ROGUE

GLASS HAMMER's 23rd album, loaded with melodies, from space rock from the 70s to today, a beautiful progressive spectrum. A return to the roots with the story of a man's final journey, a temporal parable.

"What If?" shakes my ears, a return to the GLASS HAMMER of the past, more melodic, less heavy, sung with the fruity sounds of Yes, acoustic guitar, and electronic keyboard worthy of 80s BOSTON. The vibes of Mike OLDFIELD are compelling for this bright, airy, symphonic track with a bucolic guitar solo. "The Road South" opens with a tune by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, RADIOHEAD, and a soaring atmosphere of ALAN PARSONS; gone is the prog-metal sound that boosted me, back to the keyboard-laden sounds of 70s-80s YES and ELP. "Tomorrow" is a text oozing with religious hope, a tune leaning towards pop love song with velvety synths and a pervasive bass. A hint of Jon Anderson on the holiday air of these bucolic, marshmallow bells. "Pretty Ghost" continues, a few notes from the cruise s'amuse to emphasize the cheerful tune. Olivia takes the stage accompanied by the Yessian bass, a languid 80s pop tune and her Genesis-esque keyboards like in the band's early days. Fresh without overthinking it, but so far from the sound of the last two albums. "Sunshine" continues with Olivia, YES exploding into reminiscence with the pad and plaintive lap-steel guitar. A languid vocal ballad for 80s regression with this thoughtful keyboard smelling good of THE CARS. A progressive finale on a marshmallow slope hurtling down the notes of a country meadow. "I Will Follow" is a classic organ intro. YES, yes again, although U2 fans will have been listening for a while. The punchy rhythm, velvety keyboards, and diverse hooks give this track a measured power. Layers of vocals, Oliver's vibrant melancholic guitar solo, and Steve's keyboards amplify the progressive side.

"The Wonder of it All" is an 80s-style intro, reminiscent of The Cars; I insist on the fresh use of the keyboard. The cinematic intro lets the velvety vocals unfold on the slopes of Alan Parson's, oozing melting marshmallow over a serious lyric. The keyboards bring the AOR-oriented, alternative, nostalgic break, harking back to the original Glass Hammer, sumptuous even if it lacks pep for me; the final keyboard is redundant and hypnotic. "One Last Sunrise" with the interlude, YES-style, coming from the Centaur star; electronic atmosphere, which is moreover, easy to access, bordering on new age. The unfolding of the air in fade on a vulgar drum machine embellished with bewitching keyboards, chiming with the dark outro. "Terminal Lucidity" matrix-like intro, soaring, obvious on OZRIC TENTACLES. A title winking at 'The Return Of Daedalus' by Arise, with the spaceship coming out of a black hole... In short, space rock full of electronics bordering on krautrock where the sounds of TANGERINE DREAM come to light. Velvety, distorted, on 'Tron'. The heavy guitar solo spurts from this black hole precisely, immense; Ariel's keyboard solo a tad hypnotico-oriental, bluffing. A little space-time later it's a bewitching alien western. The piano sets the scene after 8 minutes, introducing a solemn symphonic aria where vocals were not required. A grandiloquent moment with choirs, bells, and piano blending into the space of our psychedelic memory. "All Good Things" closes the album, with Alan Parson's vocal phrasing, ELO, and The Beatles. A sad, languid aria that evolves with the instrumental parts of Ariel on keyboards and Oliver on guitars. The solemn piece, a testament to the hero's journey, is effectively brought to life by this divine, captivating, psychedelic break. Prog like the good old days, with melancholic sequences that make you cry with joy and realize that beautiful music is still present today.

GLASS HAMMER returns to this gentle sound after their heavy trilogy, which had so much to talk about. A melodic album with a nod to the 80s, new wave to regress without getting too lost in the twists and turns of the Dinos. Original profilprog (4.5).

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