''Perilous'' is the thirteenth studio album by American

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

Glass Hammer Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee, created and led by Steve Babb and Fred Schendel. Babb and Schendel, who founded the band in 1992, are the only constant members in the lineup, having surrounded the ...

, released on October 23, 2012, by Arion Records/Sound Resources. This is the last album with

Jon Davison Jon Davison (born January 16, 1971) is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012. He was previously the lead singer of progressive rock band Glass Hammer from 2009 to 201 ...

acting as sole lead vocalist, with former vocalists Susie Bogdanowicz and Carl Groves returning on the following album. The song titles, when read in sequence, form a short poem. It is the first album featuring Davison in which he was not involved in the writing process, as he joined

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

earlier in the year and was not available for the songwriting sessions. As with previous albums ''

Journey of the Dunadan ''Journey of the Dunadan'' is the debut studio album by American progressive rock band Glass Hammer, released on August 3, 1993. It is a concept album based on the story of Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. Steve Bab ...

'' or ''

Chronometree ''Chronometree'' is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Glass Hammer, released on May 1, 2000. It is the first album to feature Susie Bogdanowicz (then named Susie Warren), who is featured as guest backing vocalist in the ...

'', ''Perilous'' is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

. However band member Steve Babb stated "we have never done a concept album like ''Perilous''. It is essentially one unified vision; one musical idea in thirteen parts or movements. The emotions and ideas expressed in the lyrics ebb and flow with the music; but they have a definite story to tell with a beginning, middle and climactic end."

Concept

About the story of ''Perilous'', Steve Babb stated "It should be obvious from the album art and the title ''Perilous'' that something dire is lurking just beyond that gate. Imagine two children lost in a cemetery at night and the unsavory characters they might meet as they try to find their way home. That is the setting for our allegory." However he stated that the listeners should interpret the ultimate meaning for themselves.

Track listing

Personnel

Glass Hammer *

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

* Fred Schendel – keyboards,

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

* Steve Babb –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

, keyboards, backing vocals * Alan Shikoh –

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

, classical and

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

s Production * Steve Babb and Fred Schendel – producing *

Bob Katz Bob Katz is an American audio mastering engineer and author of a popular book on audio mastering. Katz has mastered three Grammy Award–winning albums and one nominated album. Projects he has worked on have received Grammys and acclaim from audi ...

- mastering * R. T. Adolfo -

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...

work * Julie Babb – administration Additional musicians * Randall Williams –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* The Adonia String Trio ** Rebecca James –

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

** Susan Hawkins-Whitacre –

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

** Rachel Hackenberger –

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

* Amber Fults - lead vocals in "In that Lonely Place" * Carey Shinbaum -

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

* Tim Wardle - additional backing vocals *

The McCallie School The McCallie School is a boys' college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. The school was founded in 1905 and now has 322 boarding students in grades 9–12 and 657 day students in grades 6� ...

Guitar Choir (Bharath Venkatesh, Aaron Long, Ralston Hartness, Matthew Norris, Drew Shikoh and Charles Evans) - guitars * The Chattanooga Girls Choir (Glory Larm, Laura Ayres, Brooke Pugsley, Kelsey Hodges, Katherine Stegal, Molly Stegall and Savannah Fanter) –

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

* Latin Choir (Stephanie Rumpza, Sarah Snyder, Kelly Luther, Dr. Thomas Hammett and Robert Waller) - choir

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Glass Hammer albums