SHADOWLANDS

GLASS HAMMER is, IMHO, the best current American prog band. With "Shadowlands", perhaps, they don't reach the high standard of their masterpiece "Chronometree", but they put again an album plenty of creativity. The band sounds mature and even refined, showing its strong YES influence through five long elaborated and complex tracks, full of synths and vintage elements, nice melodies and great interplay between male and female voices.

"Run Lisette" and the twenty minutes suite "Behind The Great Beyond" (this one with a beautiful classical introduction) are standing out, and there's a prog version of Dan Fogelberg's very nice song "Longer", but composition and playing quality are always impeccable.

"Shadowlands" is an excellent cd, and -even when it isn't a masterpiece- I think it's one of the serious candidates to the best 2004 album. Recommended specially to 70's music lovers, particularly to YES fans.