*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Colorado!
When I was asked to pick the state to be covered by our State of the Art series for the month of April, I chose Colorado specifically to cover this band, based out of Denver. I first discovered them about a year and a half ago by creating a “sounds like” radio station on a stream for one of my favorite Florida bands: Mr. Bella. “Tranquility” was selected at some point and I was literally stopped in my tracks; quickly drawn into this powerful and moving Progressive Metal song.Mature lyrics, beautifully orchestrated, pleasantly unusual; along with a gorgeous female voice. This was a winning combination to my ear. I immediately stopped the stream and did a search for more of this band’s music. If it was all half as good as this single song, I was sure to love it all. There is nothing even remotely weak coming from this band. Zero, nadda, zilch. Yes, they are musically all over the map but remarkably remain identifiable as: Glass Delirium.
Members include Michelle Huerd as primary lyricist and vocalist, Scott Uhl on guitars, Aeyon Cruz on bass and Pat Anderson on drums. Huerd’s vocals can be huge and powerful, soft and emotive and/or almost operatic at times. Just massive range and control. Very unique. Scott’s guitar skills are just as broad: acoustic and nylon string cleans all the way to the huge Metal sound. With Ms. Cruz on bass, the rhythm is held down in a style like many contemporary Jazz players; very steady and oftentimes adds a very catchy groove to their sound. Because of the huge range covered, Pat’s drumming is just as adept. As an aggregate, you get a Progressive Metal band that is more Progressive than Metal. There are heavier songs like “Over the Ice”, “Reality” and “Consequential Halo”; catchy, sarcastic and fun songs like “Beautiful Plaything”; heart wrenching songs like “Tranquility” and “Untitled Lullaby”; an Alternative Rock song: “Simple Life” and even a Metal “Showtune” called “Snowy London”. Glass Delirium breaks the mold and builds their own based on just about every genre of music: Jazz, Classical, Metal, Pop with almost every song containing piano and other keyboard effects. Incredibly, what they create is something that is in complete synchronicity and accessible to just about any listener. Lift up the hood of Glass Delirium’s music for a few minutes and you will find lyrical humor, sarcasm, poetry and emotion under the hood. Brilliantly written and very fitting for Glass Delirium’s unusual journey into their own brand of music. Over a year and the singular release of “Diamond Lullabies”, I still have not tired of this phenomenal band.
Glass Delirium can be seen in Denver or in neighboring states and has toured around the world as a headliner or along with various other national and international acts. Taking great pride in their energetic shows their goal is to present the “essence of the art, promot(ing) beauty in chaos and extend a universal unity amongst all who participate” as stated in their social media sites. If you are looking for some really good, new music, give Glass Delirium a close listen and you are sure to become another instant fan.
