![]() The guitars grind, buzzsaw, and soar like birds of prey over the rock-solid drum and bass foundation. Sounding like an offshoot of Troll from the Untold Tales album, Rift is the track that most stands out here. With guitars and bass verging on metal, Babb carries the vocal solo this time. The lone track on which Fred Schendel appears (both as co-writer and instrumentalist) is Rift at Wasp-12. Once more, the spiritual aspect comes to the fore as the android sings: “ I thought I could live my life without you/Thought I’d fly the heavens, find all that’s true/But all I found was empty space, then I finally knew/No one can love me like you”. Embodying the human element, Pryor’s vocal performance embraces and emphasises the humanity of the android. A variety of synth sounds expose themselves around every corner. The layered instrumentation at the beginning of Lost allows each nuance to stand on its own while contributing to the satisfying whole. Cutting edge sonics have always been a hallmark of Glass Hammer’s albums, and Arise does not disappoint in that regard. Still, Babb never loses sight of the melody and keeps it an indispensable part of the song. Unlike the Tangerine Dream influenced instrumentals on the last few albums, this one has more than a touch of Kraftwerk in its rhythmic pulse. Mare Sirenum pulls back the reins for a few minutes, allowing the keys to dominate the proceedings, capturing the wonders of both deep space and technology. The six-string interplay between Babb and Boyd is incredibly sympatico and full of fun bits. The bass is mixed way up front which, considering how powerful and melodic Babb’s playing is, is a good thing. This is a high-energy track with a heavy Rush influence on the instrumental break. ![]() Steve Babb takes the lead vocal (with some electronic treatment) for Arion, with Pryor joining on the chorus. Take, for example, the following lyric: “Time to face all that I fear now / And time to find / Who I am and why I’m here now / They say that God is watching over me / I’m not sure what He wants or what He hopes to see.” The central character of the story is an android, yet this is an album as much about spiritual exploration as it is space exploration. Although the music is heavier than what we’ve come to expect from Glass Hammer, it is full of dynamic range. She manages to cut through the aggressive music with her pure, clear voice, imbuing the lyrics with emotional resonance. The music is all crunch, a perfect foil for Pryor’s expressive vocal skills. This song’s tension and power come into full bloom on Wolf 359. Sequencers, guitar feedback and frantic On The Run-style percussion patterns set the stage for something different on instrumental opener Launch of the Daedalus. But make no mistake, this is Babb’s show, and all the better for it. Hannah Pryor is back on vocals along with past contributors Reese Boyd (guitars) and Randall Williams (drums). The power trio of guitar, bass and drums rules this album, with keyboards used judiciously for colour and texture. Ostensibly a Steve Babb solo album (Schendel appears on only one track), Arise is the hardest rocking Hammer effort to date. Having recently wrapped up the Rush-influenced Skallagrim trilogy, Glass Hammer have taken yet another left-turn with a space opera. The results over the years have been surprisingly consistent, despite the numerous styles, singers and musicians that have come and gone. Like a prog Steely Dan, the band was whoever best helped them chase the muse. ![]() From the Tolkien-influenced symphonic prog of the early albums, to full on sword and sorcery concepts, to prog pop, to heavy prog and back again, co-founders Steve Babb and Fred Schendel have never shied away from progressing as artists. Glass Hammer have never been afraid to try something new.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |