Glass Hammer

Glass Hammer

Jon Davison in 2012.
Background information
Origin Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Genres Progressive rock, symphonic rock
Years active 1992–present
Labels Arion Records/Audio Resources
Associated acts Yes
Website www.glasshammer.com
Members Fred Schendel
Steve Babb
Susie Bogdanowicz
Carl Groves
Jon Davison
Kamran Alan Shikoh
Aaron Raulston
Past members Michelle Young
Walter Moore

Glass Hammer is an American 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, Susie Bogdanowicz and Jon Davison) 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 Yes as their new lead singer, while remaining a member of Glass Hammer.[1]

Discography

Studio albums
Live albums
  • Live and Revived (1997)
  • Live at Nearfest (2004)
Live DVDs
  • Lex Live (2004)
  • Live at Belmont (2006)
  • Live at the Tivoli (2008)
Others
  • One (2010) - Old recordings by Babb and Schendel from 1991-1992
  • The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft (2012) - collaborative album of different artists

Personnel

Members

Current members

  • Fred Schendel – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals (1992–present), lead vocals, drums (1992-2004)
  • Steve Babb – bass, keyboards, backing vocals (1992–present), lead vocals, percussion (1992-2004)
  • Susie Bogdanowicz – lead vocals (2001-2009, 2013-present)
  • Carl Groves – lead vocals (2007–2009, 2013-present)
  • Jon Davison – lead vocals (2009–present)
  • Kamran Alan Shikoh – guitars, sitar (2009–present)
  • Aaron Raulston - drums (2013–present)

Former members

Session members

  • Walter Moore – vocals (2005–present; full-time vocalist and guitarist: 1995-2005, full-time drummer: 1995-2000)
  • Bethany Warren (Susie Bogdanowicz's younger sister) – vocals (2004–present)
  • Flo Paris – vocals (2004–present)
  • Matt Mendians – drums (2004–present)
  • The Adonia String Trio – string trio (2005–present)
    • Rebecca James – violin
    • Susan Whitacre – viola
    • Rachel Beckmann/Hackenberger – cello
  • David Wallimann – guitars (2007–present)
  • Randall Williams – drums (2009–present)

Former session/guest members

  • Brad Marler – lead vocals (2000)
  • Terry Clouse – guitars (2000)
  • Sarah Snyder – vocals (2001)
  • David Carter – guitars (1992-2005)

Timeline

References

  1. ↑ YES Recruit New Singer
  2. ↑

External links

Interviews