Pre-GC band The Awful Truth (89); Galactic Cowboys (91); Space in Your Face (93); Machine Fish (96); Feel the Rage (EP) (96); The Horse That Bud Bought (97); At the End of the Day (98); Let it Go (00)
Heavy prog-metal with tight, Beatle-like vocal harmonies and complex, guitar infused madness. Heavier than King's X, more progressive and more sci-fi oriented, they still get their message across as the main songwriters claim to be Christians. I generally dislike prog-metal, but the Galactics fule with their clean, easy to understand, non-operatic or metal-sounding vocals. Monty Colvin is a monster bass player, and live he just unleashes around the stage when they play live. The band cites Yes as a big influence, and it is evident on the first album with the Starship Trooper-ish finale. I only have the first two CD's, so reviews on the others would be welcome. Unfortunately, the band recently broke up. {dt}
Heart of David; A Vision of Angels
Gee is the bass player for popular English neo-prog band Pendragon. He's a Christian and his two solo albums don't conceal the fact. His music and voice is sort of Peter Gabriel sounding, mellow, melodic, and symphonic, with a little more prog than Gabriel still embraces, which isn't much but still enjoyable. Heart of David was released on SI Music, but is now out of print. Clive Nolan of Pendragon and Casino plays keyboards. A Vision of Angels is available for sale through Pendragon Merchandising, USA: http://www.pendragonusa.com. I enjoy both of these albums, creative and worshipful, with some nice arrangements. {dt}
Foxtrot (for Supper's Ready).
Who could have a list like this and not mention Supper's Ready? Perhaps the single most revered prog song of all time, Peter wrote the lyrics after casting a demonic presence out of his wife with a wooden cross during supper at a friends house. Although it's not entirely reverent (did Winston Churchill really dress in drag?), many of the lyrics are straight out of the Book of Revelation, and Peter said he always got chills and goose bumps when he sang the last part. "There's an angel standing in the Sun, and He's crying in a loud voice, this is the supper of the Mighty One, the Lord of Lords, Kings of Kings, He's returned to lead His children home, to take them to the New Jerusalem!" Great stuff. Many of Gabriel's solo songs have a spiritual bent, especially Salisbury Hill, In Your Eyes, Red Rain, and others. He was into EST cult in the 80's, not sure what he's into now. The cover song he did for the Princess Di tribute (I forget the name) had the chorus "May God's Love Be With You" over and over on it. {dt}
Journey of the Dunadan; Perelandra; Live and Revived; On to
Evermore
A stellar Americian prog band, Glass hammer has been putting out essential keyboard-drenched albums for a number of years. Formed from the ashes of the legendary prog-metal band Wyzards, the creative duo of Fred Schendel and Steve Babb use their influences wisely. Dabbling in hints of the classic bands, they nevertheless forge their own sound, never so evident as on their phenomenal retro-prog album Chronometree. It's a concept album based on a spaced out prog fan from the 70's that thinks the songs are giving him a secret message about an upcoming alien encounter, and it blows doors in a classic epic prog way. Glass Hammer just seems to get better and better with each release. Drawing inspiration from ELP, Kansas, and Yes as well as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, these guys score high marks in my books all the way around. Their debut, Journey of the Dunedan, is a concept album based on the life of Aragorn. Watch out for it if you don't like narrated concept albums, but it's a must for Lord of the Rings lovers. Spooky synths and tall tales of adventure mix with bar-room ballads and love songs to form an excellent stew of hobbit prog. Lyrics on all their stuff are primarily fantasy oriented spiritual allegory, and the fat organ and moog solos are endless. Of their early albums, Perelandra may be the best one to start with, as it seems to put it all together, but they are all good. Live and Revived is sort of a live best-of, but the live is a bit better than the revived, some of which should have perhaps stayed in the tomb. However, it shows off their killer live chops, and contains many of their early classics. On to Evermore is one of my favorites, taking up where Perelendra left off, and featuring more guitars and new vocalist Walter Moore, who reminds me a bit of early Steve Walsh of Kansas fame . The Tolkien-themed acoustic The Middle Earth Album is one of their best sellers. Most of it is sort of celtic-acoustic, reminiscent of the Bree song in Dunedan or parts of Tull's Songs from the Wood. There are a couple of nice moog drenched prog pieces on it as well. Lyrically it is all based on the J.R.R. Tolkien books, of course, which is timely considering the release of the epic movies. Not as strong musically as some of their rock albums, it is nevertheless excellent, especially if you have kids. Mine love to sing along with Dwarf and Orc and other ale-glass clanking Prancing Pony classics. Order from the band at www.glasshammer.com , or just go there for info and sound clips. Also available for sale through Pendragon Merchandising, USA: http://www.pendragonusa.com. {dt}
