ElectroVolta

"The best post 90's Rush album so far, and one of my favorite Rush albums period. The lyrics are the best ive heard from Neil, he is very honest and I really admire his values when it comes to that special relationship. The whole album is very loud and energetic, probably the most of all Rush's entire discography (except maybe vapor trails, but that one has major problems so lets just forget about it)."

"Am I being a bit harsh? Personally, I think not. This is SUB PAR. It is sub-par hard rock, and sub-par Rush. One of Rush's worst albums, and Rush is one of my favorite bands and my first prog band for life, so I know my Rush. Anthem and By-Tor are the only songs on the album that are worth while, and are in fact great Rush songs. Other than that, it is very low quality and very forgettable. Fans only, like me, but honestly I hardly ever play it and I can never get all the way through it thanks to Geddy's chipmunk vocals wailing bloody murder into my poor ears."

"Although only the title track (20 minutes of prog heaven) can be considered anything essential, this is still an essential release in my book for any hard rock fan and probably for any progger. This is of the the standard entry level prog albums, not just Rush albums, and this along with Yes' Fragile can easily convert even the most jaded rock fan who knows nothing of this word 'prog'."

"Rush's seminal release. This is the album all those other bands out there looked to for inspiration. Accessible so that hard rockers can enjoy it, and the hard rockin' radio stations can play it, yet prog and technical enough for us proggers to pull out the subtlies as well after multiple listens. A must own album even if your not a fan of Rush, if you like rock music. This influenced your favorite bands more than you know."

"A very hit and miss album, but probably Rush's best since Counterparts (Other than Counterparts, post 90's Rush hasn't made anything but decent and below studio albums) I was left dissapointed with this one as well, since Alex Lifeson himself said that this was the best album they've made in a long time. The songs have an amazing amount of energy, especially considering the age of these three prog grandpa's, yet they have more energy than some guys over half their age! Some truly great new Rush songs: Far Cry, The Main Monkey Buisness, The Way the Wind Blows. But the rest are sub-par and most of the songs start to run together and its hard to differentiate between each indivual song. I expect better from Rush, but at least this is a step up from Test for Echo and Vapor Trails! (eww...)"

"The most underrated album in rock. Every song is great enough to deserve a masterpiece status on its own. Pop music of the highest degree done progressively with flawless musicianship and ear soothingly beautiful production. It even has that hit song you guys all know, Dreamer! Concept is thought provoking too by the way. Buy this if you love music, buy this if you don't know if you love music, i don't care what the reason really... buy this. Even today, it holds up as a timeless masterpiece. Im 17 and into bands like Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and The Mars Volta and I LOVE this ancient album. Yah, its that good."

"A very fun, emotional floydian-esque release with tasteful guitars and keyboards, not very metal. Consistenly great the whole way though, although nothing really masterful, just consitently very good songs. Also, it doesn't try anything new for the prog genre, instead it takes Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, and Pain of Salvation and mixes them together into something not derivative but defenitely heavly influeced. A great record, and one of the best from 2005."

"The album where Gavin Harrison proves to me he is one of the greatest drummers of our time, with always the highest quality production (Steven Wilson is one of the greatest producers out there). A great and very real (maybe too real for some listeners) concept, and a great pacing. Depressing and uplifting at the same time, emotional is a good word to decribe this release. Porcupine Tree has done it again, probably the most consistent band in prog today, every release has been excitingly unique and top notch since Stupid Dream. I hope this band stays around for a long time, they haven't come out with a relase I didn't VERY much enjoy yet."

"A fantastic concept (Martin Luther's story, baby), and musicianship (Mike Portney's greatest record so far IMO), and lyrics. Although only just shy of a masterpiece (that title usually reserved for the 'One' or 'Testimony' releases). It was my favorite and top album of 2007."

"One of the most overrated prog albums ive ever come across, and believe me, I was one of you fanboys who believe this is the greatest thing since sliced bread as well. But, that was a few dozen intense listens ago. These days, after owning this album for a few years, its faults really expose themselves to me. I'll make my point quick. Negatives: (you know the positives) 1. Labrie's whining vocals taint the entire album, he is not the godly vocalist he thinks he is, and overreaches his own abilities in in this album. (unlike Images and Words where he sings very well and knows his limitations.) 2. It is just too long! Cut out about 10 whole minutes of overly long intrumental jammage and you've got probably a much more condensed, and therefore better, album. 3. The lyrics are terrible, and the concept (after its novelty 'cool! a murder mystery!' storyline has faded) is almost laughable. "I felt so empty as I cried, like part of me had died."... eww. Please, did you have one of your kids write those lyrics on a napkin during school or something? But even with these quite major problems, it is still excellent to masterful in almost all other aspects. It's really a shame, without Labrie and with some self-control this could have been the masterpiece album that people actually think it is. Still VERY much worth a listen or two though, but don't expect to love it so much after the first few virgin encounters."

"A milestone in progressive metal, and prog in general, for it's huge influence on the 90's prog revival. Barred by a dissapointing production (the snare sounds like it's filled with raw beans). Hugely influnced by Rush and the prog of the 70's, it deserves your repect if anything, but honestly, it should be heard at least once if you consider yourself a true progger."

"Thanks in a fairly large part to Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) this is as good as Opeth's Still Life but with even more amazing production. Pefect length, and acoustic/heavy parts. This and Still Life is the peak of Opeth, but personally, I find this release to be their ultimate peak."

"A milestone in modern prog. Accessible in some aspects, yet rather unaccessible in others (the vocals, the obscure lyrics, the noodling tendencies). Virtually essential to any modern prog collection, however, since this album will be known in years to come as a milestone in the 21st century prog revival."