses its sure rock drive. From the powerful development of the opening title track “Test for Echo” and the dynamism of the dashing “Driven” to the catchiness of “Half the World” and the lyricism of “Resist,” every song is engaging. Its great appeal is that, rather than relying on a large synthesizer wall, the three members’ close dialogue is clearly heard. Showing Rush’s mature strength in uniting high technique and a rock groove in an extremely natural form, it is a record of calm maturity. It is built to win on the plain, sturdy strength of the playing itself, over flash. Marking a break for the band before Neil Peart was struck by great tragedy afterward, it is a powerful, fulfilling work.