Glass Hammer - new album `Chronomonaut', Oct 2018

GLASS HAMMER - NEW ALBUM

Glass Hammer have announced an October release for their new studio album, `Chronomonaut’. We’re not talking prequel or `reboot’ here (everyone loves those, eh? ) , the new album is actually a sequel/follow-up to their `Chronometree’ CD from 2000, an album that has quite a cult following amongst GH fans.

That original was a slyly amusing concept album that told the story of Tom, a prog-rock obsessed teenager in the late seventies who heard alien voices communicating to him through his favourite albums (ha, we’ve all been there, right?! ). Tom has since grown up and is apparently none-the-wiser. `Chronomonaut’ will tell the story of his recent mid-life crises. Bassist and songwriter Steve Babb explained to the Progreport site `Apparently, the voices have returned and have been urging Tom to time-travel back to the glory days of the early prog scene.'

The band decided to have some fun with the `Chronomonaut’ story by having the character of Tom posting his own music and theories on time travel to YouTube and some progressive rock forums several months ago using the name `The Elf King’. They’ve also been releasing `found footage’ videos of him, supposedly from 1983, which documents his time travel experiments as well as the failure of his own prog band to secure a record deal.

Babb continues. `Many of our albums deal with intense emotions or very serious storylines. But `Chronomonaut’ represents the less serious side of the band, as well as the extremes and quirkiness of our beloved progressive-rock genre. Tom was and remains the ultimate prog-rock fan, that guy who just takes his music way too seriously. In other words, he’s someone we can all relate to.’

The line-up for the new album will be Glass Hammer mainstays Babb, keyboardist Fred Schendel, singer Susie Bogdanowicz and drummer Aaron Raulston (guitarist Alan Shikoh having recently departed the group), and it boasts guest appearances from Matthew Parmenter and Chris Herin of US symphonic proggers Discipline.

`Chronomonaut’ will be released on Friday, October 12th. Pre-orders for autographed copies will begin one month ahead of the release on September 12th from the band’s website.



*NOTE: Some information here was first published by the Progreport site, so credit due where it’s due, just relayed here for the interest of fans*

Chronomotree was the first GH album I got and I loved the ELP influence with very obvious references to Tarkus in particular. Perhaps this is Fred's opportunity to do a real Emerson style tribute album to a guy he obviously greatly admired?