GLASS HAMMER

Glass Hammer is one of the best modern symphonic prog bands along with The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, and Echolyn. So where did they begin? Well, let's just say they definitely improved over time.

Glass Hammer's album "Journey of the Dunadan" is very poor for various reasons. For one, it contains all the mistakes that typically flaw debut albums. They were still trying to find their sound, and their songwriting skills were definitely not as good as they would soon become. In addition to those usual mistakes, most of the music here is really poor. They have a good song here, and a good song there, but overall there are really only 2 or 3 songs worth listening to. After I finished listening to this album I have a really tough time recalling any of the melodies on the album. In addition to the music, this is loosely based on The Lord of the Rings, and they do not do the books any justice at all.

It's really a shame that this turned out so bad because they show their potential. In those two or three songs they hint at their greatness, but never fully apply it. I see potential in this album, but all it comes out to be is a below average progressive rock album. I'll explain every song in more detail next.

THE MUSIC:

"Shadows of the Past"- A spoken word intro starts off the album. A dark string melody soon enters. It is followed by a very ELP-ish piano and drum section. Soon a good melody comes in, but all in all this is a really poor instrumental track.

"Something's Coming"- After the poor overture, this song starts with some really good organ chords. It sounds very ELP-ish again, but in a different way. Filled with nice synths and organ, this is one of the best songs on the album.

"Song of the Dunadan"- Spoken word and some piano chords open up this song. When vocals come in we have some enjoyable melodies. After the main section ends, we have a fairly enjoyable instrumental section. It gets fairly boring after a while, and it could have easily gotten away with being shorter. Still far from the worst this album has to offer, though.

"Fog On The Barrow-Downs"- The fourth track opens up with some wind sound effects. Some voices come in, but my no stretch of the imagination is this a "song". Just some talking and noises.

"The Prancing Pony"- It starts with the sound of fireflies, then we just hear an acoustic guitar with a bunch of people talking. A completely meaningless song.

"The Way To Her Heart"- This song is also available on their following album "Perelandra", and I recommend you hear it there. It is arranged much better on their next album, and that album is far better as a whole. As for the version on this album, it's a beautiful acoustic song, but like I said, a better version can be found on their following album.

"The Ballad of Balin Longbeard"- It opens up with some people chanting and clapping. A flute and acoustic guitar melody enters, and is then followed by vocals. People talking follows as the music begins to fade out. The song ends with clapping and talking. It captures the atmosphere of the album well, but it is a pretty lousy song.

"Rivendell"- A rhythmic drum and synth line begins this song. There is some more spoken word. To be honest, the fact that there's spoken word in almost every song it really detracts a lot from the overall value of the album. After the speaking we have a pleasant enough instrumental synth line.

"Khazad-Dum"- This is a solo piano piece that isn't very memorable at all. It's not the worst from this album, but it isn't good either.

"Nimrodel"- What a surprise! It's opened by spoken word! After that we have a decent instrumental track. It has some fairly enjoyable parts, but it really isn't that good.

"The Palantir"- A spoken word opens up the piano chords that would soon follow. The whole band soon comes in. The melodies aren't very captivating at all. Another decent track?

"Pelennor Fields"- An opening of organ chords is followed by a synth line. This mostly keyboard driven instrumental is one of the better songs on the album.

"Why I Cry (Arwen's Song)"- After a short piano intro we have some feminine vocals. This is a pretty nice song, but once again it is nothing special.

"Anduril"- An organ intro opens this song. There are vocals on this song, and it sounds very ELP-ish. The only problem is that even right after I listened to it it's tough to recall any of the melodies.

"Morannon Gate"- The only guitar orientated song isn't too bad. It's nice to know that they actually have a guitarist that is present. This is an almost hard rock song at times, and it is one of the better songs here. Still nothing too out of the ordinary, but it is enjoyable.

"The Return of the King"- The only reason you might want to consider buying this album. Some nice synth and organ lines open up the closing song. I really like the melodies to this song, and it is definitely the highlight. This is the only song that I'll really remember after hearing this album.

