The "Fear Series," or as it's more commonly known among Rush's fanbase, "The Fear Trilogy," is a set of four songs by the band Rush. The series consists of Part I: The Enemy Within (from Grace Under Pressure), Part II: The Weapon (from Signals), Part III: Witch Hunt (from Moving Pictures), and Part IV: Freeze (from Vapor Trails). Parts I, II, and III were released in reverse order, while Part IV was released more than twenty years after Part III. The songs do not follow a set storyline; instead, they deal with topics relating to the emotion of "fear". Rush is a Canadian progressive rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart (IPA: ). Rush formed in the summer of 1968, in Willowdale, Ontario (a northern suburb of Toronto) by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey. ... Grace Under Pressure is the tenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Geddy Lee (30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician who is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Rush. ... Alex Lifeson (Rush 30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Alexander Zivojinovich OC (b. ... Neil Peart of Rush. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... Signals is the ninth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Geddy Lee (30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician who is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Rush. ... Alex Lifeson (Rush 30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Alexander Zivojinovich OC (b. ... Neil Peart of Rush. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... Rush (Moving Pictures) Neil Pearts drum kit, Moving Pictures tour Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music). ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Geddy Lee (30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician who is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Rush. ... Alex Lifeson (Rush 30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Alexander Zivojinovich OC (b. ... Neil Peart of Rush. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... Vapor Trails is the seventeenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Geddy Lee (30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Geddy Lee OC (born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician who is the vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the progressive rock group Rush. ... Alex Lifeson (Rush 30th Anniversary tour photo 2004) Alexander Zivojinovich OC (b. ... Neil Peart of Rush. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is a record label founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, principally as a R&B label. ... Rush is a Canadian progressive rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart (IPA: ). Rush formed in the summer of 1968, in Willowdale, Ontario (a northern suburb of Toronto) by Lifeson, Lee, and John Rutsey. ... Grace Under Pressure is the tenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). ... Signals is the ninth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). ... Rush (Moving Pictures) Neil Pearts drum kit, Moving Pictures tour Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1981 (see 1981 in music). ... Vapor Trails is the seventeenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ... Fear is an unpleasant feeling of perceived risk or danger, whether it be real or imagined. ...

In a 1994 interview, Neil Peart describes what inspired the "Fear" Series:

The idea for the trilogy was suggested by an older man telling that he didn't think life was ruled by love, or reason, or money, or the pursuit of happiness -- but by fear. This smart-but cynical guy's position was that most people's actions are motivated by fear of being hungry, fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of being robbed, etc., and that people don't make choices based on hope that something good will happen, but in fear that something bad will happen.

I reacted to this the way all of us tend to react to generalities: "Well, I'm not like that!" But then I started thinking about it more, watching the way people around me behaved, and I soon realised that there was something to this viewpoint, So I sketched out the three "theaters of fear," as I saw them: how fear works inside us ("The Enemy Within"), how fear is used against us ("The Weapon"), and how fear feeds the mob mentality ("Witch Hunt").

As it happened, the last theme was easiest to deal with, so it was written first, and consequently appeared first on record, and the other two followed in reverse order for the same reason.

(From Rush Backstage Club Newsletter, January 1994)

Part One: The Enemy Within

The Enemy Within describes phobias and other situations that scare people intentionally, thus causing paranoia and worry.

Part Two: The Weapon

The Weapon explains how everything that people fear can be used against them, even leaders, great nations, evil dictators, lovers, and murderers.

Part Three: Witch Hunt

The concept of Witch Hunt is how manipulators can use fear to "possess" the "ignorant" masses to their liking, much like the Salem townspeople during the Witch Hunts.

Part Four: Freeze

Freeze explores the fine line between running away and/or standing up to encounter one's fear.