Sunblind Lion was formed in 1974 in the small rural community of Plymouth, WI. Several of its members, including lead vocalist Keith Abler and guitarist Dave Steffen, graduated from the late '60s and early '70s bands Love Society and Phase III. Sunblind Lion released three distinctly different albums between 1976 and 1980 but were consistently characterized by intelligent lyrics, impressive guitar playing, and grandiose keyboard work.

 

Observer (1976) was their most progressive effort with lengthy, synthesizer-adorned, conceptual pieces; however, their most well-known songs were the pop/rock numbers "Cat Eyes" and "Jamaican Holiday," which received considerable regional airplay. Above and Beyond (1978) favored a more basic rock approach with the exception of "The King and His Parliament," a sophisticated Kansas meets Jethro Tull type of piece. Live Lion (1980) was their swan song and is comprised largely of previously unrecorded songs, save for the two aforementioned pseudo hits. This was a no-frills rock & roll record indicative of Sunblind Lion's live performances.

 

Since then, the band has performed several reunion shows and has currently recorded a new album, 'The Sanatorium'.

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