Max Webster
Universal Juveniles

About fifteen years ago, to celebrate a school promotion, I was gifted an encyclopedia of hard rock and heavy metal published by a then (and still today) famous publishing house specializing in the field. Among the hundreds of bands covered by the author and the thousands of albums reviewed, my attention was drawn to Max Webster, a Canadian band that seemed to have produced several progressive hard rock albums, following in the footsteps of their compatriots Rush.
Curious about the excellent judgment expressed in the encyclopedia, I tried in every possible way to acquire the group's albums in the following months, realizing how the group was entirely ignored in Italy and it was not possible to find their works, particularly the alleged masterpiece Universal Juveniles from 1980. A few years later, taking advantage of a business trip by my father to the USA, I asked him to get me the Websters' albums, but that attempt also proved unsuccessful... so I abandoned the search and dedicated myself, in the following decade, to other musical interests and beyond.
Browsing the internet a few months ago, I stumbled upon the group's name again and managed to acquire, thanks to the marvels of online trading, that Universal Juveniles I had sought a decade earlier.
At this point, Debaser readers might wonder whether it was worth the wait and, most importantly, if it's an album worth recommending to others: in my opinion, there are at least four good reasons to buy and/or listen to Universal Juveniles.

The first is that it is indeed an excellent album (my old encyclopedia didn’t lie) in which hard rock, prog rock, and fusion are mixed with taste and skill by guitarist/singer Kim Mitchell and the rest of the band: to prove this, listen to the initial In The World of Giants, characterized by a striking riff repeated by guitar and keyboards and excellent drumming, over which the aggressive singing of the band leader stands out; excellent also the instrumental Check, which might remind you of some Rush pieces from those years (I think of YYZ, from Moving Pictures '81), and the blues rock with prog undertones Battle Scar, with its compelling rhythm and splendid choruses. Atypical Chalkers, where guitars and keyboards indulge in a central break of fusion and jazz rock origin, and Blue Rivers Liquor Shine, with concessions to FM rock, although characterized by intricate arrangements. In this framework, the other tracks on the album do not look out of place, all united by Mitchell's frantic guitaring, such as the aggressive Juveniles Don’t Stop, Drive and Destre, What You Do With Urge, the rhythmic April in Toledo, and the concluding Cry of Your Life, perhaps the hardest and most granite track of the album. Some samples of the tracks can be listened to on the group's official site mentioned alongside, also very rich in information.
The second reason the album deserves a listen, especially from fans of certain prog rock, is that it is the most akin work – in terms of quality – to the Rush sound of Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures I have ever heard, revisiting the same atmospheres of the Canadian trio, at times with the same technical expertise, serving as an excellent remedy for those who cannot digest the “electronic” works of Rush from the early '80s onwards and hope for a return to the mood of that era.
The third reason is that in Universal Juveniles... the same Rush play, great friends and fans of Kim Mitchell and his lyricist Pye Dubois, which concretely explains the observed affinities between the two groups. I obviously leave to the listener the pleasure of discovering in which tracks Lee, Lifeson, and Peart take turns, noting how in one of the best tracks of the album, the two bands play simultaneously.
The last reason is that nobody knows Max Webster, neither in Italy nor in the USA, while it seems they are idolized in Canada. Given that we owe Canada Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Rush, Voivod, Chilliwack (and I surely forget others)... I don’t see why not give the Websters a chance: it even sounds snobbish, besides being good for the spirit.