Glass Hammer - Live At Belmont
Performance
Production
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Glass Hammer - Live At Belmont
Performance
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I keep a list of bookmarks to all of my favorite band websites so that I can routinely check for updates concerning new albums, tours, and other news. It had been a while since I last visited the Glass Hammer site, so when I clicked on www.glasshammer.com a few weeks ago, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the advertisement for "Live At Belmont - The new double DVD masterwork from Glass Hammer" staring me in the face. As a huge Glass Hammer fan, and concert DVD connoisseur, this completely unexpected release was like Christmas in May for this kid. Glass Hammer are one of the few bands that still have me eagerly anticipating each new release, like when I used to pace outside the local record store on the morning of each new Rush release. As much as I miss browsing through those great record stores of old (are there even any left?), it is also nice to be able to simply click the "pre-order" button on a band's website, and receive your autographed copy the following week, like I did with this DVD. With Live At Belmont coming on the heels of last year's epic, two-disk masterpiece, The Inconsolable Secret, I do not hesitate to call Glass Hammer one of the preeminent symphonic progressive rock bands in the world today. Now, if they would only get out and play more shows. When I first saw the advertisement for Live At Belmont, I must admit, I was a bit worried to see that longtime band member Walter Moore was no longer in the mix, especially after he had performed so brilliantly on the Lex Live DVD in 2003. But right there on the DVD cover was a new and unfamiliar lead vocalist and guitarist, which is not exactly just replacing a drummer. These are both positions that can make or break a band, especially live in concert. It didn't take long for my worries to be laid to rest, because Salem Hill vocalist, Carl Groves, covered the lead vocal duties this night and did an amazing job, especially for someone who was mostly unfamiliar with the material. You will notice him glancing down at some lyric sheets much of the time, but he never missed a beat, and was remarkably able to capture the essence and nuances of each song. Salem Hill are a fellow Chattanooga-based prog-rock band, who also opened for Glass Hammer at this show, which kind of has me wondering if Chattanooga, Tennessee is going to become the new Sweden of prog-rock. I generally prefer guitar-driven music over most other styles, but the keyboard-dominated sounds of Glass Hammer are still candy to my ears. With the addition of new, French-born guitar wizard David Wallimann to the live band, it is like they were trying to appease me personally. Wallimann's performance reminded me of Steve Lukather in the way that he brings a harder edge and more flash to the band's live music. The promotion of drummer Matt Mendians to full-time status, after their 2004 NEARfest show, has really paid off big for the band, beginning with his stunning work on The Inconsolable Secret and now with his performance here. The permanent addition of a gifted young guitarist like Wallimann to the band could have an even greater impact on Glass Hammer's sound. With the help of these two guys, all of these live performances easily outshined their album counterparts. Live at Belmont was recorded at Belmont University's Massey Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, where Glass Hammer headlined last year's Past Watchful Dragons conference, an event that features Inklings scholars from all over the world, and, obviously, some great musical entertainment. Glass Hammer were the perfect band for this event, as the themes of many of their albums and songs are inspired by the works of C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other similar writers. Where the Lex Live DVD focused mostly on the Lex Rex album, Live At Belmont concentrates mostly on The Inconsolable Secret material. Shadowlands and Lex Rex also get a couple of nods each, and the only repeats from Lex Live were the songs "One King" and "When We Were Young". Although the set list is only nine songs deep, the performance lasts over 90 minutes, thanks to a few epic-length songs - most notably " Knight Of The North", which clocks in at over 22 minutes. Hey, its prog-rock. There were many highlights during this show, but my favorite one was the incredible performance of "Run Lisette", from the Shadowlands album. Unfortunately the massive pipe organ, that made the studio version sound so powerful, could not be dragged up on stage with him, but Fred Schendel did an admirable job at reproducing that huge sound on his keyboard. Then again, there isn't any sound this wizard hasn't mastered on his keyboards. The added depth of the string quartet, and the stunning vocal performance by Susie Bogdanowicz really put this version over the top. A few of my song choices would have been different than what the band chose this night, but it is hard to complain about this set list. I would have preferred to hear "So Close, So Far" instead of "Farewell To Shadowlands", from the Shadowlands album, although both would have been great. "One King" is pretty much a mandatory part of any Glass Hammer set list, but the two other Lex Rex choices, "When We Were Young" and "Heroes And Dragons" are not two of that album's strongest songs. I would have killed to hear "Tales of the Great Wars" or "Cup Of Trembling" performed by this stellar lineup. The mellow, acoustic mood of "Heroes And Dragons" also made for a very anti-climactic encore, especially following the rousing, 150-person choir led closer, "Having Caught A Glimpse". The overall production quality of this DVD is quite good, and is certainly an improvement over the Lex Live DVD. Most importantly, we get a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio track this time around, and it is a good one. The rear-surrounds were used extensively to project some of the crowd noise, and some subtle instrumentation and vocals, to create a remarkably enveloping soundstage. This was surprisingly the only audio option available, so I'm not sure how it will sound through a stereo-only system. The video quality was mixed depending on which camera was being used. There were several cameras utilized on this shoot, providing a nice mix of angles, but at least two of the cameras often came up very soft and blurry. This was especially true of the camera that shot Schendel from the front at a medium distance, and some of the longer shots of the entire stage. The stage itself looked rather drab, as if nothing special was done other than to set the equipment up. A plain, mostly blue, backdrop was present the whole time, and the light show was minimal. I kept waiting for that cool new Roger Dean designed Glass Hammer logo to make an entrance, but it never did. A second disk is dedicated exclusively to extra features which include a slideshow with commentary, video clips from Glass Hammer's 2003 concert appearances, "Tales Of The Great Wars" and "Lirazel" 5.1 surround mixes, rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, and the Live At Belmont trailer. Glass Hammer may not perform live that often, but when they do, they do it right. Live At Belmont is the second outstanding concert DVD from the band in as many years, and this pace suits me just fine. Don't miss this one prog lovers. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - May 2006 |
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Running Time: 98 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - May 2006 |
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