Progressive rock, by definition, is big. It should be no surprise then, to anyone familiar with Glass Hammer, that the shortest track on the CD, "Rest," is just over six and a-half minutes long, while the longest, "Into Thin Air," clocks in at a generous nineteen minutes and fourteen seconds! The album's lyrical theme centers on mountain climbing as a metaphor for life, but also takes a look at the nature of fallen man, his struggles, and what we left in The Garden - heavy enough for ya'? No lightweight theme, the subject is explored through poetic lyrics and multi-layered, complex compositions performed with a technical mastery that would almost render the music a bit sterile if it weren't for the rock edge supplied by Matt Mendians' powerful drumming and David Wallmann's gut-punching guitar-work.  Wallmann is new to the band, as is lead singer Carl Groves, who performs his front-man duties with style and great emotional range. Joining in on vocals for two songs is prog rock legend Jon Anderson, who must have felt right at home on the opening track, a remake of the Yes song, "South Side of the Sky." Add into the sonic mix, vocals by the always excellent Suzie Bogdanowicz and the wonderful, real strings of the Adonia Trio, who are featured just enough to lend the project that extra gravitas and class that puts Culture of Ascent over the top.

 Nearly seventy minutes of progressive rock music is only going to be as good as the compositions, and fortunately the composing here is first rate, and avoids the meaningless noodling of other pretenders to the prog-throne. The Glass Hammer brand of progressive music is closer to the lofty sound of bands like Yes or the Moody Blues than to harder-edged bands like Marillion, Dream Theatre, or even some of Neal Morse's work. The compositions are keyboard-driven, and even allow for mellotron passages (how's that for prog-credentials?) from time-to-time. The instrumental work is excellent, and the guitar solos, in particular, stand out as emotional touch-points, as Wallmann proves himself to be a first-rate prog-rock guitarist whose skills rival the best that are out there. As do most prog rock albums, Culture of Ascent requires several listenings for the nuances and motifs of the songs to really kick in, and it's certainly worth the effort on the part of the listener.

The danger of progressive rock, as a genre, is to be pretentious and self-indulgent - Culture of Ascent avoids these pitfalls by providing a well thought-out musical expedition that takes the listener to a musical and philosophical place that is well worth exploring. By the time we get to the eleven minute mark on track four, "Ember Without a Name," Glass Hammer is in full swing, really showing us what they're made of, as the various keyboards lay a dramatic foundation for some jazz-inspired soloing on keyboard and guitar, and some well-placed solo violin from the Adonia Trio. If there's one track that showcases the band's capabilities on this CD, this is it.

Let the fossil record show: progressive rock is not extinct.

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