PERILOUS

This is the third album from the same GH line-up with Steve Babb (bass/ keys/backing vocals) and Fred Schendel (keys/guitars/backing vocals) with Kamran Alan Shikoh (guitars) and Jon Davidson (vocals) along with Randall Williams sessioning on drums plus assorted guests. This settled line-up has assisted the band in quality while the borrowing of Jon for some other group has obviously aided the profile (I note that Glass Hammer are on the same cruise ship tour as Yes). GH have always put a lot of thought and care into their releases, so that the purchaser is already engaged before hearing a single note and the same is here again with great artwork and of course the booklet also contains all of the lyrics.

Here we have a concept album (not unfamiliar territory for GH) which is based on what happens when we walk through the gates into the cemetery beyond, and start a journey which can be 'Perilous'. The album kicks off with a string section, that leads into a fairly length instrumental introduction to "The Sunset Gate". This shows to me that Steve and Fred really know who their listeners are, and that they will be ready to spend the time and invest in what is going to be a great listening experience instead of looking for a quick fix hook or bridge. Long before the vocals started, the guitars and keyboards have struck an intense relationship with influences from classic prog bands abounding. An important thing to mention here is that while Glass Hammer have been influenced by the classic groups of the seventies, they are not just plain plagiarists but instead are doing something new while also casting a look back to what has gone before.

There is no doubt that Jon Davidson has a very similar vocal style to Jon Anderson, that is why he has been chosen to replace him after all is said and done, but these guys are not Yes clones. One of the most effective songs on the album is "In That Lonely Place" which starts with classical guitar and vocals from Amber Fults which takes the music in a totally different direction and even when Jon joins in the duet he sings in a different way to normal. Yes, the mellotrons come in to add backing but this is all about simplicity and context; prog doesn't need to be bombastic and multi-layered to be incredibly effective. Maybe now that Glass Hammer are gaining more recognition thanks to the Yes connection they will become well known to a much wider audience. This album certainly provides the basis for being able to do that. www.glasshammer.com

Enjoy the music 'as-is' and forget about influences ...

Am quite happy with this album even though it was quite hard at first spin trying to understand the album until third spin or so. I finally realized the reason why it was quite hard it penetrated into my mind. Yeah, it's basically the preconception that Glass Hammer is a reincarnation of legendary Yes prior to 90125 album. So when I spun the album I always tried to compare every single thing presented here with what Yes dis in the past. Where is the walking basslines like Squire did in vintage Yes? Where is inventive guitar fills like Steve Howe did? Where is the punchy keyboard lines like Wakeman or Moraz (sorry for not to mention Downes) who really characterized the music of Yes? I was trapped by my own definition of reincarnation of Yes. Yes, I could fine vocal similarity of Jon Davison and Jon Anderson even though Jon ANderson is much powerful and clearer. But hey ... Why do I make my own confusing comparison? And then I started the fourth spin.... It relieved me really ....

As I wrote in previous review of Glass Hammer album: "Musically, Cor Cordium is quite simpler than classic Yes albums but the overall composition is really nice. One peculiar thing that I can observe at first spin is the guitar playing style that is different from Steve Howe. As I play the music quite often, I realize that I like this album and in some points I do not really care whether or not this album is like Yes replica" So is with this Perilous album, it's basically in similar vein than Cor Cordium. The good thing about this latest album is that the music flows really nicely from start to end in a seamless fashion or at least I do not really care about the change from one track to another as it flows nicely. So you got my point that the composition handles the transition pieces beautifully. I only paid attention to it when I spun the album and tried to find out the name of the opening track and I found that I was already at track three: The Restless Ones. This is one thing that I need to pinpoint as the beauty of any prog music offering is on the artist handles the transition pieces. If the listeners cannot notice the change to another track that means the composition has very good structural integrity and overall it sounds like a cohesive offering by the band. It happens here with Perilous.

Take an example now when the album arrives at short instrumental track "The Years Were Sped" it introduced with simple acoustic guitar fills that represent the entry of tis track without me having noticed that at the end of the fifth track "We Slept, We Dreamed" there were a very nice choirs that brings the track to the end and finally, smoothy transferred to the short bridge "The Years Were Sped" which demonstrates a very nice instrumental work. The bridge then proves its effectiveness when the succeeding track, even though there is a short break "Our Foe Revealed " which has great and solid bass lines combined with very nice and inventive keyboard solo. Woooow!!! I love this seventh track - especially when I just enjoy the music as Glass Hammer music and no comparison with Yes or whatsoever! In fact if we want to compare with Yes, it surpasses (musically) the quality of any Trevor Rabin era of Yes. So I do not blame any of you who consider Glass Hammer is the reincarnation of Yes as the music is really excellent!!

When Yes toured Asia-Australia and made a gig here in Jakarta in April 24, 2012 at JW Marriott Hotel, during the press conference I stood up made my comments to Jon Davison that I am a big fan of Glass Hammer and liked their Cor Cordium album. Jon was pleased (even though Chris did not seem quite happy with my "out of Yes" comment) with my comments and I really hoped that the next albums would be at par excellent as Cor Cordium. They did! This Perilous album is at least at the same quality as the previous and in fact slight better, I believe.