Glass Hammer is one of those rare progressive rock bands that not only maintains their excellence with each new release, they actually get better and better. As much as I liked their last epic album, Chronometree, their new album, Lex Rex, is truly their tour de force to date. Steve Babb and Fred Schendel have thoroughly entrenched themselves as the modern masters of the keyboard drenched retro-prog concept album genre. Stylistically somewhat similar to mid 70's era Yes without sounding like a clone band, Glass Hammer brings together all the elements of the progressive bands or yore and forges new territory with their unique style. They have evolved album by album, honing and defining their sound, perfecting the craft of progressive songwriting. Much like the Flower Kings, Glass Hammer delivers the kind of music that us old-school prog-heads drool over. Slathered with generous helpings of vintage analog Moogs, Hammonds, and Mellotrons, basted in multi-layer harmonies, soaring guitar and solid rhythms, Lex Rex is truly a feast for progressive ears. Apart from the compelling story, phenomenal musicianship, and well-crafted tunes, Lex Rex is also a stellar audiophile quality recording that truly sings on a nice sound system. Lyrically, it is a gripping and original story concept about a Roman soldier on a quest for battle glory and spiritual truth that gets more than he bargains for when he finds himself at the foot of a cross in Jerusalem using his spear to pierce the side of the innocent Son of God. There has been much written about the Spear of Destiny, (even rumors of Hitler having acquired it), but this story takes us back to the life of the soldier who wielded it, his thoughts, his dreams, his temptations, and ultimately, his transformation. The songs flow together nicely, with some off kilter and somewhat humorous narration thrown in that makes it seem like a theater production unfolding scene by scene. They say good things come in threes, and after being amazed by the recent releases by Echolyn and Spock's Beard, Glass Hammer has now thrown down the gauntlet. This is an album that will undoubtedly hold up under the test of time as one of the greatest prog rock albums ever recorded. {dt 9/18/02}
Shadowlands
Shadowlands sees Glass Hammer again meandering in the realm of retro melodic classic prog. A bit mellower and more thoughtful than Lex Rex, the five compositions on the disc all breathe with delightful intricacies and beautiful arrangements. Babb and Schendel’s arrangements are lush with classic synths, organs, and Mellotrons, painstakingly crafted with stellar production techniques. These guys have always been an audiophile’s dream band, and once again they raise the bar. The album’s packaging really jumps out at you, with another amazing cover by artist Travis Smith depicting the glorious black pegasus that stars in the song Run Lisette. Unlike their last few offerings, Shadowlands is not a concept album, and the songs vary in subject matter. So Close, So Far starts the album off from the perspective of a melancholy lonely lover, acoustic guitars layered with organs and soaring synthesizer leads. Male and female voices intertwine through the chorus, augmented by Schendel’s fat lead guitar work. Run Lisette is next, a ten minute tale about a mad war horse from the Napoleonic Era, a song which musically would fit right in on Yes’ album Going for the One. Next comes my favorite, Farewell to Shadowlands. Perhaps posting the lyrics here will help you understand why:
I walked in the Valley of Deepest Despair
Sought only comfort sent forth a prayer
Fell foes gather ‘round me shadows draw near
In gathering Twilight I labor in Fear
Out through the Darkness on through the Night
Song of my soul Song of my plight
He gathered me up took me on high
Where roamed only Thunder ‘neath shimmering sky
I walked with the Master as Twilight was scattered
Banishing Shadows that no longer mattered
