Supernal Endgame Touch the Sky-Volume I

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by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

Touch The Sky – Volume I is the official debut of Texas-based Christian rockers Supernal Endgame. Essentially a trio of multi-instrumentalists, Supernal Endgame is joined by numerous guest musicians, and together they put together a mellow and spiritual progressive rock album.

Formed 10 years ago by keyboardist/guitarist John Eargle and vocalist/drummer Rob Price, Supernal Endgame blends progressive rock with ambient electronica and some pop elements to create a mellow and unique sound. Add in the Christian spiritual lyrics and Supernal Endgame becomes something truly different. The listener needs to keep in mind that this is truly a Christian rock album, so if you have trouble with religious themes you may want to avoid this release. If not, then read on…

Vocalist and drummer Rob Price has a fine voice – deep, resonant and fluid. He sings calmly and quietly throughout the album, always clear and understandable – and with a great enthusiasm for the lyrics. John Eargle lays down some great keyboard riffs and some nice and simple guitar lines, and Dan Pomeroy’s guitar work is deft and fluid. The many guest musicians blend in seamlessly and do not in any way distract from the core music of Supernal Endgame. Numerous well done violins and mandolins add to the ethereal mood of the disc.

At times the music evokes thoughts of Rush, Yes, or the Steve Morse Band, while at others the influence of Dream Theater is obvious. Supernal Endgame’s musicianship is excellent, and their songwriting skills are well developed. Their arrangements are deep and complex as one would expect from anything labeled “progressive”, yet the melody always seems to come to the forefront. Sometimes ’70s and sometimes symphonic, Touch The Sky seems to be trying to do just that…

Undoubtedly the musical highlight is the 10-minute plus “Still Believe”. It features great vocals and big sweeping guitar passages laid over some mellow keyboard lines. “Psalm 51” opens with an amazingly heavy bass line that is quickly overlaid by a tin whistle and tribal drums, demonstrating the band’s musical versatility. “Disclosure” is an instrumental chocked full of great keys and percussion, while “Fall To My Knees” has an almost country-pop-rock feel to it. All of the other tracks are musically interesting pieces, and all performed with a great deal of passion. They mix electrics and acoustics, vary tempos within tracks, and sometimes get a little heavy, but never cross over into hard rock or metal.

The only negative here is the simple fact that by limiting themselves to fully Christian music they are also limiting themselves to a small subset of topics and styles, thus sacrificing a good deal of commercial appeal. Any of the songs on this album could be played at an outdoor concert or in the middle of a church worship service, and while each track by itself is very good by the middle of the album most casual listeners will begin to drift away. Touch The Sky is a long CD with 14 tracks in total, and by the time track 8 or 9 rolls around you’ll be waiting for the band to really cut loose and mix it up, but sadly that does not happen.

Overall, Supernal Endgame’s first attempt is a fine one. There is no doubt that the band is passionate and secure in their beliefs. As the liner notes indicate, they tried and succeeded in making a “worship” album. By being so evangelical they are giving up some commercial appeal, but wide commercial success does not seem to be the band’s overall goal. Unlike fellow Christian rockers Mehida or the latest release from Pillar, this band is not the least bit subtle about their themes.

If you are not into the Christian rock scene the overly religious themes will seem overbearing and heavy handed, but if you are a fan of the genre and looking for good progressive rock, then this album is a winner. Musically solid but a little long winded at times, Supernal Endgame should be able to make a major impact on both the Christian and progressive rock scenes.

Genre: Christian Rock, Progressive Rock

Band:
John Eargle (guitars, keyboards, bass, backing vocals)
Rob Price (drums, lead vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar)
Dan Pomeroy (guitars, mandolin, tin whistle, backing vocals)
Guest Musicians: Tom More (bass, keyboards), Dan Henderson: (bass), Brad “Baby” Bibbs (violin, mandolin, percussion), Roine Stolt (guitar), Randy George (bass), Tony Narvarte (keyboards), Katie Price (violin), Mike Musal (tympani and shakers), and Randy Lyle (violin).

Track Listing:
1. Everlasting Fanfare (pt. 1)
2. Still Believe
3. Psalm 51
4. Disclosure
5. Fall To My Knees
6. Expressions
7. Loving Embrace
8. Grail
9. In Your Hands
10. Gossamer Strings
11. You Reached Down
12. At Play In The Fields
13. Perfect Grace
14. Everlasting Fanfare (pt 2)

Label: ProgRock Records

Website: http://www.myspace.com/supernalendgame , http://www.progrockrecords.com/artists/view.php?id=132

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10