Glass Hammer-The Inconsolable Secret (2005)

Fueled by a fascination with fantasy literature (Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and John Krakauer), which its leaders Steve Babb and Fred Schendel profess, the American band Glass Hammer has been reflecting a clear influence of 70s progressive rock in their albums for over ten years. Both musicians play a wide range of instruments, although Babb primarily handles keyboards and bass, while Schendel plays guitar and drums. While both are also vocalists, the singing duties are generally entrusted to different singers who have participated on all their albums. In 2005, Glass Hammer released their eighth album, "The Inconsolable Secret", which, in addition to their core members, featured vocalists Walter Moore and Susie Bogdanowicz, drummer Matt Mendians, and some twenty backing vocalists, guitarists, and string and wind instrumentalists. With its structured development, the band displays a remarkable balance between complexity and accessibility in this new release, where the vocals blend seamlessly into the virtuosic instrumental framework of its members. The progressive epic "The Knight of the North", the intrepid "Long and Long Ago", the medieval "Morrigan's Song", the dark "Walking Toward Doom", and the grandiose "Having Caught a Glimpse" showcase the magnificence and grandeur of this astonishing American band.