Symphonic progressive
Latest album: Arise (2023)
---UMR notes
Shadowlands (2004)
Sigh. Glass Hammer. Southeast Tennessee's answer to classic Yes, with all the pitfalls of modern bands trying to do such. And yet I really like this album. The music is absolutely there. But the male/female vocal approach goes far out of its way to try to derail my enjoyment of it anyway. Note I said approach, not talent. While none of the singers will win any awards, they certainly aren't egregious. But the vocals presented here contain that annoying American style - especially from the South mixed with a bit of FM hit radio - a style that seems almost like religious revival folk music. The group chorus' I think are trying to bring back the ghost of Tales from Topographic Oceans, but instead it just sounds like I'm at some River Cleansing Ritual. But what's not a sin, in my book anyway, is emulating a style as distinctive as Yes'. As long as we're not doing note for note rips, I'm cool. And they don't really. There are 5 tracks here, and each are very much thought through, dense, complex, and melodic. And enjoyable, despite their best attempts to push me away. Dammit.
2/2/16; 10/8/18 (new entry)
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