Check out this brief documentary on the making of Godsticks’ Emergence.
Emergence hits stores on September 4.
CHRONOMETREE: Glass Hammer’s 3rd-Wave Prog Masterpiece
Glass Hammer, CHRONOMETREE (Sound Resources, 2000). Artists: Steve Babb and Fred Schendel with Brad Marler; Walter Moore; Arjen Lucaseen; Terry Clouse; Susie Warren Bogdanowicz; Sarah Snydor; and Jamie Watkins.
Tracks
- “All in Good Time/Part One”—Empty Space & Revealer; An Eldritch Wind; Revelation/Chronometry; Chronotheme; A Perfect Carousel; Chronos Deliverer.
- “All in Good Time/Part Two”—Shapes of the Morning; Chronoverture; The Waiting; Watching the Sky.
Fifteen years ago, Glass Hammer released a masterpiece: CHRONOMETREE.
I almost modified “masterpiece” with bizarre and unexpected, but masterpiece probably doesn’t need exaggerations or qualifications. All masterpieces are bizarre and unexpected. They don’t fit the norm. Neither does CHRONOMETREE.
Originally, Fred Schendel had written the music to be a part of a solo instrumental release. Steve Babb liked the music so much, he asked Schendel to make it a GH album, a concept about concepts. Schendel happily agreed.
I remember my wife and I left town for a week’s vacation and when we returned a lot of Chronometree’s music had already been written by Fred. He wanted it to be an instrumental solo project, but the sound of that Hammond organ and the retro style of the music was such that I insisted we make it a full blown Glass Hammer project with a storyline. We never imagined it would be such a turning point for us. That’s the moment we embraced our roots and we have never truly repented of it. Prog fans couldn’t resist the storyline, as everyone could relate to our character “Tom” and his slacker friends. Chronometree was a prog album about taking prog albums too seriously. We’re all guilty of it. Leave it to Glass Hammer to call attention to that.—Steve Babb, July 28, 2015
It’s worth remembering at this point that GH had not fully established itself as a major and globally-known progressive rock act when CHROMONETREE first appeared. While Babb and Schendel had been friends since the 1980s, they had been releasing Glass Hammer albums only since 1993. Though they loved progressive rock, they had no idea where the genre existed in the early 1990s. Many now label them—in hindsight—as “neo prog,” a part of the second wave of progressive rock. They are really, however, pioneers of 3rd-Wave Prog and have maintained their status as one of the two or three premier bands of 3rd Wave over the past fifteen years. Their music, always deep and often overblown (when necessary), really defines the American aspect of 3rd-Wave Prog. They are, to put it bluntly, quintessential to 3rd-Wave Prog. They define it, they embody it, and they progress it.
In the early 1990s, however, Babb and Schendel labeled themselves “fantasy rock,” blending the imaginary worlds of the Inklings (C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien) with the musical talents and stylings of Kansas and Yes. To their surprise, they sold well, supported by their own successful recording studio, SOUND RESOURCES, which had recorded everything from country music to audio books. Indeed, they have never lost money on any Glass Hammer releases, and their popularity and profitability has grown at the same pace as their artistic innovation and confidence.
Let me admit a personal bias here. I know Steve Babb, and I consider him a very good friend. He is, from my perspective, a man of immense talent as well as as integrity. Every dollar he and Schendel have earned is much more than justly earned. They appeal to the soul and the mind, not the emotions or the pocketbook. Yet, they have done well where so many others have failed. Indeed, the less commercially viable and artistic their art has become, the more successful they have been. A beautiful paradox.
I have had the privilege of writing about their history over at Carl Olson’s magnificent Catholic World Report: http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2988/the_music_of_glass_hammer_an_appreciation.aspx
Prior to CHRONOMETREE, Glass Hammer had written and produced three of their fantasy rock albums: JOURNEY OF THE DUNADAN (1993); PERELANDRA (1995); and ON TO EVERMORE (1998). In almost every way, CHRONOMETREE signaled a new era for Glass Hammer. Though still rooted in fantasy, the story of CHRONOMETREE is as much science fiction and psychological study as it is fantasy. While it is only a notch below LEX REX in terms of artistic expression, it was a necessary precursor to LEX REX and to all of the albums that have followed.
