Sunrunner
Eyes of the Master
Illegal Eagle
Click to hear: “Gluskábe”
Sunrunner is exactly what Portland needs: an unashamedly prog-rock band. Not since the mighty Ogre trod the boards of our local taverns has a classic prog group of this high caliber roamed our realm.
Eyes of the Master has it all. There’s epic songwriting full of meaty riffage, geeky time signatures and flights of acoustic fancy. There’s flute. You get fantasy-adventure lyrics that double as a metaphorical indictment of modern man’s pollution and greed, hand-written in vaguely medieval script with lots of hippie/trippy album art.
Rush. Yes. Crimson. Tull. And, dare I say, Kansas. Fans of these bands need this album like they need a girlfriend. (Sorry, dudes, just kidding.) Let me be the first to admit that I love this stuff. I grew up on it. And I have a girlfriend (who, naturally, hates this kind of
music).
The four-piece is augmented by numerous guests, including Todd Hutchisen (of the more post-modern, or “post-rock,” prog band The Baltic Sea, lending keys and some vocals). Lead singer David Joy delivers the operatic male vocals, staying mostly in the middle register. When a song calls for a higher voice, the band wisely brings in a female vocalist rather than make Joy try to pull off a Jon Anderson or a Geddy. Guitarist Joe Martignetti can channel Steve Howe and then deftly change the channel to Metallica as needed. Drummer Ted Macinnes and bassist Frank Navarro mostly stick to playing supporting roles, though they add their flourishes, too.
The results are, no pun intended, magic. “Summoning the Storm” is a shining example of that rare musical element: prog-klezmer. Songs like “Iron Hawk” and “Air and Light” sound just like you expect them to.
“Grandson of Woodchuck, leave your island,” Dena Riegel sings on the fun and lovely “Gluskábe.” “We wait and pray there is a day you will return.”
Gluskábe has returned, my furry friends. Come, bring honeydew, and rejoice!
— Chris Busby
