Glass Hammer
Glass Hammer | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Genres | Progressive rock |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Members | Fred Schendel Steve Babb Jon Davison Alan Shikoh Randall Williams |
| Past members | Walter Moore Susie Bogdanowicz Matt Mendians Michelle Young David Carter Brad Marler |
| Website | www.glasshammer.com |
Glass Hammer is a progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They formed in 1992 when multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb (then known as "Stephen DeArqe") 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 The Lord of the Rings. To their surprise, the album sold several thousand units via the Internet, TV home shopping, and phone orders, and Babb and Schendel were convinced that the band was a project worth continuing.
While many musicians have appeared on Glass Hammer albums over the years, Babb and Schendel have remained the core of the band. Both men play a variety of instruments, but Babb mainly concentrates on bass guitar and keyboards while Schendel also plays keyboards as well as various guitars and drums (until the addition of live drummer Matt Mendians to the studio recording band in 2004). They also sing, although a number of other vocalists (most notably Michelle Young, Walter Moore and Susie Bogdanowicz) have also handled lead vocal duties.
Lyrically, Glass Hammer is inspired mostly by their love of fantasy literature (most notably Tolkien and C. S. Lewis) and by their Christian faith. Although by their own admission they have tried to avoid becoming an overtly Christian band, their 2002 release Lex Rex was a concept album based on a Roman soldier's encounter with Jesus.
Musically, their most apparent influences are Yes, Kansas, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and, to a less noticeable extent, Genesis. While Glass Hammer has, for the most part, combined those influences into a characteristic style of their own, they made much more direct references to the aforementioned bands on their 2000 album Chronometree, which told the story of a drug-addled progressive rock fan who becomes convinced aliens are speaking to him through the music he listens to.
In 2012, Jon Davison was selected by Chris Squire, Steve Howe, and Alan White of Yes to appear on tour with them as their singer in lieu of ailing vocalist Benoit David. [1]
Members
Current members
- Fred Schendel - Keyboards, steel guitar
- Steve Babb - Bass guitar, keyboards
- Jon Davison - Lead vocals
- Alan Shikoh - Guitars
- Randall Williams - Drums
The following musicians both record frequently and perform live with Glass Hammer, but can be considered "guest artists" rather than full band members:
- Walter Moore – vocals (and guitar in live performances)
- Sarah Snyder – vocals
- Bethany Warren – vocals (she is also Susie Bogdanowicz's younger sister)
- Flo Paris – vocals
- Eric Parker – steel-string acoustic guitar
Former members
- Carl Groves – lead vocals
- Susie Bogdanowicz – lead vocals
- Matt Mendians – drums
- The Adonia String Trio – string trio
- Michelle Young – vocals
- David Carter – guitars
- Brad Marler – lead vocals on Chronometree
- David Wallimann - guitars
Discography
- Journey of the Dunadan (1993)
- Perelandra (1995)
- On To Evermore (1998)
- Chronometree (2000)
- The Middle Earth Album (2001)
- Lex Rex (2002)
- Shadowlands (2004)
- The Inconsolable Secret (2005)
- Culture of Ascent (2007)
- Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted (2009)
- If (2010)
- Cor Cordium (2011)
References
External links
- Allmusic band description entry
- Glass Hammer Official website
- Glass Hammer Semi-Official fansite
- Glass Hammer Discography on Amazon.com