Star voice changing feel call it out
sounding round the bright sized time
We never saw again
Forgot between the real pulse
The breath of life attain
Let play the sonic wind revealing
Not turning form loose tale
Of awesome thunder turn around the scene
To passion shall not surely fail
–From the opening of CHRONOMETREE. Tom, it seems, is getting word from 1972’s CLOSE TO THE EDGE.
As mentioned above, every single Glass Hammer album has been better than the previous one. And, yet, there’s not a dud anywhere in GH’s discography. GH really do define excellence at every level: song-writing; lyrics; production; and packaging. One consistent criticism of GH has been that they are “retro-prog.” Forgive me a pet-peeve, but this is total nonsense. There is no doubt that Babb and Schendel possess a healthy piety toward those who come before them. But, so does any great artist. Art cannot be so radical that it is not recognized by the larger community. It also is never totally derivative unless it is an obvious mockery.
Do Babb and Schendel love Yes and Kansas and Genesis? Of course. So does probably everyone reading this article. Yet, Babb and Schendel move well beyond their inspirations.
If nothing else, Glass Hammer should be praised not only for their very healthy innovation (Have you ever heard an album like LEX REX? No, it’s unique.), but especially for their never-ending pursuit of excellence. I offer the following two pieces of evidence out of a hundred such: 1) Susie Warren Bogdanowicz as singer. This woman is a goddess of song and voice. Outside of David Landon and Leah McHenry, she is the single best voice in rock right now. 2) Aaron Raulston, drummer. This guy could easily hold his own against Peart, NDV, and Portnoy.
Lesser men than Babb and Schendel might be intimidated at having such talent in their band. But, NOT Babb and Schendel. They seek the excellent and incorporate it whenever they can. They’re leaders, not cowards. And, they wisely realize, adding the extraordinary talents of a Bogdanowicz or Raulston only serves to make them all better.
CHRONOMETREE is the last of the somewhat original lineup, though it should properly be considered a nexus for the band as well as for 3rd-Wave Prog. Brad Marler provides lead vocals, and even the brilliant Dutch prog master Arjen Lucassen plays on the album.
As most describe the album, CHRONOMETREE is as a “tongue-in-check” concept album about being too obsessed with concept albums. Having spent many hours of my pre-marriage days wearing headphones and listening intently to progressive rock over and over again in the dark of my bedroom, analyzing every lyric to the point of absurdity, I very well understand the obsessive element.
And eldritch wind howls and moans
Through the space that I was shown
Can you hear their urgent call
Hidden in the sound
As this smoky room begins to fade
And eldritch wind howls and moans
Through the space that I was shown
I’ve been called to other stars
(and the heavens know my name)
I’ve been shown another world
As the vinyl turns
As the vinyl turns
–An Eldritch Wind
Perhaps by grace alone, I have turned this teenage obsession into a healthy hobby as an adult. Regardless, I can relate to the protagonist of the album, though I can also assure the reader that I have never believed that the albums or bands were sending me gnostic messages.
I have always, however, looked for the symbolism and deeper meanings in progressive rock albums. Obviously, Babb and Schendel have as well. For me, the lyrics are the biggest draw to prog. But, equally important is how artists mingle and match the word and the note.
With just the moon
To light our way
We headed back to Tom’s house
To wait for the day
The voices in his head
Had told him wrong
Science reduced to the musings of a song
All mixed up with the essence of his bong
Chronometree!
–Watching the Sky
If you know Glass Hammer, nothing in this article has been a revelation to you. You know very well that Glass Hammer should be the proper synonym for beauty, truth, goodness, and excellence. You also know that Babb and Schendel would NEVER release anything that is less than perfect. And, you know that as natural leaders and artists, Babb and Schendel readily and properly form community around them and their art.
If you don’t know Glass Hammer, I envy you. I would give so much to listen to GH for the first time. . . again.
Happy Birthday. . .
To our great progarchist, Gianna.
And to Alex Lifeson of Rush and Jason Hart of I and Thou!
Interview with 5R6
5R6 from Kharkiv in Ukraine are preparing to launch their debut full-length album “Islands” on September 25th. In an interview for Progarchy, singer and guitarist Igor Zubko talks about the upcoming release, influences, gear and more.
You are about to release a new studio album titled “Islands.” Describe the creative process that informed the album.
