The fourth disc of the box chronicles the "fourth era," or final era of the band's history. After the rockabilly era and the personnel changes -- including the Olav Ehala interlude -- the introduction of keyboardist Igor Garshnek brought a radical new sound to the band. Though not going back to full-blown prog, the pieces are typical 1980s-style pop-prog in style -- like the spirit of the age, like Yes, Asia and others. It is definitely accessible to the mass public on AOR radio, but has some nice instrumental work and song structure. Also significant is that vocalist Urmas Alender took over most of the lyric writing, penning some absolute classics that pull at the heartstring like no one else can in Estonian music.

We start off with "Kes Meeldida Tahab..." which seems to be a linking piece between the rock of the "third era" to the "fourth era," where prog styles drift back. This is one of the earliest tracks of this era from 1985, but it already shows the flavour of songs penned by new keyboardist Igor Garshnek. Short, snappy, but proggish.

Next is a strange song written by drummer Toomas Rull named "Dokumentideta võõras linnas." It has a proggy feel to it, but again, firmly in the "pop-prog" zone. Quite creative chord structures here, as Rull is also an accomplished choral singer -- thus he knows these structures well. There is a cool keyboard line in back of the solo by Nõgisto, which is quite good in itself.

Then we have "Mida teeksid siis?" which was also featured on the compilation Must Lind CD. It has a fanciful bass line throughout, with a whimsical keyboard lead. A cool little piece, that shows off the style of Garshnek quite well, though it is one of the few Ruja songs written by more than one person. Excellent keyboard solo and a generally good little snappy prog piece.

Following that is another song that was included on the memorial Must Lind CD, "Vaiki kui võid." It's a beautiful ballad written by Urmas Alender, and it's one of the best examples of his emotional singing. The guitar sound of Nõgisto is positively uplifting, especially the smooth solo. One of the best ballads in the Ruja catalogue.

After that is a more upbeat song, "Sõbra käsi," which has almost a reggae rhythm. It's an okay song, nothing too special. Drummer Rull gets into the act quite well. Following this is the title track "Sildade Põletajad," which means "Bridge burners" in English. It's another pretty typical pop-proggy tune from this era.

Another song from the compilation Must Lind CD is "Teisel pool vett," one of the best prog songs from this era. It starts off moody, with a nice drum beat from Rull. But it soon takes up a pretty cool rhythm, showing that Ruja is still capable of putting out good prog songs after the "rockabilly experiment" of the "third era." A nice guitar solo by Nõgisto as well in this cool snappy song.

Then we get "Murtud Lilled" from the second full-length LP Kivi Veereb released in 1987 (as well as the compilation Must Lind CD). It has a very powerful sound, moody and dark. Excellent track, with a nice guitar solo as well. It keeps building up to a never-ending crescendo and peak, as Alender's voice shows off a side that's quite powerful. Next is the cool "Veerev Kivi" from both releases as well -- featuring a cool bass line by new bassist S P Gulliver (Vladislav Petchnikov) and keyboard bit from Garshnek. It's a cool song with a funky beat, quite imaginative throughout. Excellent keyboard solo here by Garshnek, with a good drum backing from new drummer Rein Joasoo. The following guitar solo ain't bad at all either! Nice ending section with a drastic rhythm change -- and the organ solo to close it off is top notch.

"Oled sa järv?" from the 1987 Kivi Veereb LP is next, an enigmatic sounding piece at its beginning with a haunting guitar line by Nõgisto. It is enigmatic throughout, but has some nice passages throughout. The guitar sound of Nõgisto is absolutely sharp and electrifying. "Lootuselaul" is after this, which featured Indrek Patte (also later of Linnu Tee) on lead vocals. It has a cool keyboard line under this good pop-prog song. A fun keyboard solo by Igor Garshnek, while Gulliver delivers a cool base line on a song he wrote.

Yet another track from the 1987 LP is "Kahe näoga Janus," which features a sharp bass line by Gulliver, with good interplay by everyone in the band. It's a cool little song, but nothing too special -- despite a nice keyboard solo by Garshnek in his trademark style. "Pime sõda" is one of the best known songs from this era, which has all the characteristics of 1980s pop-prog. Cool little lines here and there, but it does revert to more complex forms with changes throughout. A tight piece with good playing. Following that is another that features Patte on vocals, the ballad "Meeste laul." It's a good song that shows off Patte's singing well. He is an excellent singer, though he is better -- like on this track -- without going to falsetto (which he does in Linnu Tee).

Then we have the Nõgisto-Garshnek collaboration "Mis teha?" which rocks out a bit more than many other songs. It also has Patte on vocals, as the booklet has a little error here. It's a cool song as well, with a good guitar solo from Nõgisto. However, Patte should have stayed off the falsetto, as it sounds a bit too '80s pop-metal, or glammish... Then it's "Isamaa Pale," which features some folk instruments in this fun folk song. It is a fun song, with a few twists in what you would not consider normal in a folk song.

Following that are two songs featured on the compilation Must Lind CD. First is "Tulekell," a good powerful piece with lots of prog stylings throughout. Excellent instrumental work in this high-energy piece, another one of the better prog pieces of this era. Then it's "Eleegia," a beautiful and emotional ballad -- one of the three best vocal performances by Urmas Alender. Also a beautiful guitar solo by Nõgisto here, fitting the song so perfectly. It means "Eulogy" in English, and the meanings have been multiplied since the tragedy of 1994... Absolutely wonderful piece.

Then we get "Aeg on nagu rong," the first song in Ruja written by a husband-wife team. Igor Garshnek provided the music, while wife Malle Värk furbished the lyrics. It's a catchy pop song, with a good "classic rock" guitar riff -- almost reminiscent of the Rolling Stones at times. The final song on this disc is from the 1987 LP, "Ahtumine" -- a different song from the song of the similar title back in the mid/late 1970s. It has a definite Rabin-era Yes feel to it. A good song, though not as good as the song of the similar title from an earlier era. Good soloing on keys and guitars, a typical combo of this era. One interesting fact is that the main theme of this song, in a very odd time and rhythm, has since become the theme for public television station ETV -- where currently Nõgisto is the head producer!

But anyway, this CD features the so-called "pop-prog" era of snappy pop bits with lots of prog influences. Many of the pieces are from Nõgisto or/and Garshnek, and the two work well together on solo segments. The style of this era is quite identifiable from the first listen. Though it was not a total reversion to progressive rock, it did bring Ruja a bit back to its prog roots. Too bad it didn't include the key track of the era -- the fabulous (but long) "Kitarrikontsert." But still, a wonderful disc.

Mel Huang
Tallinn, Estonia
18 December 1999

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