ROGUE

So the music of Glass Hammer has two primary direction in which it develops - one is the symphonic, mellow, lush and pastoral, inspired by the likes of early Yes and Genesis, and the other one is a heavier, raunchier style of rock that borders on alternative, perhaps coming from the band's fascination with Rush above other things. And being one of the most productive prog outlets of the 21st century has allowed them to explore both of these directories in great depth, and to kind of reinvent themselves with every couple of albums, which is also why we have several distinct phases of Glass Hammer. And their latest release, 2025's 'Rogue' pertains stylistically to the band's "classic" period from the early-to-mid 2000s, with Glass Hammer playing a rather retro style of progressive rock, with large, lush movements of textured and technical music, replete with fancy keyboards and effects, and of course, the pummeling bass playing of main man Steve Babb, who is also the "creative director" of the band's latest offering.

'Rogue' is not necessarily a concept album but a record exploring regret and heartache, seemingly following the journey of a supposed protagonist, an overall heavy topic for an album that impresses with its mellow soundscapes and nurturing melodies; unlike the recent conceptual "triptych" of albums, which was heavier and more robust. The band does sound a lot like an older self of theirs, yet there are glimpses of electronica, art rock and 80s production values, which is an interesting feature on a GH album, regardless of the overall quality of the record. And this album is in fact one of the rare instances of an hour-long record, in which the second half vastly overshadows the first one in terms of songwriting, vitality and originality. There seems to be something lacking with 'Rogue', a lack of direction perhaps or a shortage of excellent ideas, which is reflected completely by the first five or six tracks on here - really mellow and symphonic but in a way that sounds like a charmless prog soup, nothing overly exceptional. The second half of the album, which carries all the longer tracks, happens to be the one carrying the successful formula - here, the album seems intriguing and inspired, and all of a sudden the music has a personality. Just an overall decent but confusing release, neither as eloquent as the earlier symphonic trials of Glass Hamer, nor as punchy and memorable as the band's more recent LPs.