“Valkyrie” tells the story of a soldier trapped in an endless war, and of the girl he left behind. As with most GH albums, deeper meanings abound for those who take the time to digest the lyrics which are, according to the liner notes, “dedicated to those who battle the effects of trauma, and to those who love and support them.”
What may set this 2016 release apart from previous Glass Hammer albums is the way in which the band went about recording it. According to bassist / lyricist Steve Babb, the band “went for a more live approach this time. We rehearsed the material for several months before finally recording all of the rhythm tracks as if we were playing one very big concert, which is to say, that it was mostly live. We concentrated on vocals and overdubs at the studio, but the foundation of ‘Valkyrie’ was done together in a huge , amazing acoustic space”…

Glass Hammer shoots for the stars with a new concept album, "Arise". Set against the backdrop of deep space exploration, "Arise" follows the extraordinary journey of an android dispatched by overzealous scientists to uncover the galaxy's hidden wonders. The album's lyrics, liner notes and artwork convey a tale of cosmic dread and wonder that doesn't begin with a big bang, but - according to Glass Hammer mastermind Steve Babb - definitely ends with one. He's joined by singer Hannah Pryor and guitarist Reese Boyd for Glass Hammer's twenty-first studio album. "Arise is my progressive rock spin on space rock", says Babb. "I'm still flirting with doom metal on a couple of songs, as we did on the last two albums, but there's also psych rock and even 80s influence going on in the music…

Glass Hammer return with ‘Skallagrim – Into The Breach’, Part Two of last year’s ‘Dreaming City’ which found lyricist, bassist and co-producer, Steve Babb, drawing inspiration from sword & sorcery novels of the seventies. Now the album has inspired an actual four-hundred page novel, “Skallagrim – In The Vales Of Pagarna”, which Babb plans to release in early 2022.

Progressive-rock at its finest! First came Dreaming City (2021), followed by Skallagrim – Into the Breach (2022). Now Glass Hammer returns to the cursed realm of Andorath with Part III of their Skallagrim trilogy, AT THE GATE. The album’s narrative concludes the sword and sorcery-inspired tale of the thief with the screaming sword, a “desperate man” who lost his lover and his memory. Lead vocalist, Hannah Pryor, joins Steve Babb, Fred Schendel, and Aaron Raulston. Singer John Beagley and former Glass Hammer vocalist Jon Davison (now of YES) make guest appearances. “At this point in the tale, our protagonist has searched a thousand years to find his lost love,” comments Glass Hammer’s Steve Babb.

Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee, created and led by Steve Babb and Fred Schendel. Babb and Schendel, who founded the band in 1992, are the only constant members in the lineup, having surrounded themselves by various guest performers. The different lineups included several lead vocalists, including Michelle Young and Jon Davison. Originally a studio project only, the band occasionally performs live, especially since the early 2010s, but never does large-scale tours.

Glass Hammer began in 1992 when Tennessee musicians Steve Babb and Fred Schendel got together and began writing for a progressive rock concept album. That album, Journey of the Dunadan, was released the following year…

Glass Hammer's tenth album, Three Cheers for the Broken-Hearted is a rather agressive departure from their traditional sound, characterized by lengthy symphonic pieces highly inspired by Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Kansas with numerous vocalists, complex instrumentation and normally upbeat and somewhat optimistic feeling, to a simpler, more band driven and darker sound, inspired by the 60's psychedelic and barroque pop bands (in the like of bands such as late Beach Boys, The Zombies and The Beatles), electronic music and striaght to the point rock'n'roll.
The vocal department was also reduced considerably, with singer Susie Bogdanowicz being in the charge of singing duties for most fo the album, unlike previous releases, where, as mentioned before, a considerable number of people would partake the singuing duties…