By the time we recorded the “+6.5 and Brighter” EP and went on tour supporting Stoned Jesus in 2012, we already had a couple of new songs in work, I had plenty of the song drafts and ideas to select from. We were very inspired after the tour. So we wanted to make an album in a year. But then, as they say, life happened. And all of the songs that eventually made it to the album were formed only by mid-2014. Which I think was for the best, because time made the selection process more effective, many ideas were dropped even before they made it to the rehearsal room. We also significantly changed some of the song structures and arrangements during that time.
At some point there were 8 songs that sounded like a good selection for an album. However, somewhere during the recording, we decided that one of the songs that was already recorded will not be on the album. The song was good, but it just didn’t belong there. We released it as a single/outtake through our Bandcamp, it is called “Vermin”.
This time we recorded everything at our friends’ studio where our drummer is working as sound engineer and technician. It’s the same studio where we rehears usually. So it felt almost like home and we had plenty of time and equipment to play with to find the right sound for each song. Which was great at first, but than became a little frustrating because it slowed down the whole process. Nevertheless, I think we reached our goal.
The album’s concept is inspired by Aldous Huxley’s famous essay “The Doors of Perception.” Can you tell me more about it?
I recommend to read the whole thing, it is short enough. Hey, a piece of writing after which The Doors named themselves worth reading. However, there is a particular part in the essay, where Huxley refers to every human group as a society of island universes. We experience both the joy and suffering on our own, we can communicate about our feelings, evoking sympathy or compassion, but we cannot communicate the feelings themselves. It struck me when I first read it, I had the similar feeling and thoughts for a long time, of course, I could not explain them as clear and exquisitely. The complete quote is beautiful and much more elaborate.
It is the normal way of things. But a though about being all alone even among your close ones appears very sad at a certain angle.
So. long story short, the lyrics on the album are about “islands”, about us – people; our connections, detachment, confusion, alienation, hopes and delusions, ignorance, aggression, apathy, will and all the fun stuff. It also touches on the so-called “meaning of life”, the most successful franchise over the last few millennia.
What were the biggest issues you experienced during the recording sessions of “Islands”?
It is about 300 km from Kharkiv to the war zone, and only 50 km to the common border with the aggressor state. So, at times it was hard not to ask ourselves what the point of this, or is this a good time for making records, for art. And the answer is – for art, it is never a good time, that’s why it is always the right time.
Regarding the process itself, It was hard to organize everyone schedule, and was frustrating when we could not continue for weeks, because of the schedule conflicts. Waiting for weeks and not making any progress, this was driving me mad. The last delay was my fault though. I just kept starting and rewriting lyrics to the title track until the day we finally recorded it.
5R6 sound is described as a mixture of metal, progressive rock, grunge and alternative music. How do you manage to channel that variety in your writing?
We do not manage it, it is just how it goes. We are influenced by very diverse bands and scenes, even with contradicting approaches towards the music. For example, Kirill and I both love Pink Floyd and Black Flag. In my playlist Beck’s album may be changed by Napalm Death, Steve Reich might be followed by Beastie Boys, John Scofield may meet Swans, etc. We’re just do not keep ourselves within a very strict limits of a sub-genre. We try to keep our own identity and this kind of “proggy/alternative” basis though. and not to wander into dream pop or IDM territory for example.
You say that the band’s purpose is staying open minded. What does it involve?
It is rather an attitude toward art, rather than a purpose. I guess I answered this question above.
Which bands or musicians influenced your works at the most?
The list would be too long to not become boring. I’ll try to name the bands that come to my mind first in no particular order. Slint, Tool, Pink Floyd, Death, Motorpsycho, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, Swans, King Crimson, Deftones, Massive Attack, Fugazi, Alice in Chains and many-many others.
What kind of gear do you use in studio?
I cannot name every piece of equipment involved in the recording, but here are some of what we used: Orange Rockerverb 50 amplifier, some custom-build-no-name amplifiers, Pignose “Legendary 7-100”, Mesa Boogie 4×12 and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 cabinets. Most guitar parts were recorded using my Gibson Les Paul Traditional Mahogany Satin, we also used Fender Jazzmaster, some Strat, Fender Acoustic-Electric Guitar and maybe a couple of other guitars. We also used plenty of different pedals mainly overdrives, fuzzes and delays from EHX, MXR and Boss.
And it was really cool that we were able to play around with the vintage electric organ Yamaha YC-45D, We used it here and there in the record, and we were just stoked with the result.
Can you see a clear progress in your music since the band’s early days until today?