Musically, the song is superb as well. You’ll be hitting the repeat button on that one, trust me. What follows is a big surprise, a new arrangement of an old Dan Fogelberg love song, Longer. It’s a cover tune like you haven’t heard since Yes re-did the Simon and Garfunkel song America back in 1970. And the lyrics of Longer take in a whole new perspective when you consider it as sung by your Creator. It’s a bit hard to imagine that song as a 9 minute prog epic, but Glass Hammer pulls it off with flair. Shadowlands concludes with a twenty minute treatise to those that believe this life is all there is, Behind the Great Beyond. Of course, a song that long gives Fred and Steve ample time to pull out all the prog stops, showing off their capable chops on all the various instruments they play. It's an immensely satisfying conclusion to an album that sticks with you, tickling your ears as well as filling your belly with meaty lyrics. Musically, the album doesn’t quite break into uncharted waters, but it sails our favorite classic course with depth and skill. Be sure to put on your headphones to hear all of the aural delights Glass Hammer has cooked up. While it’s hard to compare the band's albums (they are all so good), Shadowlands is definitely right up there with their best, if not quite as potent as Lex Rex. Of course, I’ve only spun it a half dozen times so far, and I have a feeling this may be one of those albums that, like an epic yarn, grows even greater with repeated telling. (dt 12/03)
Live at NEARfest
Aha! Here we have the second official live CD from Tennessee prog band Glass Hammer. It is interesting reviewing a CD that I had a small part in making happen. Last year you may have read the interview I did with Steve Babb of Glass Hammer. In there, I asked him if the band ever planned on playing live again. Steve mentioned that save for perhaps an invite to NEARfest, Glass Hammer's performing days were done. The liner notes of the CD mention that interview vaguely as an instigator of the show, but I never told Steve the rest of the story. Not long after that interview, I happened to see a post on rec.music.progressive from Rob, the guy who puts on NEARfest, and in it he was explaining why he couldn't invite Glass Hammer to play the prog festival, because he had heard that the band didn't perform live anymore. Well, I couldn't help myself, I had to email him and let him know that, well, that wasn't exactly true. And so he got in touch with me to verify that Steve had indeed mentioned they might be willing to do a NEARfest. After that, he contacted the band, they said yes, eventually played the show, and well, the results are cranking on my stereo right now. And a worthy crank it is.
The trouble with most live albums is that either the sound quality is poor, or the playing is sometimes sloppy. Well, Glass Hammer's Live at NEARfest suffers from neither of those flaws. The audio fidelity is sparkling, and the playing flat out kicks butt. Full of life and energy, great chops, and fine harmonies, this album showcases one of America's top bands in their prime. The song selection includes many favorites, including a couple from Chronometree (Chronotheme and Chronos Deliverer) and quite a bit of their epic Lex Rex. The addition of Walter Moore on vocals and lead guitar really adds some punch. I always thought Moore sounded a lot like a young Steve Walsh, and when he belts out the surprise cover of the Kansas song Portrait (He Knew), with none other than Rich Williams on guitar as a special guest, well, he is a dead ringer. In fact, he sounds far better to my ears than Walsh himself has sounded in years. Plus, he is a capable lead player, adding a little extra crunch to the standard Glass Hammer sound. Fred Schendel shows that his keyboard chops that brim over on their studio albums are for real. Flashy, Wakeman-esque moog and organ flourishes abound on every song. Steve Babb lays down tight bass grooves throughout, and new drummer Matt Mendians is solid, showing some flash on a drum solo (a track called Cowboys and Mendians). The live album closes out with When We Were Young and Heaven, which sports an "angelic" choir. Both those tracks send chills up my spine, and the live versions are just as mind blowing. Somehow Glass Hammer pulled off a most difficult feat, creating a live album that in many ways outshines much of their studio efforts. I highly recommend it, although I am still sorry I couldn't have been there in person. {dt 7-15-04}
Glass Hammer’s new CD, The Inconsolable Secret, is a mind blower. How these guys can keep outdoing themselves album after album is one of the great mysteries of prog-dom. Tolkien would be proud of this epic “literary” prog album. Take one part fantasy story, one part keyboard virtuoso, mix in some classic analog synths and B-3’s, let art legend Roger Dean design your artwork, and presto, Gandalf himself couldn’t have conjured up a finer prog record.