I might raise this rating to a 2 just because the last song is very enjoyable and there are a few other decent songs here. However, I will give it a one simply because if you are going to get into Glass Hammer, this should be the last album you purchase from them. Even then, it's really not worth getting unless you are a completionist. Thus, it fits the one star description. It would be a 1.5 in a perfect world, but since that is not available on our current rating system, I will give it a 1 simply because Glass Hammer has done much better.

1 star.

I woudn´t had bother to get this CD if there wasn´t for some glowing reviews on PA I happened to read. Since I´m always trying to be open minded I decided to give this band another shot. And I must say, after repeated listenings, that, yes, they are getting better. Culture of Ascent won´t be the CD that will set the prog world afire, but it´s a step forward towards the right direction. The tunes are stronger than the one´s I´ve heard before, more convincing and the arrangements are also better done. The inclusion fo the violin in some tracks is a plus, giving a nice 70´s had Kansas-like feeling here and there.

The CD starts very well with a good cover of Yes´s South Side Of The Sky. Here they prove how accomplished musicians they are. It´s a respectiful cover with some extras touches that add to the song without distorting its original beauty and structure. Their original stuff is nice enough. Nothing extraordinaire or too exciting but nothing like the frustrating tunes I found on some of their earlier CDs. There are no highlights but there arlso no fillers either. Production here is also much better and fitting to their sound than before. Not really perfect, but adequate.

All in all I found Culture Of Ascent a pleasant CD. If you like 70´s symphonic prog influenced music, and don´t care much for originality, this may be a good pick. Ratinhg: something between 2,5 and 3 stars, that I will round up to a full 3 stars because they are indeed improving.

"South Side of the Sky" A Yes favorite gets a makeover and a feminine touch. It blends exotic sounds with modern electronic tones and assumes a powerfully tight rock transformation. The vocals of the lovely Susie Bogdanowicz bend the melody in subtle and unsettling ways. The lack of bass in some parts (like after the middle bit) lets the piece breathe. The full instrumentation, background vocals, and dazzling effects make the verses dark and rich. The piano section and vocal harmonies that follow are relatively unchanged, if only modernized. And it's encouraging to hear at the outset Jon Anderson's esoteric vocalizations. I honestly prefer this version to the original- it's just so?cool.

"Sun Song" More electronic sensibilities are joined by violin, viola, cello and gentle vocal harmonies. Carl Groves has a "matte" voice (compared to Walter Moore's "gloss," meaning that Groves does not have even a trace of Moore's squeal, sounding less dynamic but also less annoying). The synthesizer, violin, and guitar each have a solo in the middle, and this is the highlight of the piece- each lead instrument's part is expertly crafted and perfectly executed. Pleasant vocals, strings, and heavy electric guitar follow to bring the piece to its conclusion.

"Life by Light" Gentle vocal begins this piece, soon accompanied by piano, strings, acoustic guitar, and gentle clean electric. Anderson's beatifically soft voice drifts in and out. This song is like a thousand delicate pieces of fabric woven together to make a strong cloth- each elegant layer of instrument or voice would be fragile on its own, but its unity makes it mighty. Ultimately, this is a cornucopia of harmonic voices- lovely for its entire duration.

"Ember Without a Name" Dark and heavy riffs work over blasts of Mellotron as a gritty electric guitar solo enters. The vocal section is not as grave, with less instrumentation and the addition of those sweet strings. For those enthralled with guitar shredding, there's an amazing guitar solo tucked away in here, that gives way to a more subdued keyboard excursion. A glistening piano, all alone, leads to perhaps the strangest moment on the album, but once this passes, the vocals reenter, as do the skillfully orchestrated music of the whole band.

"Into Thin Air" Lone piano begins the epic of the album. Acoustic guitar and violin come into play after the vocal, and with clean electric guitar, once more create a rich tapestry of music over a bed of placid drumming. Mellotron is another constant is this gorgeous piece. This almost twenty-minute song is loaded with graceful yet dynamic music, maintaining a full yet not busy arrangement. The vocal melodies and themes are memorable- something always important when dealing with lengthy tracks.

"Rest" The last venture opens with a sinister atmospheric bit before yielding to gorgeous strings, subdued keyboards, and calm vocals. The melody is striking, especially as it works alongside the beautiful violin.