Yes, I feel that there is more individuality and less limits in our music today. By individuality I mean that we sound like 5R6, not like 5R6 playing some other band covers, in spite of the songs being considerably diverse. And I would like to think that we improved as performers (laughing).
It’s always hard to make something different, and it’s hard to make people accept the things that are not frequent and that change. 5R6 has come long way since your debut release, so where do you see the band in the future?
Well, I feel emotional exhausted right now, because of all the pre-release activities and decision making. So, it’s a bit hard for me to think about the future. A plan for the rest of the year is too release this album present it in big cities of Ukraine, work on promotion, work on new material(?), tour Europe in 2016 in support of the “Islands”, and we’ll see where it takes us.
Is there anything you want to share with our readers about your upcoming album “Islands”?
Do not forget to check our Facebook page for updates from time to time (wink). And don’t miss the release on September 25th.
Pre-order “Islands” on Bandcamp, and follow the band on Facebook.
Review: The Under – S/T
The Under is a Boston based band that really know how to mix different styles in their music. This June, Bostonians released a five-track self-titled EP, which with it’s almost 30 minutes brings organic, tasty sound.
No matter if you are more into rock, or if you enjoy it harder with metal, there is absolutely something for everyone. The EP’s structure relies mostly on the metal, but it’s prog rock, punk and alternative that make it different for The Under. The juxtaposition of vocals and guitar rhythms are appropriately contrasted: while Daniel Costa takes highs, his guitar will often help balance sound so as to not make the songs too asymmetrical.
The Under is a moving journey through the catacombs of haunting vocals, heavy riffs, and hard-hitting drums. “The Strengthening” opens the EP in a deliberately delicate style, with Costa’s vocals leading the song affectionately along. “The Fear” is less upbeat than the previous number, but its moving groove and Costa’s smooth shifting through the verses will make you nod your head during the song’s 6-odd minutes.
Throughout the first listens of the EP, the delicate and compassionate vocals of Costa seem to need many of the songs, but getting deeper into this material and nature of the harsh drumbeats and heavy yet fascinating guitar combine perfectly to provide each and every track with a real fragility. These are songs songs which work because of the multiple layers on which they are formed upon, most notably on “Insidious” where the mix of clean and brutal death metal vocals sets a fitting scene for the rest of instruments. “Apotheosis” is a chilling ode to alternative and progressive rock, and is the only instrumental piece on the EP. “The Harvest” gets the speed back with its thrash arrangements in the way of early Metallica.
2015 brought many great new releases, and although they are not newcomers on the scene, The Under will be a very pleasant surprise for many who look for something new and different. Make sure to check out this release.
Track listing:
1. The Strenghthening
2. The Fear
3. Insidious
4. Apotheosis
5. The Harvest
The Under are:
Dan Costa – vocals / guitars
Randy Odierno – drums
Ben Sternbaum – bass
The Under online:
Hasse Fröberg & Musical Companion – “HFMC”
Of the three Musical Companion releases to date, HFMC is undoubtedly the most mature as well as the most cohesive.
http://theprogmind.com/2015/08/25/hasse-froberg-musical-companion-hfmc/
Excerpt: Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr., Coming in October
We are super excited to announce the upcoming release of one of our two October titles, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew by George Grella Jr.! Bitches Brew is still one of the most astonishing albums ever made in either jazz or rock. Seeming to fuse the two, it actually does something entirely more revolutionary and open-ended: […]
A Chat with Mariusz Duda of Riverside
I recently got to chat with my musical hero, Mariusz Duda.
http://theprogmind.com/2015/08/21/a-chat-with-mariusz-duda-of-riverside/
My Favorite Song of 2015?
Today (August 21, 2015) SPOCK’S BEARD’s brand new album, The Oblivion Particle, dropped. I went to my “brick and mortar” (Hastings) to see if they had it, as I was willing to pay full retail price rather than get it at Amazon.com. They did not have it…internet sales here we go again. A really nice review, […]
https://fatherwatson.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/my-favorite-song-of-2015/
Concert Review: Chris Isaak – Oregon Zoo
The joy of Chris Isaak. That joy is found under smoky skies with an orange hued half-moon hovering overhead as the modern day 50s man worked through a 24 song set on Saturday night at the Oregon Zoo in front of a sold out crowd. The smoke laden air from the forest fires raging miles […]
https://drewsreview.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/concert-review-chris-isaak-oregon-zoo/
Progarchy 