Tag: Glass Hammer

Pre-Order Glass Hammer’s UNTOLD TALES

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Some brilliant news from Steve Babb and Fred Schendel:

Untold-Bundle-2

25th Anniversary Special Edition includes rare and previously unreleased studio and live tracks spanning the history of Glass Hammer. Featuring vocalists Susie, Jon, Walter and Carl. Includes “No Man’s Land Live”, two unreleased covers of Argent and Beatles tracks and much, much more. 74 minute running time! Collector’s will also want to grab autographed copies of the new Glass Hammer Photo Book. Only available for a limited time so order now. Orders ship October 20th, 2017. Buy Now!

Featuring vocalists Walter Moore, Carl Groves, Susie Bogdanowicz and Jon Davison. Current bandmembers Fred Schendel, Steve Babb, Kamran Alan Shikoh and Aaron Raulston are all present as are many GH alumni.

Tracks: Shadows Of The Past 2008, Infusion, Identity Principle, Hold Your Head Up, Babb’s Bach, And Then She Sighed, Eiger Dreams, It’s All Too Much, Troll, A Grain Of Sand, Cool Air, The Impulsive Type, No Man’s Land Live (2017).

Pre-ordering autographed copies begins now at the Glass Hammer Store!

Having been immensely privileged to have heard an early version of this release, let me assure you that this is a must own.  Of course, this is true for every Glass Hammer release.  But, in a year of extraordinary releases–from several from Big Big Train, The Tangent, Steven Wilson, and others–Glass Hammer always reminds us of what is most important in art and creativity–the integrity and imagination to move forward while always bringing the audience along for the ride.

It’s Tolkien week, this week, after all.  Today, Bilbo and Frodo celebrate birthdays.  If last year’s extraordinary VALKYRIE–THE best album of 2016–was Tolkien’s THE SILMARILLION, Glass Hammer’s UNTOLD TALES is Tolkien’s UNFINISHED TALES.  Plus, who can ever have too much Susie Bogdanowicz, our very own River Daughter, in this life?

Glass Hammer News: UNTOLD TALES 1

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Delights forthcoming from Glass Hammer.  As Steve Babb writes: “PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS AND MORE UNTOLD TALES begins with songs from 1993 and concludes with a live recording from 2017.”

Knowing Glass Hammer, this album will serve as the equivalent of one of Tolkien’s appendices in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.  And, I couldn’t be happier!

Glass Hammer Live (Photo)

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

This photo captures the loving spirit of Glass Hammer.  So much mystery and adventure, an endless exploration of what is known and unknown, majestically progressing not toward perfection, but toward beauty.

GH

Glass Hammer Live, May 6th: Chattanooga

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

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2016 – A Year of Joy and Sadness

On By Erik HeterIn progressive rockLeave a comment

To say 2016 was a turbulent year would be an understatement.  For good and bad, the events of 2016 are going to ripple for years, if not decades to come.

Fortunately, one area in which 2016 was not a turning point was in the trend of excellent prog releases, which kept coming without any letup from 2015 … or 2014 … or 2013 … you get the picture.  Like those years, 2016 saw a bumper crop of excellent releases, and in a few cases, saw bands hitting new highs.  Truly, this was one area where we can be unequivocally thankful for what 2016 brought.

Continue reading “2016 – A Year of Joy and Sadness” →

NPR Interviews Glass Hammer

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment
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Glass Hammer from PROG, 2015

A really insightful interview with Steve Babb and Fred Schendel of Glass Hammer–about the band, the state of prog, the state of technology, and the state of culture.  The interviewer is not only intelligent, but he also knows which music to play.

http://wutc.org/post/glass-hammer-rock-stars-everywhere-their-hometown#stream/0

 

Susie Bogdanowicz: Best Female Vocalist, 2016

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment
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Susie Bogdanowicz

Dear Progarchists,

Prog Magazine, led by the ever-amazing Jerry Ewing, has asked for a vote of the best of 2016 in a variety of categories.  The Prog Readers Poll, as Ewing describes it:

