Yesterday morning Edge Factor released the trailer and release date information for their long-awaited documentary Masters of Resonance which features Neil Peart and the R40 drum kit. From the Masters of Resonance Facebook page:

IT'S HERE. Edge Factor and Drum Workshop Inc. (DW Drums) are proud to present the Official Trailer for Masters of Resonance...

Storyteller Jeremy Bout once believed that a drum was a glorified pail with a lid on it. All drum kits sound the same if you hit them with a keen sense of rhythm, right? Then he met John Good, Co-Founder of DW Drums and realized, "Boy, was I wrong." The innovation, craftsmanship, and sheer brilliance behind the science of drum making inspired the filmmakers at Edge Factor to share the legacy of John and the DW team, in the music documentary film Masters of Resonance.

STARRING: the extraordinary drum makers at DW, Neil Peart (RUSH), Tommy Clufetos (@BlackSabbath), Paul Wertico (@PatMetheny), Duncan Phillips and the newsboys (official), Cobus Potgieter, Blair Sinta and guest appearances by Chad Smith, Fausto Cuevas, Mona Tavakoli, and many others!

This film will be hitting the International film festival circuit this spring and summer and will roll out on your favorite Video on Demand channels this fall. Screening locations and official release dates will be announced on http://mastersofresonance.com.

Created in partnership with: FireTrigger, Mastercam, DrumChannel, Sandvik Coromant US, Modern Machine Shop

Here's a synopsis of the film provided by the filmmakers:

When was the last time an object spoke to you, and you listened?

Storyteller and Founder of Edge Factor, Jeremy Bout once believed that a drum was a glorified pail with a lid on it. All drum kits sound the same if you hit them with a keen sense of rhythm, right? Then he met John Good, Co-Founder of DW Drums and realized, "Boy, was I wrong." The innovation, craftsmanship, and sheer brilliance behind the science of drum making inspired Jeremy and the filmmakers at Edge Factor to share the legacy of John and the DW team, in the music documentary film Masters of Resonance.

This film takes you on a journey from the forest to the stage and pulls back the curtain on drum making. It begins with sustainably harvesting the wood in the forests of Michigan, then shows the design, manufacturing, and painting operations in the DW Drums factory. The finished product is revealed, as completed drum kits are played by many of the biggest names in the music industry. These processes are perfectly demonstrated as the DW Drums team creates the iconic Rush R40 tour drum kit, using 1500 year old Romanian bog oak. Along the way, you will witness the unique relationship that these drum makers share with musicians, as Jeremy interviews world class drummers from the DW Drums roster.

Rush drummer Neil Peart, beautifully captures the message of the film when he asks, "What could be more transcendent than a musical instrument?" It's the team's unending pursuit of excellence, willingness to embrace failure to find solutions, and the dedication of each team member that empowers DW Drums to create objects that live forever in the music they create.

For more details about the film and to keep up on the latest news, visit the website at mastersofresonance.com, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. You can watch the trailer below or on YouTube at this location.

This past Sunday Rush tweeted a cryptic image depicting what looks like a closeup of the grooves on a blue vinyl record, along with the text 4 12 in the 2112 font. No follow-up message or explanation was forthcoming, so fans began coming up with their own wild theories as to what it meant. After a lot of discussion, the general consensus was that Rush will likely be releasing a blue vinyl edition of 2112 (or possibly Hemispheres) this coming Thursday, April 12th. Why 2112? Because the tweet occurred on April 1st - the widely-accepted (although inaccurate) anniversary of the release of 2112 - and Rush separately acknowledged this anniversary on Rush.com and Facebook earlier in the day. Not to mention the use of the 2112 font. Despite the April 1st "anniversary", Rush may have demonstrated some bad judgement in putting out such a cryptic message on April Fools' Day, which caused some fans to initially just think it was all a joke of some kind. Speaking of the 2112 anniversary and April Fools' Day, iHeartRadio.com celebrated by posting a list of 2112 Facts About Rush's 2112 To Celebrate Its Anniversary - with the 2,112 being the joke; the list actually only included 21 facts.

Continuing on the subject of 2112, CBR.com posted a detailed article earlier today on the story behind the March, 1977 Defenders #45 Marvel comic, which drew inspiration from Rush's 2112, and was even Dedicated to Neil, Geddy, and Alex of RUSH. The article talks about the writers Roger Slifer and David Kraft, and how Kraft was a big Rush fan. It goes on to explain the various references including the relevant panels from the comic. The authors even met the band at one point, and Neil Peart said the following in a 1977 Circus magazine issue:

I read that issue and I enjoyed it. The Defenders was a pretty cerebral kind of comic. We were knocked out, and it really meant a lot to us. It was like real credibility. That tiny little line in the comic book meant more to us than a whole issue of Rolling Stone or anything else. It really means something to us because that's a real measure of respect. It's from another artist, and it's like the praise of the praiseworthy.

It's a really interesting and well-structured article which you can check out online here.

This year's Rushfest Scotland will take place at the Dreadnought Rock Club in Bathgate, central Scotland on Saturday, May 12th. You can get all the details on their website and by checking out the flyer. Rush tribute band The Rushians will perform, longtime Rush roadie Tony Geranios (aka Jack Secret) will appear via Skype, and all profits from the event will go to St.Columba's Hospice in Edinburgh. For more information visit the Rushfest Scotland website and follow them on Facebook.

Drew's Reviews posted a review of Rush's Caress of Steel album this past weekend, giving it a B-. You can read it online at this location. And Premier Guitar posted a review of the GED-2112 Tech 21 SansAmp earlier this week which you can check out here.

Here's the extended trailer for Edge Factor's Masters of Resonance featuring Neil Peart:

That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!