As many dedicated Rush fans undoubtedly know, the term “roll the bones” is a reference to throwing dice – a vital component in many well-known games of chance.

According to Neil Peart’s latest edition of “News Weather, and Sports,” the venerable Canadian trio appears ready to roll the bones themselves, by agreeing to meet sometime this month in Los Angeles to talk about the future of the group. Fortunately, the outlook is not as grim as it may appear for Aerosmith, but there is talk of change.

This time the changes may be partly in reaction to the way the music industry has evolved in the last few years. “The  importance of ‘the album’ is not what it was, and there is currently a reversion to a musical climate rather like the 1950s, when only ‘the song’ matters. Radio, downloads, and ‘shuffle’ settings are inimical to collected works,” Peart wrote.

Although Peart reveals that they are not even sure what they are going to be talking about when they convene, he does share a few thoughts he has that may end up on the table in Los Angeles.

“We could write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past. In any case, there are enough possibilities for future collaboration, and I am curious to see what we’ll come up with.”

Whatever the outcome, it seems likely that the group is poised to move away from the traditional sequence of writing a new album, doing a tour, taking a break, and doing it again. It appears they are ready and willing to adapt to the shifting sands beneath their feet by veering off in a new direction.

Rush fans, as dedicated as always, will likely be awaiting news of the group’s plans anxiously.