Victoria musician Braxton Glass has unveiled his new seven-track instrumental guitar album, Ballad of the Great Horned One, drawing inspiration from his time camping in Nanaimo. The record builds on his earlier EP Cascades with darker, more dissonant themes influenced by the Pacific Northwest and literary works. Glass composed much of it during weekly work trips up island, where great horned owls provided nocturnal accompaniment.
Braxton Glass, known for his roles in Victoria-based bands such as Saltwater Cowboy, Juniper Smile, and Bong Witch, has launched a solo instrumental guitar project. In April, he released the four-track EP Cascades, inspired by a backpacking trip to Ruby Mountain in Washington State. His latest effort, the seven-track Ballad of the Great Horned One, expands on that foundation by incorporating elements of progressive rock, post-rock, and black metal.
Glass described the new album as "a bit more melody-driven, stronger and commanding," with "a bit more meat to dig into," according to an interview with Victoria Buzz. Unlike the "nice, pretty sounding compositions" of Cascades, this release leans into darker, more dissonant themes. It draws from the Pacific Northwest, Utah's deserts, and the writings of Cormac McCarthy and Haruki Murakami.
One track, "At the Bottom of a Well," is structured in three acts and based on Murakami's novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It features a chord progression in the first act, a transition, and the same progression reversed with delay in the third act.
The title track holds particular significance. Glass wrote "Ballad of the Great Horned One" during weekly work commutes to Nanaimo, where he camped near town to connect with nature. "It’s an homage to the time I spent in Nanaimo, when I used to camp out there and there were a ton of great horned owls that would keep me up at night," he said. He often played guitar outdoors, observing seasonal changes, and found the experience "soul nourishing."
Glass noted the owls' calls formed a chorus that was initially thrilling but disruptive by 2 a.m. Most of the album was composed during these Nanaimo stays. The full record is available on Bandcamp, Tidal, Apple Music, and Spotify.
With his Nanaimo job concluded, Glass is vacationing in Peru but plans to book shows in April and May upon return, including potential Vancouver Island festivals. He continues writing for his solo project and Bong Witch. This feature is part of Victoria Buzz's New Music Monday series, in partnership with CFUV 101.9 FM, which Glass praised as a "pillar of the music community."
