Against The GRAIN
US veterans Glass Hammer have ripped up their own rulebook – yet again – on Rogue, an hour-long concept album that takes the listener on a journey of self-discovery via life’s highs and lows. Bassist and co-founder Steve Babb takes Prog on a deep dive into its themes, its innovative recording process and the global mix of musicians involved in the project, and explains why, after more than 30 years in the saddle, his fire for creative reinvention still burns as brightly as ever.
Words: Chris Wheatley
Shaking things up: Steve Babb has gone
Rogue
!
Images: Julie Babb
Glass Hammer burst onto the scene out of left field back in 1993 with their debut, Journey Of The Dunadan – a concept album based on the story of Aragorn from The Lord Of The Rings, which was unexpectedly well-received. For bass player and co-founding member, Steve Babb, it marked the realisation of a long-held ambition.
“Oh, yeah, I was a prog fan!” he enthuses. “We could hear it on the radio when I was a kid. I bought Rush’s Fly By Night and was hooked.”
With the 80s dominated by new wave, synthpop and hair metal, Babb had to wait for his chance.
“It probably began as an act of defiance,” he explains, of Glass Hammer’s origins, “I’d been in a band two years previously that had lost a major record deal. We had it, and then it just kind of blew up. I was 32. I felt like time was running out. I just threw caution to the wind.”