ChronometreeGLASS HAMMER |
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Glass Hammer: Fred Schendel
- Hammond organ, Mellotron, mini-moog, synths, keyboards, acoustic, electric
and slide guitar (lead and rhythm), auto-harp, recorders, drums, and backing
vocals Tracklist: All in Good Time
- part two: The musical geniuses behind Glass Hammer have once again produced an absolutely fabulous concept album. This album is a melting pot of everything that is related to progressive rock: Hammond organ, Mellotron, Mini-Moog, extended instrumental passages, a beautiful cover-painting by artist Bruce Huffmann, a brilliant concept story and top quality songs. The lyrics tell the story about a young man who listens to his collection of progressive rock concept albums. When listening to the albums he begins to hear alien voices between and within' the songs, telling him to build a space machine in order to plan for a future alien arrival. The musicians are very talented, and Fred Schendel is without doubt one of the finest keyboard players around today in the progressive genre. Arjen Lucassen of Ayreon is doing a guest appearance on this album playing additional lead guitars. The music is firmly rooted in the '70's progressive rock. Musical reminiscences that springs to mind are Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Flower Kings, Genesis, Nathan Mahl, Pink Floyd, Spock's Beard, Transatlantic and Yes. The track "Revelation" is a future all-time progressive classic. What we have here is one of the best progressive albums of the year, and it probably will stand the test of time and become a future classic. Highly recommended! ARION RECORDS SR9000 -Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist- Contact: Sound Resources
P.O. Box 16046 Chattanooga, TN. 37416 USA |
On To EvermoreGLASS HAMMER |
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Glass Hammer: Fred Schendel:
Lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, sitar, mandolin, flute, drums
Tracklist: 1. On To Evermore
(7:00) This is a progressive rock concept album, with a story that runs parallel to Glass Hammer's previous fantasy-musical album "Perelandra" released in 1995. After listening to "On To Evermore" more than a dozen of times (and it's still spinning in my CD player), I think it's a shame that I haven't heard "Perelandra". It would take to much time and space to describe the story so let's concentrate on the music. Their melodic progressive rock has got a complex '70s style with folkish touches and many different mood and rhythm changes. Take a bit of Emerson Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant, Kansas and Yes, and you've got Glass Hammer. Glass Hammer has got two very good guitar players in Walter Moore and David Carter, and the music does contain a lot of very nice twin guitar playing. They have also got a fast-fingered keyboard player in Fred Schendel. The best example of those three gentlemen skills is shown in the final instrumental track "Twilight on Longview". This is a very beautiful song. The best tracks are "The Mayor Of Longview", a very accessible easy-listening song, but still very good, "The Conflict", "Arianna", a long epic suite that passes seventeen minutes and the aforementioned "Twilight On Longview". This is one of the
best prog albums in 1998. ARION RECORDS SR1127 -Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist- -------------------------
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