This is a double album that is very rich and complex, and requires repeated listening to perhaps fully appreciate. However, those progressive rock fans willing to make the investment by listening to it on headphones and following the story as they do will surely be greatly rewarded with an album they can cherish for years to come.
Disc one, The Knights, starts off with the fantastic keyboard-driven A Maker of Crowns. The song features some really great playing by keyboardist Fred Schendel and it immediately draws you into the story that is about to unfold. Song two, the Knight of the North, is a 24 minute Gilgamesh-like epic about mythic battles that starts strong and never lets up. You might think that nearly half an hour of singing about knights and dungeons and battles would wear on you, even if the musicianship is fantastic. Well, I agree that the lyrics may not be instantly engaging, but once you delve into the enhanced CD and read the fantastic Steve Babb story behind the concept album called the Lay of Lizarel, the lyrics will really start to come alive.
On disc two, the tale continues with The Lady, an album side piece broken up into eleven parts. It picks up the pace creatively, and is especially enhanced by some extended lead vocal parts by the lovely Susie Bogdanowicz. The songs vary in style and tempo, moving from driving moog and organ driven virtuosity to stunning pastoral orchestral segments. The Lady is an allegory evident for the spiritually tuned-in, with some slightly veiled references to Christ and the redemption of His bride, the church. That richness is well worth exploring, and, fortunately, the lyrics are far from preachy and make for a good yarn.
Glass Hammer have certainly mastered the art of creating music that distills the essence of Wakeman-era Yes. At times, certain sections of the record are almost too reminiscent, using similar Moog patches and stylings, guitar tones, and general feel so that comparisons are inevitable. Despite being unashamed of showing their influences, Glass Hammer keeps enough of their own unique style and vision in the music to set themselves apart as one of America's leading prog bands. We could only pray Yes could create an album as creative and expansive as the Inconsolable Secret these days. [dt 7-29-05]
Glass Hammer is a band evolving, with a new vocalist and lead guitarist added to the core of keyboard whiz Fred Schendel, bassist and lyricist Steve Babb, and drummer Matt Mendians. Their latest progressive rock epic, Culture of Ascent, is a concept album about mountain climbing, and the lyrics, mostly penned by either Steve Babb and new vocalist Carl Groves (of the band Salem Hill) take advantage of the available metaphors. The addition of French guitarist Dave “Shreddy” Wallimann has matured Glass Hammer's sound, adding a crunchier edge and lightening fast guitar riffs to compliment Schendel's deft-fingered Moogy wizardry. The McCartney-esque Groves adds more melody to the vocal lines, especially on the songs he writes, which adds a depth to the vocals that was occasionally lacking on previous releases. Pulling a nifty coo for a band that has never hidden its Yes influences, Glass Hammer also managed to talk Jon Anderson into adding vocals to a beautiful reworking of Yes' classic mountain song, South Side of the Sky, as well as the excellent Life By Light. His contributions put the album over the top, and over all, Culture of Ascent should be a delight to fans of modern progressive rock.
Carl Groves has eliminated the classic band's only real weakness over the years -- there have been few Glass Hammer songs you can hum the melodies to, and occasionally the vocals seem tacked on to the music after-the-fact. While there are probably no singles on this record, there are sections of Culture of Ascent that have the strongest vocals heard thus far from this long tenured band. Especially strong is Ember Without Name, one of the coolest and most original songs Glass Hammer has recorded to date. The 19 minute epic Into Thin Air, based on the popular Jon Krakauer book about experiences on Mt. Everest, contains some gorgeous instrumental passages, including some haunting strings by the Adonia String Trio. The album ends with the moving finale, Rest, where the Maker calls out to one frozen in a failed summit attempt, promising to wake him from his icy tomb.
