Culture of Ascent

Culture of Ascent
Studio album by Glass Hammer
Released	October 23rd, 2007
Genre	Progressive rock, art rock
Length	69:05
Label	Arion Records/Sound Resources
Producer	Fred Schendel Fred Babb
Glass Hammer chronology
The Inconsolable Secret (2005) Culture of Ascent (2007) Three Cheers for the Broken-Hearted (2009)

Culture of Ascent is the ninth studio album by American progressive rock band Glass Hammer, released on October 23, 2007. It is a concept album based on Jon Krakauer's novel Into Thin Air.

It was the last album with singer Carl Groves before his departure from the band; he later returned for 2014's Ode to Echo. The album also features Jon Anderson of Yes as a guest vocalist.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"South Side of the Sky"	Jon Anderson, Chris Squire	9:25
2.	"Sun Song"	Steve Babb	9:36
3.	"Life by Light"	Babb	7:34
4.	"Ember without Name"	Carl Groves, Fred Schendel	16:38
5.	"Into Thin Air"	Babb, Schendel	19:19
6.	"Rest"	Groves, Schendel	6:36

Personnel

Glass Hammer

• Carl Groves – lead and backing vocals
• Susie Bogdanowicz – lead and backing vocals
• Fred Schendel – keyboards, organs, piano, Mellotron, loops, programming, acoustic guitar, string arrangement, backing vocals
• Steve Babb – bass, pipe organ, percussion, Mellotron, piano, harp, loops, programming, Minimoog and backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Matt Mendians – drums
• David Walliman – electric guitars
• The Adonia String Trio – string trio
  • Rebecca James – violin
  • Susan Whitacre – viola
  • Rachel Beckmann – cello
• Sarah Snyder – backing vocals
• Eric Parker – acoustic guitar
• Robert Streets – backing vocals
• Haley McGuire – backing vocals
• Jon Anderson – vocalizations
• Fred Schendel and Steve Babb – production
• Bob Katz – mastering
• Michal Karcz – artwork, cover