Envy Of None - Envy Of None (Album Review)
As a founding member of legendary Canadian rockers Rush, Alex Lifeson sold millions of records and embarked on numerous world tours with bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. The trio played huge venues to a level of fan adoration that many of their contemporaries could only imagine. The only time I was lucky enough to catch the band was on their ‘Roll The Bones’ tour at London’s Wembley Arena. That night convinced me how special they could be, even if I wasn’t always totally convinced by their varied musical output. Rush played their last shows as a band in 2015, and with the sad passing of Neil Peart in 2020, the Rush story came to an understandable, albeit sad conclusion. This brings us to the question of what do you do when you have been there, done it and bought the t-shirt (and probably a very nice house)?
Photography credit: Richard Sibbald
For Envy Of None, Alex Lifeson is joined by old friend and Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran, producer and engineer Alfio Annibalini (Philip Sayce, Voivod, Anvil) and singer Maiah Wynne. The other band members credit Wynne with bringing the music to life via her intensity and melodies (Wynne’s solo material is also well worth checking out). Quite how this seemingly eclectic quartet came together is probably a story for another day, but the proof is in the pudding as they say and Envy Of None is a five star gourmet meal for the discerning listener.
Envy Of None set their stall out with the driving poppy synth-rock of ‘Never Said I Love You’. The pre-chorus keyboard stabs feel very 80s (no bad thing) before the guitars kick in for the actual chorus as the quartet skilfully blend retro stylings with a more modern approach. The clinically clean production plays a key role in highlighting the impressive vocal arrangement, over pulsing synths and programmed drums, which is augmented beautifully by Lifeson’s understated guitar lines. ‘Shadow’ is up next; “What do I do with all these thoughts? I'm breaking down in the middle of it all. What do I do with all your ghosts? Leading me on and letting me fall” is pretty dark, but not oppressively so, as Wynne’s vocal melodies provide the ideal counterpoint to Curran's deep, throbbing bass notes while Lifeson continues to mine a seemingly endless variety of guitar textures.
‘Look Inside’ is the first reminder that Lifeson was in Rush. The dense, thick serpentine guitar lines that anchor the song are combined with the off-kilter time signature of the drum track to impressive effect. The production uses the full width of the stereo soundstage, allowing the instrumentation to wash and wander as a backdrop for Wynne to deliver another melodic vocal. The first single ‘Liar’ is a gem that has been compared to the likes of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle but with added melody thanks to Wynne’s vocal taking the edges off Lifeson’s crunching guitar. The parental advisory ‘Spy House’ is again very dark, over and done in a little over two minutes, it still finds time for Lifeson to peel off his first real solo of the record.
There are plenty of highlights here, but the one-two punch of ‘Kabul Blues’ and ‘Old Strings’ will take some beating. Wynne’s vocal has an ethereal, haunting beauty. The former also features impressive playing from Lifeson that could be considered almost jazzy. Looking for something a little tougher? The dark, brooding ‘Enemy’ should fit the bill as pulsing synths are enhanced by occasional bursts of bone-crunching guitar. The album concludes with a short instrumental piece ‘Western Sunset’, written by Alex in tribute to Neil Peart, which serves as a fitting coda to the album allowing the listener time to decompress.
Envy Of None is one of those records that will reveal its secrets over time. Tracks that didn’t quite click with me on first listen are becoming favourites as I dig a little deeper. I've a feeling that many die-hard Rush fans will be only too happy to join Alex on his new journey, but I'm also sure there are plenty of other listeners who'll find much to enjoy with Envy Of None.
Envy Of None is released in a variety of formats on April 8th:
Ltd Edition deluxe version – presented in a gatefold sleeve with a blue coloured vinyl LP, 2 CDs including a 5 track bonus disc, 28-page Booklet with exclusive content
CD – includes a 16-page poster booklet
LP – on black vinyl/baby blue coloured vinyl (North America exclusive) / white coloured vinyl
Digital
Preorder link: https://eon.lnk.to/EnvyOfNone
When you think of progressive rock/metal concept albums, one name springs instantly to mind, Arjen Lucassen. It could have all been so different for Lucassen, as his 1993 solo album, released under the Anthony moniker, ‘Pools Of Sorrow, Waves Of Joy’ was met with indifference by the record-buying public (finding a copy thirty years later will be a long and expensive search). Seemingly undaunted and already a hard rock veteran after stints in Bodine and Vengeance, Lucassen pushed on regardless, his determination resulting in a slew of projects that played a crucial role in revitalising the progressive rock/metal scene via releases under the Ayreon, Ambeon, Guilt Machine and Star One banners while still finding time for guest appearances and contributions to albums by leading lights of the scene such as Within Temptation and Avantasia. For this project, Lucassen has put his little black book of names to one side (Lucassen has enlisted many performers on his star-studded albums, especially singers) and settled on a band project, it’s still essentially a concept record in the Lucassen tradition, but he looks to be out to have a little fun, and the results are glorious.