In a new interview with Noisey bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee of Canadian rock legends Rush discusses the band’s contemporary status with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and talks about writing ‘the heaviest thing we can possibly imagine’.

Says Geddy: “Well, every once in a while, we do seek the ultimate ‘heaviosity.’ That’s true. I know there were moments of Counterparts where we wanted to be very very heavy. But for us, it’s hard to stay heavy for an entire ten minute, twelve minute song, because we just get bored with it, and the dynamics seem to suffer after a while. So we invariably relent, and have some light and shade thrown in there with all the other heaviosity.”

Read the full interview at Noisey.

Geddy Lee has responded to bandmate/drummer Neil Peart’s “retirement” announcement from earlier this week.

Neil told Drumhead Magazine: "Lately Olivia (Louise, Neil's daughter) has been introducing me to new friends at school as 'My dad - he's a retired drummer.' True to say, funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to... take yourself out of the game. I would rather set it aside then face the predicament described in our song “Losing It” (‘Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it’).”

Lee tells Prog magazine: “There’s really nothing to say. I think Neil is just explaining his reasons for not wanting to tour, with the toll that it’s taking on his body. That’s all I would care to comment on it.

"We’ll get together eventually and chat about things. But in my view, there is certainly nothing surprising in what he said. Neil just feels that he has to explain with all the thousands of people asking, ‘Why no more tours?’ He needs to explain his side of it.”

In the new video footage below, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee talk to Q107's Joanne Wilder about the physical toll that Neil Peart endures during a 3-hour show: