Valkyrie

It was always going to be tough following the last three fine albums. And there really is some great music on Valkyrie. Susie's voice is good, but I don't think Steve and Fred are complimenting it well here. Neither are strong enough singers. The other issue is the mix. It was apparently a deliberate decision by the band to use a mix that emulated their live sound. This has resulted in a muddy affair, often the vocals are lost in the background. It's a real shame, because it really takes the gloss off what is otherwise a pretty good effort.

A lovely well developed progressive masterpiece.Thoughtful lyrics and excellent musicianship. Nice to hear a true progressive rock 'story'.

As described. Arrived early.

I’ve been a huge fan of Glass Hammer since the days of ‘If’ and am privileged to be close to them enough to be able to get an insight into what makes them tick and how the new album, ‘Valkyrie’, came to be.The follow up to last year’s ‘The Breaking of the World’ is a concept album in the vein of ‘Lex Rex’ and ‘The Inconsolable Secret’ and will see vocalist Susie Bogdanowicz take a bigger role than on previous releases she has appeared on. The concept behind the album is the struggle of a soldier’s return home from the horrors of war, to the girl that loves and who must ultimately find her way to him.After suitable pause for reflection on the amazing musical experience that I have just enjoyed, this is my conclusion:“With its insightful, thoughtful lyrics every bit as important as the mightily impressive music, ‘Valkrie’ is a concept album in the true sense of the word. With some delightful departures from what some would call their signature sound (The Beatles anyone?) Glass Hammer continue to evolve into one of the world’s foremost Progressive Rock bands. This iconic group of musicians lead you on a journey through the horrors of war with a totally immersive sixty-five minutes of music and you will come out the other side changed forever. I can’t recommend this album enough, one of the best albums of 2016? One of the best albums of recent years more like…”

That's a fine cut, nevertheless somewhat far from the three last ones from Glass Hammer (Perilous, Ode to Echo, The Breaking of the World). I like Susan's vocals, but Carl makes a interesting counterpoint the gives a more divers sound.

Glass Hammer are a progressive rock band who sound like the older progressive bands. This is the 2nd album I have heard of theirs (the other being ‘Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted’), but it seems they are very productive. ‘Valkyrie’ seems to have more instrumental passages, and the vocals are predominantly male. Again, I think the male vocals are bland, and there’s plenty of times where the sound seems a bit imbalanced due to the use of stereo sound; these were the major flaws of ‘Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted’. Fans seemed to not like the Pop structures to some of their songs in ‘Three Cheers…’, and in ‘Valkyrie’ they go purely progressive which means the songs aren’t as memorable.

Two of my favorite bands Glass Hammer and SBB released their new albums on the same day this year. What a coincidence.As for Anno Domini 2016 I would give it five stars, but in my opinion Valkyrie is at the same level as two previous studio albums.Not as good as "The Inconsolable Secret, Perilous, Lex Rex, If, or Culture Of Ascent. Still great music by the great band.

War. A revolting human trait that has plagued mankind since that silly monkey decided to bash that nasty gorilla over the head with some abandoned saurian femur, as depicted so vividly on 2001 Space Odyssey. Seems like advanced and enlightened societies fare no better that the primitive barbarians (as if the Romans were fuzzy and wuzzy in their conquests!) It is impossible to be a historian, amateur or professional, without dabbling in some kind of “cassus belli” that defines some period in human development. Sad. True. C’est la vie!Veteran American prog band Glass Hammer continues to delve further into this subject matter, proving its importance by making a gigantic leap forward with this splendid effort “Valkyrie”. Arguable perhaps, their finest career moment remains the live at the Belmont DVD as well as ‘the Inconsolable Secret’ double album, a perennial favorite of many GH fans. I really liked “Culture of Ascent” as well but it seemed to me and many others that subsequent albums while being quite tasty, never really hit the heights of that whopping 2CD masterpiece. “Cor Cordium” and “If” were fine recordings but had no staying power in terms of melodies and return visit yearnings. It seemed somehow missing soul or even depth, though the playing was phenomenal. With “Valkyrie”, it obvious immediately that a new infusion of sound as well as a deepening sense of pace has taken root and flourished. Sprinkled throughout this opus are some snippets that are totally new to GH, as if Schendel and Babb searched out more resonating sounds that were modern, yet retro, futuristic and also backward looking historic ( a sort of oxymoron, as history knows only one tense). This is best expressed on the brief but exhilarating “Nexus Girl”, a tremendous oblique innovation to the GH sound, featuring some robotic pulsations from drummer Aaron Raulston (a total revelation here btw) and swirling synthesizer furls that wink at the Simon House-penned Hawkwind instrumentals. I was floored when I first ‘eared’ this track.Within seconds of “The Fields We Know” opener, the resilient bass guitar steers the arrangement, always a welcome navigator of progressive oceans, Steve Babb has definitely acquired the Chris Squire methodology of tyrannical leadership of the low end. From that point onward, the symphonics are elevated to new heights through a variety of shifts and tones. “Golden Days’ is a definite plateau, with some stellar playing by everyone, shading behind ominous timbres and sprightly horizons, guitarist Kamran Alan Shikoh showing off a comfort level that finally achieves maturity. Co-founder Fred Schendel is a master of the keyboards, showing off new found energy on electric piano, strange how that instrument is often a benchmark for musicians looking for that higher plane.The epic “No Man’s Land” is a track I can relate to both musically as well as historically, as I was being carried as a six-month old child across the Iron Curtain , in my father’s shielding arms , as gunfire erupted when we were already in the ‘killing zone’ between Austria (freedom) and communist oppression in Hungary. Musically, all the emotions are surely entwined , woven in a variety of silky passages, from soft and gentle, to sentimental, to actively bellicose, almost King Crimson-ish (this is the newfangled addition in the Glass Hammer style) in the mid- and final sections. Rambling organ reminds us that KC was no keyboard virtuoso’s showcase, but the gloom and doom are definitely “Bible Black”. This eeriness is most welcome, as its gives the band new impetus while strictly adhering to the subject matter of this opus. The spoken word poetry is forlorn, despondent and imbued with the glacial droplets of fear and death. Easily one of GH’s finest tracks, a modern, historic, propulsive and melancholic piece of music.The title track introduces colossal symphonics in the form of pipe organ blasts, as in some kind of keyboard artillery barrage, elevating another exhausted soldier’s voice, pleading from some respite, as if some nebulous mist has permeated the battlefield of sounds. There is a Beatles-like dreamy passage that presents another new facet to the growing GH sound palette.Top of the class is “Fog of War”, a gruesome assault on the prog senses, lavished with bass cannonades that bruise and concuss, an active Raulston drum kit that is used as a missile launcher of deadly and precise beats, tortuous sniper fire keyboard volleys and a fusillade of machine gun guitars that seek out and destroy. Vocalist Susie Bogdanowicz takes a larger part of the stage, fulfilling the wants of the fan base and the needs of the musicians. Steve Babb does sound like the sadly departed Squire but he also possesses a tone reminiscent of Peter Hook of New Order fame, by all accounts both very upfront and in your face bassists, for which we all should remain thankful that the crown is still being worn by the ‘hidden ones’.Follow that up by the blissful epic “Dead and Gone”, featuring a glory-draped vocal plaint from Bogdanowicz, spooky organ in tow slowly burning through the soul, the band sounds very much like fellow proggers Magenta, the voice neighbouring Christina Booth’s , a vibrant compliment in my mind. The arrangement evolves into something raunchier in the mid-section, a dazzling organ solo at first and then a darker and heavier march into battle. A return to the solemnity of the opening minutes, deeply emotive and serene, displaying a sense of restraint that is again quite new to GH.The short ballad “Eucatastrophe” is sizzling with ominous drippings, but the classical guitar leadership is given full value with a tearfully poignant Bogdanowicz rendition, gentle orchestrations for company. The second part is Jürgen Fritz-like organ plastering (sounding like vintage Triumvirat), sombre themes and desolate ending. This bleeds (pun) nicely into the stately “Rapturo”, a demure nocturne that shows off tremendous sensitivities, symphonically morphing into a mellotron and drum concoction, slow and gentle, imperial and riveting. The sun sets melodically on an inspired performance, sourcing new motivations and innovative tweaks that show a band clearly progressing beyond its alleged limitations, as GH was often cruelly pilloried for being too close to a Yes clone, the Jon Davison episode certainly fueling the fire of unjust gossip. This trivial branding can now be buried in some appropriate military cemetery as GH has found a new level of creativity and a wider panorama of sounds. Really impressive release and harbinger of things to come.

Un disco degno dei Glass Hammer. Assolutamente da avere nella vostra collezione. Melodie armoniose, mai banali con grande attenzione ai particolari. Insomma un classico dei Glass Hammer che non perdono mai la stoffa... nonostrante gli anni di onorato servizio!

Suite des deux précédents albums, je trouve celui ci très réussi après une dizaine d'écoutes.Quelques passages assez tournés King Crimson mais on sait où l'on est du Glass Hammer qui s'affirme album après album dans son propre style.

Glass Hammer haben im Verlauf ihrer fast fünfundzwanzigjährigen Bandgeschichte verschiedene Phasen durchgemacht. Beginnend mit den Frühwerken entwickelte die Band um Keyboarder Fred Schendel und Bassist Steve Babb einen schwelgerischen, keyboardlastigen, krummtaktigen Stil, warf aber zwischendurch immer mal wieder ein folkiges (Middle Earth) oder poppiges (Three Cheers) Album ein. Dann kamen zwei Alben, mit denen man Yes musikalisch kopierte, bevor man zum ursprünglichen Stil zurückkehrte. "Valkyrie" ist das sechzehnte offizielle Studioalbum. Obwohl sich die Gesangsbesetzung seit "Breaking of the World" (Carl Groves) und "Ode to Echo" (Jon Davison) zweimal geändert hat, stehen die drei letzten Glass Hammer- Alben doch in einer gemeinsamen musikalischen Linie. Inzwischen singen Schendel und Babb wieder selbst, unterstützt wie immer von Susie Bogdanovicz. Die Band ergänzen wieder Drummer Aaron Raulston und Gitarrist Kamran Alan Shikoh.Die 2010 erfolgte Hinzunahme von Shikoh hat sich äußerst positiv auf den Gesamtsound ausgewirkt - so auch hier. Shikohs crunchige Akkorde und geschmackvolle Läufe setzen seitdem die notwendigen Gegenimpulse zu Schendels ausladenden Keyboardflächen und -teppichen. "Valkyrie" wirkt auf mich etwas sperriger als der direkte Vorgänger - vielleicht liegt es am ernsten Albumkonzept, welches von Kriegstrauma handelt. Das Album beginnt mit dreißig Sekunden beinahe unhörbar leisem Vorspiel. Im kurzen Instrumental "Nexus Girl" erklingt ausnahmsweise ein elektronischer Rhythmus. Der Closer "Raptura" ist ein hymnischer, beinahe kathartischer Abschluss im banduntypischen Viervierteltakt. Wenn ich dem großartigen Vorgänger "Breaking of the World" fünf Sterne gegeben habe, gebe ich hier viereinhalb - und runde auf. Wer die letzten beiden GH- Alben mochte, kann hier nichts falsch machen.

Bought this for boyfriend...and he loves it!

ライブ盤が出て 次の新作を期待して、買いましたが、グラスハマーらしさを失ってしまい 私にはハズレな感じです。

Probably the BEST Glasshammer album I have heard, but some undefinable ingredient is missing. GREAT THEME, great lyrics, great playing, well-written songs, and beautiful vocals make for a good album that can withstand repeated listenings. I very much appreciate that a group still takes the making of music this seriously. Just like in the heart of a veteran, however, there is something missing that is no longer there. Perhaps the music and vocals, though brilliant, don't fit together perfectly. Perhaps the vocals, though beautiful, are not unique and are not unlike 25 other singers' vocals. The vocals need to be clearly defined due to the seriousness of the storyline. Sometimes the lyrics are hard to make out in the mix. Perhaps it is in the production or in the recording itself. All this is certainly NOT to put the album down. This is just constructive criticism of a very good album that for some reason is NOT a fantastic one. These artists clearly have it in them to make a masterpiece. This album does not quite get there, but it comes close.

There is a great album buried in the mix here. Those knocking the vocals are being accurate and fair. The loss of a strong male vocalist really hurt the entire execution of this project. BUT, the final sequence of songs in this set simply must be heard -- and read -- to be believed. Maybe it helps that I'm currently reading "A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and the Great War" about WWI. Be patient with this CD.

When i first listened to this CD, I was not as impressed as I expected. But as I listened to it more, I found that I do like it. Its not like Glass Hammers other albums. While their other albums tend to be based on fantasy stories, this seems to be more current or topical. It seems to be about a soldier, war, etc. The production quality is typically good, and the writing is classic Glass Hammer. But don't expect it to be like the others.

Like many other reviewers I would have given this 4/4.5 stars for the bands musical prowess and thoughtful lyrics. Alas, the mix is so terrible it barely gets 3. This is particularily annoying on the vocals as they are muddled. Hey this ain't REM in the 80,s.

A little too odd. I prefer a more melodic Glass hammer.

As with all Glass Hammer music, it takes multiple listens to really assimilate and get familiar with the music but, as always, the effort is well worth it!

I'll give this 4 stars for musical content, which is mostly interesting and played with some verve and passion. Unfortunately the vocals, especially the female vocals, sound like they used a budget mic and cheap double tracking (which is SO not needed!). So a 2 for the recording itself which is truly awful.