For any fan of long, meandering, orchestral progressive rock music with spiritually uplifting lyrics, Glass Hammer delivers in spades. For those with experience traversing the high mountains, there is much to savor and ponder in the songs. For those who enjoy being taken on a musical adventure, with twists and turns and occasional avalanches of new sounds, Culture of Ascent is a revelation. With their new, bolder sound, Glass Hammer have taken some strides higher up the mountain, and while this new album may not be the musical summit, the views are tremendous. {DT 11/07}
Glass Harp (OH, USA)
Glass Harp; Synergy; It Makes Me Glad; Live at Carnegie Hall
Phil Keaggy shreds in Glass Harp, his first band, and its certainly early 70's music that mixes love songs with Phil's earnest new-found faith. Glass Harp toured with the Who, Yes, and others, and were immensely popular in the Mid-West. Phil influenced lots of later guitar players (Like Ty Tabor and Eric Johnson) with his trademark volume swells and lightening runs. The vocal styles are beatlesque pop, but the music tends toward 70's prog. It Makes Me Glad and the Live one may be the best, unless you can get the compilation one called Song in the Air, which features all of Phil's Glass Harp songs together. They are currently touring, and some hot new live mp3's are available off the web at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/216/glass_harp.html Phil hasn't lost a step. The band was recently recorded with a full orchestra, and the album was recorded into a double CD called Strings Attached, which is available from their website at {dt}
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Opus One (06)
Atmospheric, engaging, and subtly brilliant, Greylevel’s Opus One is a very creative modern progressive rock album that explores deep themes of longing and faith. A Canadian band signed to Progrock Records, Greylevel has garnered a quick following with its original laid back and spacey style that successfully bridges the gap between the flamboyant progressive rock of the ‘70s and the new breed of alternative atmospheric progressive artists such as Sigur Ros and Radiohead that have been huge in the modern music scene. Full of ascending layers of sound, unique tones, and interesting melodic diversions, Greylevel crafts an ever-evolving soundscape to layer poetic lyrics and Thom York-like modern vocal stylings over. If you are a fan of Radiohead, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Marillion, Sigur Ros, or any other band that mixes cinematic musical textures with soul searching lyrics, then Greylevel is a must-have for your collection. Greylevel consists of songwriter and one-man-band Derek Barber on guitars, keyboards, vocals, bass, and drum programming. Richard Shukin adds additional tasteful guitars, and Esther Barber adds a pleasant additional lead voice. Opus One is not all chill out music, as things get quite aggressive at times, taking occasional diversions into amped-up guitar leads and the unpredictable left turns that are the hallmark of progressive rock. “A dream of hope, a dream of love, a longing for something better, something greater than myself..” Derek Barber sings on the powerful opening track, Sojourn, highlighting the deeply spiritual theme of the album, a journey through emotions and experiences in search of a divine power that brings love and hope. Barber, a Christian, subtly weaves his world-view throughout the evocative lyrics, which are never preachy but always thought-provoking. The song Taken mixes minimalist instrumentation as Barber sings “forever you have taken my heart” with a beefed up almost late 60’s psych sound as he later sings “trust the healer of the blind” while the song builds to a crescendo. When a crisp acoustic guitar unexpectedly breaks in with a Steve Howe-like feel, I was left with that poignant sense of satisfaction that one feels when diving into a particularly succulent desert and finding new flavors untasted until now. Blue Waves is a 16 minute epic that continues the theme of longing and a reminder to build your life on the solid rock mixed with synthesized sound beds and chiming guitars. Your Light, with a nod to Sigur Ros, and Possessing Nothing, with an almost Caravan-like Canterbury feel, are atmospheric standout tracks as well of 9 and 15 minutes respectively. The finale, Rest, again allows vocalist Esther Barber to shine (she sings lead on portions of earlier songs) as a nice change of pace, bringing this excellent work of art to a fulfilling close. Opus One is an emotive and powerful yet unpredictable symphonic dreamscape that is perfect for late night musings. Highly recommended, both by me and by my teenage son who pilfered my copy to listen to when he goes to bed at night. Check out http://www.greylevel.com/ for more information, or visit their Myspace page for a look and listen: http://www.myspace.com/greylevel [dt]
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Ground Zero Project (USA - CA)
Battle Cry (00)
The debut CD from California's The Ground Zero Project, Battle Cry, is quite a pleasant surprise. The music should please even the pickiest prog-heads out there, especially those that like heavy odd-time signature keyboard-led tunes infused with deep spiritual themes in the lyrics. This music begs to be cranked up loud on your home stereo. Made up of keyboard whiz and lyricist Scott Radosevich and talented vocalist and acoustic guitar player Tim McGill, The Ground Zero Project is not just a duo. A few other talented musicians colloborate on the electric guitar, bass, and drums parts. The guests play with continuity, making the albums sound quite cohesive.
