Rush's Alex Lifeson working on new material with drummer Marco Minnemann

Minnemann broke the news of the as-yet-untitled new project on his official Facebook page last night (8th November) where he also shared artwork drawn by Tom Colbie.

He wrote: “Working on a new collaborative release together with Rush’s Alex Lifeson. Watch this space for more details to follow soon.”

Lifeson previously lent his idiosyncratic guitar playing to three songs on Minnemann’s 2017 solo album ‘Borrego’ and shared song writing duties on the track ‘On That Note’. The record also featured input from Joe Satriani.

It’s currently unclear whether the new venture is a song or a full-length studio album.

Suggesting that Minnemann could feature in a new incarnation of Rush, one fan joked on Facebook: “I know a great bass player named Geddy. He’s not playing with any band at the moment.”

Lifeson spelled the end for Rush in a blog post for the Globe and Mail back in January.

Quashing the idea of a reunion, even in the studio, he wrote: “It's been a little over two years since Rush last toured. We have no plans to tour or record any more. We're basically done. After 41 years, we felt it was enough.”

Neil Peart, of course, announced his retirement after the 40th anniversary tour finished and was blighted by agonising pain from chronic tendonitis, a foot injury and shoulder problems throughout the shows. 

In their critically acclaimed Rush: Time Stand Still documentary, the band ruled out ever reforming without their core members, with Geddy Lee saying: "We always said that if the three of us aren't on board, we don't do a thing. There have been other decisions in our career where the three of us weren't on board and we didn't do it.

“Nothing as profound as ending our touring life, but fair enough. So one guy doesn't want to do that thing anymore that I love to do. That hurts. But there's nothing I can do about it and that's part of the agreement."

Lifeson added: "It's not like you just get new members of a band and just go for it. Rush has never been a band like that. We'd never, ever do something like that."

A renowned solo artist in his own right, Marco Minnemann is also a member of rock supergroups The Aristocrats and The Sea Within, and has performed with Steven Wilson and the aforementioned Satch.

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> Working on a new collaborative release together with Rush’s Alex Lifeson. Watch this space for more details to follow soon. (Artwork by Tom Colbie) > > Posted by Marco Minnemann on Thursday, 8 November 2018