Glass Hammer is a Symphonic Progressive Rock band from the United States. They formed in 1992 when multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb and Fred Schendel began to write and record Journey of the Dunadan, a concept album based on the story of Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. To their surprise, the album sold several thousand units via the Internet, The QVC Shop-At-Home Network and phone orders, leaving Babb and Schendel convinced that the band was a project worth continuing.
Musically, they lean towards 70's driven symphonic rock, with strong keyboard orientation; specifically Hammond organs in the tradition of ELP. They have a superb melodic flow to the music they make, encapsulating real power and dynamics without ever becoming overpowering…

Seeing as Spock's Beard, Echolyn, and the Flower Kings have all recently released grandiose concept albums to critical and fan acclaim, it would have taken a monumental work of art for this fine prog-rock band to keep up the pace. Well, Lex Rex is that damn good, and a throwback to the great prog recordings from the early 70's from bands like Yes, ELP, Genesis, and Gentle Giant. While Glass Hammer never proclaimed to be the most original band on the planet (something the critics always harped on for some reason), their old-school brand of classic, keyboard soaked prog pays homage to the greats, and is delivered in such a professional manner that is both striking and exhilerating for the listener.

This offering from the band from Tennessee is a different animal altogether from Lex Rex (2002), it has that signature Glass Hammer sound, and it's deeply rooted in 70's styled classic prog. But the band sounds energized here, and the songs are a bit more upbeat, more melodic, yet in no way have they sacrificed all that makes a great prog record.

It takes a lot of guts to kick off this release with a cover of the Yes classic "South Side of the Sky", but leave it to Chattanooga's Glass Hammer to attempt just that on their prog rock opus Culture of Ascent. After the sprawling 2CD concept piece The Inconsolable Secret, the band decided this go-round to keep things moderately sparse with a 70-minute single CD set filled with just six tracks, but fear not, all the expected Glass Hammer elements are in place.
Their take on "South Side of the Sky" is actually quite good, as their arrangement stays fairly faithful to the original, with Susie Bogdanowicz handling the lead vocal quite well, and Jon Anderson himself putting in a guest appearance doing some vocalizations…

Over the years the duo of Steve Babb and Fred Schendel have had a somewhat rotating door policy to musicians and styles, but here they have gone back to what nay fans are going to love, namely classic progressive rock.
The addition of vocalist Jon Davison is a double-edge sword for the band, he shares with the Yes classic frontman not only the name similarity but also his vocal timbre is a carbon copy (coming from Yes tribute bands Roundabout and YesStory), causing this dangerous risk for the guys of being tagged as a clone band and not appreciated for the great music they make. On the other hand he sings wonderfully and if the great vocal melodies are in any part his own contribution, the choice for Jon is more than welcome…

Here is another pure example of the symphonic prog style of the 70's, mainly Yes influenced, because of the vocals and the bass work. As for the keyboards, it has some ELP and Genesis influences, and is the dominant instrument on any Glass Hammer's cd. But on this cd the keyboards are not as bombastic as some previous cd's. The vocals have never been so present, and Jon Davidson was the missing piece to give the band all the sparks they need to perfect their compositions.
We can find a lot of very nice arrangements in the music that are quiet refreshing to hear from the band. There is some beautiful vocals parts, beautiful and delicate passages with acoustic guitars and piano…

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. 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". Sure, there are Yes comparisons to be made here. Frontman Jon Davison is, in his highest range, a dead ringer for Jon Anderson - to the point that he’s been asked to take over as lead singer in Yes, but these guys are not Yes clones.

It's hard to believe that American symphonic prog band Glass Hammer are now sixteen studio releases into their career after forming in 1992, and with no signs of slowing down, it's even more impressive that they're still as exciting, inspired and creative as ever.
"The Breaking of the World" is a continuation of the sound of the previous studio disc, and like all of their albums, listeners will find a strong collection of unpredictable symphonic vintage flavoured prog rock with wondrous melodies from soaring vocals and complex energetic instrumental displays, along with those couple of standout moments that go on to become something of classic Glass Hammer pieces.