Vocals are competent and generally pleasant, melodies not so bright, but always in use. After first album's song I new, what is it : good Kansas tribute band using modern instruments and technologies! Next songs gave me a mixed feeling: from one hand, the music is generally nice and competent, but from another - it just mix of earlier Yes and Kansas two in one.

Organ sound is deep and filling all the space around you, with rare guitar introductions and strangely mixed drums line. Voices are classic, with second (female) vocal a bit in Maggie Reilly ( Mike Oldfield vocalist in some albums) style. After few songs I just missed interest - well made secondary sympho-rock, that is it.

To be honest, because of high level of musicanship and generally not bad songs this group should be placed into highest category of secondary prog-musicians.

Should be interesting for new generation's prog fans without knowledge of "golden prog age" music, as crafted secondary sympho-prog band.

"So Close, So Far" Acoustic guitar begins this majestic journey of music, as organ, hearty bass, and a robust synthesizer lead join the graceful procession. A gorgeous electric guitar prances over airier instrumentation. Some rapid vocals and rhythms make up the last bit, with high-pitched synthesizer and steel guitar. Overall, it's a fascinating beginning to a great album.

"Run Lisette" While it's so difficult to choose a favorite piece from this album, this may be it. A gritty bass and guitar combo employs a very creative riff as flourishes of bright organ wash over it, and the electric guitar plays some very melodic leads thereafter. Bogdanowicz sounds absolutely lovely alongside Moore. The powerful church organ and guitar stir up some great music, indeed reminiscent of "Parallels" by Yes. What a wonderful piece!

"Farewell To Shadowlands" Using a meandering organ melody over a more structured clean, springy, rhythm gives the introduction to this song yet another uplifting feel. The synthesizer themes are exceptional, bouncing over a pleasingly effervescent bass. As usual, the lady simply sounds phenomenal.

"Longer" The fourth track is a cover of a Dan Fogelberg's hit- an interesting choice for this bombastic progressive rock band. The song begins with a simple piano lead, followed by organ, clavichord, and generous yet gradual layers of other instruments. Comparatively speaking, this is the weakest track on the album, since it can at times drag and be disinteresting, but it's still a very good cover.

"Behind The Great Beyond" The epic track of the album also begins with piano, soon accompanied by strings, and honestly, it all sounds like the tune of a nursery rhyme- an interesting opening to be sure. A fuller sound suddenly enters, with synthesizer lead and excellent organ, bass and drums. Over Mellotron and clean guitar the lovely duet of Moore and Bogdanowicz sing a beautiful melody. Abruptly the music stops to give way to a grand classical guitar interlude. The strings make a spirited reappearance thereafter. A variety of solos follow, last but not least of which is a vigorous synthesizer lead that ultimately draws the composition (and the album) to its conclusion.

Then, I bought this DVD and everything changes from then !

How to say what I felt listening to it - it really hard to explain : in this concert, everything is brilliant, tight, tasteful, (add every positive attribute here).

There are really no filling. Also, rearrangement for the violin trio even improves studio version (as in "Run Lisette").

The epic "Knight of the North" is simply astonishing.

I might say that the only (small) flaw is that the 150 pieces choir is not mixed with sufficient volume and sometimes we can't hardly hear them? but it is easy to live with it especially in "Having Caught a Glimpse".

I might say then that a big fan of Glass Hammer is born.

Ultime

"Culture of Ascent" by Glass Hammer leaves me kind of dry.

So in the fall of last year, the bands for this year's Three River's Prog Festival were being announced, and among the big announcements was Glass Hammer. I was pretty excited, I hadn't made a point to seek their music out and this was the perfect opportunity. I'd been seeing the ads for "Cluture of Ascent" flash across the top of the Prog Archives for a while and it seemed like it was time to investigate Glass Hammer.

After twenty listens, the CD still isn't clicking with me. There are parts of parts, but all in all, it's a meandering CD with very little to take root in. "Glass Hammer" is very heavily influenced by Yes, almost like a modern sounding version of the iconic proggers.

The overall sound quality of the CD is good, though the bass is lacking at times, flat at other times. Bassist Steve Babb is obviously of the Chris Squire School of Bass, which is good if you like that kind of thing. "Ember Without Name" in particular shows why one shouldn't bend the strings on their bass, the last half of the song is hard for me to listen to.

