Glass Hammer

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   I'm currently listening to GH's Chronometree and Shadowlands. Parts of these albums are just awesome - a fantastic mix of Kansas and Yes. 
No idea how I landed on them after ignoring them for so long but they're fantastic - particularly Shadowlands. Okay the vocals are a little weak in parts and the lyrics can be cringe-inducing in places but when they get it right, they hit the nail firmly on the head - lush swathes of keyboards, fantastic mono-synth solos, loads of mellotrons. The only thing I'd take issue with sonically is the rather flat tones of their Hammonds. Initially I thought they were using plug-ins but having gone to their website I see they have 'access' to a range of Hammonds. Obviosuly not to Leslie cabs though, GH's Hammond tones are way too clean and 'nice'. If they'd only crank up the Leslies to 11 we'd be really in business.
Funny that GH don't get reommended more here. They are I grant you, very American in approach and take a lot of cues from Kansas (who seem to be fairly reviled here) but I think they're great.
I haven't got stuck into Lex Rex or Inconsolable Secret yet. With Lex I've heard it's a little preachy (which would annoy me) and I have my reservations about the second CD of Secret. Should I dive in or what?

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arcer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: September 01 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1239	Topic: Glass Hammer Posted: July 26 2005 at 11:04
	I'm currently listening to GH's Chronometree and Shadowlands. Parts of these albums are just awesome - a fantastic mix of Kansas and Yes. No idea how I landed on them after ignoring them for so long but they're fantastic - particularly Shadowlands. Okay the vocals are a little weak in parts and the lyrics can be cringe-inducing in places but when they get it right, they hit the nail firmly on the head - lush swathes of keyboards, fantastic mono-synth solos, loads of mellotrons. The only thing I'd take issue with sonically is the rather flat tones of their Hammonds. Initially I thought they were using plug-ins but having gone to their website I see they have 'access' to a range of Hammonds. Obviosuly not to Leslie cabs though, GH's Hammond tones are way too clean and 'nice'. If they'd only crank up the Leslies to 11 we'd be really in business. Funny that GH don't get reommended more here. They are I grant you, very American in approach and take a lot of cues from Kansas (who seem to be fairly reviled here) but I think they're great. I haven't got stuck into Lex Rex or Inconsolable Secret yet. With Lex I've heard it's a little preachy (which would annoy me) and I have my reservations about the second CD of Secret. Should I dive in or what?

Jared Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 06 2005 Location: Hereford, UK Status: Offline Points: 20715	Posted: July 26 2005 at 11:35
	Hi Arcer, I have Lex Rex, and it is a well-written symphonic prog album... in my oppinion, quite a step up from Chronomotree, which I frankly just can't get into very easily.... the lyrics are definitely christian, but nowhere near as 'preachy' as Neal Morse's stuff for instance, so I don't have probs there. The vocals are better on Lex Rex, but no great shakes. BTW there is a thread doing the rounds on 'Inconsolable Secret' at the mo, one of several threads in the last few months...try the search button. If my memory serves me correctly, 'Cinemashow' is a knowledgable GH fan..try him.
	Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson

chopper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Essex, UK Status: Offline Points: 20048	Posted: August 05 2005 at 14:27
	Go for it. I like Lex Rex but Shadowlands is probably better. I haven't got Inconsolable Secret yet, but probably will soon. They're one of the best US prog bands I've come across via this site.

TheProgtologist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: May 23 2005 Location: Baltimore,Md US Status: Offline Points: 27802	Posted: August 06 2005 at 03:14
	I didn't discover Glass Hammer until pretty recently and have been eagerly buying up their catalogue.I agree with fandango on Chronometree,it just didn't do much for me.But Lex Rex is brilliant,Shadowlands is even better(I love Run Lissette)and with The Inconsolable Secret they have released one of their best albums yet and arguably one of the best prog albums of 2005.


arcer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: September 01 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1239	Posted: August 06 2005 at 05:13
	Yeah I've been snaffling up the albums and bought Chronometree first cause I like Empty Space and Revealer, downloaded from the site on someone's recommendation. I really like the instrumentals on the album but the vocals are soooo whiny it's really hard to like things likes An Elditch Wind or Perfect Carousel. But I really liked the instrumentals so went to their own site and checked out some of the stuff from Shadowlands and that just blows Chronometree out of the water. It's their best album by a long shot. Way better than Lex Rex which to me sounds like they're really reaching sometimes, it's a little overwrought and the lyrics get tiresome. I just got Inconsolable Secret and I have yet to make a full judgment on it. There are some superb parts but once again I really think they could have halved some of the longer tracks, there are too many irrelevancies, sometimes the flow is just lost as they endlessly try to squeeze in more sections. It seems sometimes they pursue length just for the sake of saying 'we have a 28-minute' track on our new record. And the second CD - can't see the point myself. It's pretty in parts but to me it sounds like an audition CD, just ready to be sent out to movie producers. 'Look we can do soundtracks too! Do you have a fantasy-themed movie about to go into production? Want cheap and cheerful yet monolithic orchestral sweeps to usher in your battle scenes - call 1-800-HammerTime the sword and sorcery specialists!" I have no idea if they recorded a real orchestra and choir for the second CD - sounds in parts like Garritan Personal Ochestra and some choral sample CD to me. I just found the whole thing a bit... extraneous. Still, I'm convinced by them. They're really good at what they do, and the Kansas/Yes fusion thing gets me every time. Top band.