The first comparison that comes to mind with these guys is
another great modern prog band from California, Cairo. Unlike Cairo, who sometimes drive
me to prog overload, the music of Battle Cry doesn't all start to sound
the same after a while. The band mixes up the album with acoustic interludes, tempo
changes, and interesting vocal effects to give enough variety to keep the listener
interested in every song. They keyboards are a lot more prominent than the guitars in most
of the songs, but the music retains the bombastic heaviness that bands like Dream Theater
and ELP showcase. McGill has a nice vocal range and generally sings with an
early Steve Walsh-like clarity, although his vocal style borders on metal at times. You
can tell that he cut his teeth singing along with guys like James Labrie and Gary
Cherone. I much prefer McGill's versatility and range to Labrie, as his voice is
seldom unpleasant, even when hammering out one of their heavier tunes such as Razor's
Edge.
The CD starts out with a gallop with the song Battle Cry, a spiritual call to arms against
the forces of darkness. For some reason, the song really reminds me of Cairo.
A nice Emerson-like solo piano interlude follows (The Rhythm of Grace), then GZP kicks it
up a notch with the nearly metal Watchful Eye/Step Right Up. The great keyboard sounds and
skillful playing of Scott Radosevich quickly dispels notions of butt-rock, however,
although one can't help think of Alice Cooper as McGill growls out the lyrics as the voice
of the dark lord during the last part.
Charting the same territory as the band Ajalon, the lyrical themes on Battle Cry are predominantly from a Christian world view, although I doubt those not in the fold will be offended or turned off by the occasionally up-front message. The subject matter is quite varied from song to song. There is a three-song opus based on as the popular Left Behind novel series by Tim LaHaye. Nightmare Opus tells the story of the end-times rapture, starting off with the nice acoustic guitar filled ballad The Stage Is Set, and then into the staccato keyboards and tasty soloing of Don't Get Left Behind, which is one of the highlights of the album, then concluding with the effects-filled Mark of the Beast. You'll lose your head over that one. Razor's Edge is a great, heavy prog song that has a commercial sounding vocal hook reminiscent of Dream Theater's Pull Me Under. Roll Away the Stone is probably the closest thing on the disc to standard AOR, but even it has some tasty keyboard solos and it keeps the listener guessing at times. Two of the songs, New Age is Old Age, and Secret Society, shine the light on unproductive spiritual paths and deceptions. The nearly 10 minute long Dead To The World may be the most unique song on the disc, with heavy processed vocal effects over eerie sounding Wakeman-esque keyboard rhythms. Frozen Winds is my favorite tune though, just for the killer keyboard parts that sound like an Eddie Jobson-infused outtake of the classic debut CD by the supergroup U.K. The album closes with the ballad Road To Home, a heart-cry of a song from the perspective of a person struggling with his humanity and desperate for grace and redemption.
All in all, Battle Cry is a most satisfying listen, and something sure to grace my CD player periodically. You got to love their mission statement: "Our mission is to create Holy Spirit inspired progressive music that lyrically and musically spans time and space to serve as a beacon for those who are searching and a battle cry to the brothers and sisters in the faith." I heartily recommend it, and look forward to a sequel. You can find samples and ordering information at www.fscomcen.com {dt}
Branch Upon the Ground (01)
The debut solo CD from Salem Hill mastermind Carl Groves contains a great blend of melodic hard rock, heavy prog, and deep tasty spiritual themes. There's even a song about that most spiritual of all subjects, baseball, called Walking on Diamonds. There's some mild profanity on one song (Pompous Bastards) that sensitive ears may wish to avoid. If you enjoy Salem Hill's music, this is much of the same, considering Carl is basically their primary songwriter. While a few of the songs are more melodic hard rock than prog, there is much to enjoy, including a song that was previously an instrumental part on their classic Suite Hope Suite. Highly recommended. See Carl's own personal web site here. He goes into considerable detail about his faith and other interesting tidbits. {dt}