I feel bad saying this, but I don't think Carl Groves vocal tone is strong enough to carry the band either. At times, he can also drift off a little bit and when he is on key the tone of his voice is somewhat dull. "Life by Light" is started off with an a cappella bit in which every other verse sounds slightly off key.

On the bright side, the strings are brilliantly orchestrated and Fred Schendel's keyboard work is very good as well. "Into Thin Air", my favorite song on the album and the only one that I actively listen to when I'm not trying to get into this album, shows some of Schendel's work coupled with the string section. The first two minutes of this song can give me the proverbial goosebumps.

In addition to the strings, Susie Bogdanowicz does a great job with her vocals, most notably the cover of Yes' "South Side of the Sky". Again, the strings are orchestrated beautifully in this song.

The string work in "Sun Song" is the only real saving factor for this song. "Rest" is a decent enough closer and one of the better songs on the album as well. As with the rest of the CD, the highlight in this one is the strings.

Sadly this CD didn't do much for me, as much as I want to give it more, I can only give two stars. They sound too much like a slightly off key version of Yes. They are saved by a rating of one by the string section and "Into Thin Air". If you like yes imitators, then you may enjoy this CD more than I did, other wise, I don't recommend it.

This, begins by introducing "Now arriving" and follows with the complex "Times Marches On", which impresses me is the musicality of Fred Schendel and a leader who led the drum of this music (I say this because I also drummer) mainly in its introduction in time "break" where bass, drums and piano encontram.Outra thing is that I love this group and wanted to highlight is the sound that seventy them carefully and follow this line. "felix the cat" has a part to withdrawal of some classical music, while in "Way to her heart" is a beautiful and romantic ballad. "Heaven" has one of the most beautiful lyrical expressions (voices) of the group. Despite all the praise cited, tracks like "Perelandra" and "Le Danse Final" are not more than median and left the disk, where tracks are in our minds the desire to finish soon.

Good, but will not change your life. 3,5 stars

"Empty Space / Revealer" Lovely ELP-like organ and drumming begin this promising first track. However, unlike ELP, there's some excellent guitar passages with Mellotron drifting underneath. Sweet steel guitar over piano makes for an interesting quiet interlude, but overall this is a fantastic way to kick off an album.

"An Eldritch Wind" This has such a beautiful introduction, with acoustic guitar, autoharp, synthesizer, electric piano, and eventually gorgeous harmonics.

"Revelation" No other track sounds more like ELP than this one, with the shuffling rhythms, complex arrangements, and that organ tone. Peaceful strings then introduce the bass and odd vocals (fed through effects as they are). The lead vocals later on can be painful, but otherwise, this is a standout track.

"Chronotheme" The rhythm section is what the beginning of this one is all about. Heavy guitar and organ run about over it until an amazing synthesizer lead enters. It is a brilliant piece of music with lots of lovely layers.

"A Perfect Carousel" If this were an ELP album, this would be the obligatory Greg Lake acoustic track. However, it sounds nothing like that. This is largely due to the dynamic vocalist, who actually sounds unique on this track. Of course there's the synthesizer solo, which is actually quite fantastic.

"Chronos Delivere" Stark acoustic guitar begins an otherwise clothed track, full of keyboards and screaming electric guitar. A lovely choir assumes control for a bit, singing Vivaldi.

"Shapes Of The Morning" Organ, piano, synthesizer, bass, guitar, and drums make up the main part of this instrumental. While short, it is an astounding piece of music.

"Chronoverture" Piano from the previous track begins this one. It is full of delightful flourishes and dynamics, and then an organ accompanies it. The piece suddenly becomes another ELP-like track (as though the track marker were misplaced between this one and the previous one). For the most part, this track is an exercise in keyboard dynamics and wonderfulness, from synthesizer, to organ, to piano, and I love hearing it.

"The Waiting" Synthetic strings bridge the way for an introduction of organ. The middle section is a haunting bit with drums, good bass, and keys, but inexplicably gives way to acoustic guitar and the singing of that slippery lead singer. Lovely strings introduce the end.

"Watching The Sky" Hand drums, whistles, and flutes conclude the album in a short instrumental.