A Farewell to Kings

How do you follow up a landmark prog-rock magnum opus like <i>2112</i>? For Rush, it meant simultaneously pushing their music to heavier, more cerebral and melodic realms. <i>A Farewell to Kings</i> boasts two of Rush’s most elaborate set pieces in “Xanadu” and “Cygnus X-1: Book 1: The Voyage”, whose extended ambient intros gradually erupt into proto-metal pyrotechnics. But in between lies the immortal “Closer to the Heart”, a lighter-waving acoustic anthem that accelerates into a hair-raising finale.