CD/DVD Releases: Two New Glass Hammer Releases Out

As announced as being available now from Radiant Records, Glass Hammer have two new releases out now. The first, Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted.

2009?s release Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted reveals a leaner, tighter Glass Hammer; with Steve Babb and Fred Schendel once more handling nearly all of the instrumentation and one hundred percent of the writing and production. Still, Glass Hammer alum Susie Bogdanowicz finds herself squarely in the spot light as the solo-vocalist on seven of the album?s eleven tracks.

From song to song, the dynamics are clear and present. Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted features melancholy ballads, psychedelic influenced rockers and even head-banging metal tracks; all firmly based on the band?s previous progressive rock style.

While not a concept album in the traditional sense, the new album's lyrics still carry a theme throughout. The new release shows the more cynical, darker side of Glass Hammer ? a band usually noted for its optimism. "It?s still there," says GH co-founder Steve Babb. "But only revealed in places; certainly harder to find than in lyrics from earlier albums. But while this album has given us a needed break from the out-right storytelling we usually attempt, when taken as a whole, Three Cheers starts in a pretty dark place, then gradually leads you back home again. Even without the time-honored concept, our fans will definitely still find themselves on a journey."

Track Listing:

Come On, Come On
The Lure Of Dreams
A Rose For Emily
Sleep On
The Mid-Life Weird
A Bitter Wind
The Curse They Weave
Sun Down Shores
Schrodinger?s Lament
Hyperbole
Falling

Secondly, there's The Compilations - a rare collection of Glass Hammer music never before included on an official Glass Hammer recording. All tracks included on The Compilations, from 1996 to 2004, either never made their way to an official album, were recorded for tribute albums, or were part of compilation projects that included many prog artists. Originally released in a card-board sleave with a limited pressing of only 1,000 copies - The Compilations has been out-of-print for well over a year. Back in stock now (in a standard jewel-case), and timed to release along with the new studio album Three Cheers For The Broken-Hearted, The Compilations is a must-have for fans of Glass Hammer.

Featuring the twenty-one minute epic, ?In The Court Of Alkinoos," a cover of the Camel classic ?Air Born," and performances by former Glass Hammer members such as Walter Moore, David Carter along with Fred Schendel, Steve Babb, Susie Bogdanowicz and The Adonia String Trio; fans of symphonic prog will find plenty to enjoy on this re-release of The Compilations.

Track listing:

Time Marches On (Live)
Air Born
The Narrow Way
The Morning Song
Heroes and Dragons (Symphonic)
In The Court Of Alkinoos
Bonus Track: Through The Glass Darkly (Live)

The release date for both new Glass Hammer CDs was Nov 3.

[both titles are also available from Glass Hammer's website -ed.]

[Source: Radiant Records]