It has been well over two years since the release of their critically acclaimed double CD, “The Inconsol- able Secret”. At last, Babb, Schendel and company are back with their tenth studio release, “Culture of Ascent”. And while it may seem unorthodox for a band to open a concept album with a cover, “South Side of the Sky” by YES merely opens the door to ‘Culture’s’ lyrical world of icy land- scapes and towering Himalayan summits. The trancy, trip-hop opening arrangement for ‘Culture’s’ first track soon gives way to full-blown progressive-rock bombast, featuring all the trademarks that have kept Glass Hammer fans loyal and begging for more.

But that’s not to say that Culture of Ascent doesn’t take Glass Ham- mer into new territory. The performances of French guitar-virtuoso David “Shreddy” Wallimann prove the perfect marriage for the highly technical, prog-metal drumming of Matt Mendians who returns for his second GH studio album. This, along with cutting-edge technology and an arsenal of new sounds from Babb and Schendel, gives “Culture of Ascent” a modern edginess– some- thing unusual for a band well known for its mastery of analog gear and seventies retro-proginess.

Also joining the official lineup is vocalist Carl Groves, long-known as the voice and mas- termind of prog-band Salem Hill. Vocalist Susie Bogdanowicz also returns for an amazing solo-performance, as do many other familiar names from previous GH albums.

YES front-man and Glass Hammer collaborator, Jon Anderson, makes his debut performance with GH, and in fact is the first voice heard on the album’s opener. “We just couldn’t do a Yes song on Culture of Ascent without having Jon add his talents,” said GH co-founder Steve Babb. “But the brunt of his work occurs on the track “Life by Light” where he is joined by Carl and Susie.”

Babb goes on to reveal that the album’s six epic tracks are unified in a single lyrical concept. “The urge to climb or to ascend, and the dangers of doing so – whether played out spiritually or on the side of some Tibetan rock – is what ‘Culture of Asent’ is about. For the mountain climbers that inspired this album, there is always the risk of death for a momentary glimpse from the top. Then comes the toilsome, dangerous trip back down. Spiritually, it might be possible to climb and just keep climbing, an idea that comes across in the lyrics. I think fans have come to expect complicated ideas from us, but I promise, this one is more straightfor- ward than it sounds!”

“Culture of Ascent” will be released on October 23rd in a full-color digipak with custom art by Michal Karcz, and audiophile mastering by Bob Katz of Digital Domain. It’s six epic tracks total over sixty-nine minutes. Glass Hammer’s tenth studio album is a must-buy for fans, and sure to be a hit with connoisseurs of modern-progressive rock.

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