Here’s your chance to vote in the Prog 2016 Readers’ Poll.  2016 might not be year many of us will remember too findlay, for a variety of reasons. But music is the great leveller, and in music we all seek the great escape. Having just compiled our Critics’ Choice album of the year list, and casting an eye back over the past 12 months, then maybe 2016 did have something going for it… There were great new albums from Marillion, Opeth,Big Big Train, iamthemorning, Radiohead and more. Vibrant gigs from Haken, Public Service Broadcasting, Dream Theater and others. And new arrivals on the scene like Kylver, The Anchoress, Teramaze. Oh, and some blokes called Anderson Rabin Wakeman… Maybe 2016 wasn’t too bad after all… So who made your 2016 a real prog rocker? Let us know – you can fill in the form on Page 25 of the current issue of Prog. or you can e-mail us your picks for the following categories. Use the subject Line ‘Readers’ Poll 2016′, and e-mail your choices to progpoll@teamrock.com.

We’ve never (and I’ve never) done anything like this before, but I ask that you consider voting for Susie Bogdanowicz of Glass Hammer as BEST FEMALE VOCALIST.  I’ve been praising her vocals for well over a decade now, and I find that she simply gets better and better, though I did not think this possible when I first heard her voice.  Her lead vocals on this year’s VALKYRIE by Glass Hammer are nothing less than astounding.  Indeed, I consider her the single best voice in all of rock (in every form) today.

In case you’re in doubt, however, I’ll let you decide for yourself.  Here she is, singing a prog classic.

Dare I note, she’s even better than the original vocalist!  Heresy, I know.  Still, proof as well that Bogdanowicz deserves best female prog vocalist of 2016.

Thanks!  Yours, Brad

What I Liked This Year

On By Thaddeus WertIn progressive rock1 Comment

I wasn’t too adventurous in my listening this year – maybe because artists I’m already familiar with released so much good music that they kept me busy!

Here’s what I liked in 2016 in the world of prog:

Tales_from_Topographic_Oceans_(Yes_album)10. Yes: Tales From Topographic Oceans (Blu-ray ed.)

Technically not a 2016 release, but with Steven Wilson’s 5.1 mix, this is a new album to my ears. This has everything a Yes fan could ask for – versions of TFTO that include the original mix, a radio promo, a “needle-drop” vinyl transfer, an instrumental version, in addition to Wilson’s new mixes – literally hours of music. A sometimes maligned work gets its proper release, and it really shines.

 

The Mute Gods9. The Mute Gods: Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me

I love Nick Beggs’ blend of 70s – era FM rock with snappy songwriting. Turns out he’s much more than one of the best bassists ever.

 

Continue reading “What I Liked This Year” →

The Best Prog of 2016, Part I

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment
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The best album of 2016: Glass Hammer’s VALKYRIE

What a year.  I would guess that when historians look back to 2016, they will see it as a year of extreme violence and angry populism.  Sadly, both the violence and the politics revealed themselves from time to time in the prog world, but not detrimentally so.

Life, dignity, and art remain, however, no matter what the politicians scream.  And, praise the Lord we have good music to heal so many hurts of this broken world.

Glass Hammer, VALKYRIE.  Not just the best GH album, but one of the greatest rock albums ever made.  Susie has never sounded better, and GH has gone well beyond their comfort level to explore a full-blown novel in this terribly moving story.  This album strikes that perfect—and all too elusive—via media, balancing beauty and innovation.  VALKYRIE is, undoubtedly, my favorite album of the year.

In the next several spots, I have to wrestle with myself.  Frankly, any ranking after VALKYRIE, would change day by day and, perhaps, even hour by hour.  So, I offer the following loves.

Continue reading “The Best Prog of 2016, Part I” →

The Royal Treatment for Steve Babb

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From Sylvan.

And, utterly well deserved.  I love Steve’s published poetry, The Lay of Lirazel.

http://sylvanbindery.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-book-for-glass-hammer-ancient-binding.html