EGL Magazine
EGL Magazine
Exclusively Gothic Lifestyle
11 February 2010
The Sound of Glass Review
Glass are a York-based band formed in 2008, but the very roots of the group go back in time a lot further than that. In early 2008 Alexander King - Glass singer and guitarist - inherited a key to a storage unit from a family friend. And the contents of that storage unit were to form the very basis of the band that followed.
Inside, Alexander found several suitcases filled with letters, journals and manuscripts documenting the life and experiments of a 19th Century inventor and showman named Anthony Philip Glass.
The documents told of one particular invention: a machine which could transport music and art through time, a machine that he demonstrated to audiences all over the world. Intrigued, Alexander began piecing this man's history together, using the documents in the storage unit along with research in bookstores, libraries and on the internet.
Alexander has been putting Anthony Glass' life together in a gripping blog at www.thesoundofglass.com; a life filled with murder, intrigue and a stay at the York County Lunatic Asylum. And as Alexander learned more and more about the fascinating history of this man and his invention, he found inspiration that took his music in a new direction. It was this inspiration that formed the band Glass; with Andy Curry (vocals and synths), Jim Stafford (bass) and Dan Whiting (drums) joining Alexander.
Not everyone is going to 'get' what Glass are all about, but for anyone who does, this album will become a very inspiring theme-tune for their entire life. Either way, you have to check out The Sound of Glass simply because it's like nothing you've ever heard before and may never hear again.
The Sound of Glass is the band's debut album, released in January 2010 on their own label 'Essence Recordings'. It is available on iTunes, through their website and at all live shows.
Glass are bringing something very unique to the world of music; their songs exploring a fascinating mix of new-wave, punk and rock elements with a gothic Victorian-noir essence punched through the whole album.
This band's true genre or style is impossible to pin down; partly because of their daring musical experimentation and ingenuity, but also because their dream-like lyrics will leave you desperately grabbing for the wall in a search for something solid to hold on to.
Songs such as Driftwood's Daughter and This Odyssey have a heady, intoxicating punk-like feel; but just as you think you know what this band is about, they'll surprise you with a wild-card guitar riff or a dream-like melody echoing from the synthesizer.
Other tracks like Nothing in the World and The Last Transmission are more like the soundtrack to a fairytale-like nightmare; filled with unusual key changes, haunting melodies, eccentric lyrics, powerful rock sections and even spoken sections more akin to storytelling or poetry.
Article Written By...
Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. If you would like to have your band either reviewed or interviewed in EGL Magazine, just get in touch.
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