As I am writing this review I play the album through my iPod and now I am reaching track 8 with no sense of being bored with the music. Yes. I have to admit that overall there is proximity with Yes especially with the Jon Anderson-like vocal style. At the eighth track "Toward Home We Fled" I find guitar fills in a bit complex style like Howe's playing even though it's quite short. But the sounds of organ / keyboards are really good and promising.

Overall I can say this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection with excellent composition and good performance. On composition the music flows nicely from one segment to another with good harmony. Most of tracks have memorable melodies and there are changes in mood and styles throughout the music that make up a dynamic composition. The keyboard / organ plays dominant role even though guitar and bass lines are also contributing quite significant way. It's not something that essentially the same with Yes but there is no harm associating the music with Yes. Look at the ending tracks "The Wolf Gave Chase (1:59) - We Fell At Last (1:56) - In That Lonely Place (6:10) - Where Sorrows Died and Came No More (6:34)" that are really excellent and there is no way to compare with any composition by Yes. It's highly recommended album! Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

"Show Must Go On" (Freddy Mercury).

As I see it... With their last 3 albums, guys tried to bring old Yes sound to new level. And in most songs they succeeded, especially in this album, where strings and chores added more layers to the sound. It sounds very dynamic, powerful and gentle at the same time - "intelligent rock", if you will (I picked up somewhere such a word). It is Symphonic Prog of highest caliber. Thanks to stunning vocal, it's definitely early Yes, but 100% ORIGINAL - and that what matters. The same thing could be said about Agents of Mercy toward to Genesis. Having vocalists so close to Andersen and Gabriel, guys from both groups are enjoying to recreate old sound and carrying it on.

It's all about Love and Tradition. Love to our old Prog and carrying on its great Tradition. Thank you guys for been so brave to do that on a such high level. Please don't give up. Only one complain I have: it's a guy on the cover... I am covering him with my finger right now, and the cover looks way better. Someday, when you will reissue this album in digibook with SACD, please take this "backdoor man" out. 5 shiny stars.

I really can't believe this album doesn't even get a score of >=4 right now. There are so many wonderful symphonic prog moments in the songs! Some songs may require a few listens to really appreciate them I guess. Don't judge the album after just one walkthrough!

Let's first note that the song titles, read one after another, make a beautiful poem!

1. The Sunset Gate

This track opens with an exposition of the main theme of this concept album, which will be repeated in later tracks, here played by a string trio. Once the piano takes over, you realize it's Hammertime! Although this sounds like an instrumental in the first half of the song, after more than three minutes the voice of Jon Davison makes an appearance, with subtle background vocals. A smooth transition occurs to the next song:

2.Beyond They Dwell

Slightly more uptempo than the previous track, and it may sound a bit more complex on first hearing. Very nice guitar and keyboard solos. Another smooth transition to the next song:

3.The Restless Ones

This song is mainly a vocal solo with piano accompaniment. At the end a surprising turn occurs into a suddenly very soft intro of the next song:

4. They Cast their Spell

I see this song as a kind of introduction to 'In That Lonely Place' (later on the album). A very creative chord progression, arpeggio played, on which the melody keeps spinning and changing in unforeseeable directions.

5. We Slept, we Dreamed

This song starts with the main theme of No. 1, now played on the piano, later joined by recorders and oboe. After a longer passage with vocals and especially keyboards, the exceptional beauty of this song really reveals itself at the end, where a vocal chorus kicks in like a classical choir. In the peaceful silence of a continuous low base note, the vocal chords flow like a renaissance Latin motet. Awesome!

6. The Years Were Sped

This is a very nice intermezzo with classical guitar sound.

7.Our Foe Revealed

An uptempo song with a very catchy riff about halfway through, at the end of the vocals.

8. Towards Home We Fled

This song has taken the most time to mature for me, especially because of the complex chord progressions and rhythms. In my experience you can appreciate it once you get used to it. But not easy to digest. A bit like tasting good but old wine.

9. While the Sun Dipped Low

A beautiful instrumental interlude, soundscape-like. Just close your eyes and watch the sun sink low.

10. The Wolf Gave Chase

Again an instrumental track, but now very up-tempo and a bit nervous. Excellent keyboard work in a very proggy style. Also a very impressive guitar solo. This song ends on a repeated augmented triad giving way to the album's most mellow interlude:

11. We Fell At Last

Acoustic solo guitar part, almost harp-like, a kind of intro for the next song:

12. In That Lonely Place

In my opinion, this symphonic ballad is the very best Glass Hammer song *ever*. On a very creative 5-chord progression, a melody is woven that with each subsequent measure goes somewhere else than you would expect. The couplets are sung by three different singers who each give their own flavor to that beautiful almost-from-out-of-space melody. The chorus is also very impressive and builds to a climax at the end of the 3rd chorus, but then continues and closes halfway through the 4th chorus. However, it's still not over yet? yes indeed, the main theme of the album returns at the end of this excellent track.

13. Where Sorrows Died and Came No More

After a quick piano and keyboard intro, a majestic song starts in slow motion that seems to close the album. However, after a few minutes an instrumental part follows where the tempo picks up again, in preparation for a fantastic symphonic and vocal end to this truly great album.