Iona (UK)
Iona (88); The Book of Kells (92); Beyond These Shores
(93); Journey Into
The Morn (96); Treasures, the very best (96); Heaven's Bright Sun (live) (97)
The jewel in the crown of spiritual progressive rock, Iona epitomizes everything I love about music. Joanne Hogg's beautiful Irish voice soars, and David Bainbridge's exquisite compositions and musicianship, mixed with all the other great talents that make up the band, give Iona a unique and wonderful sonic presence. With the complexity of Yes and the feel of Camel (from the Snowgoose era) and Renaissance, Celtic and modern instruments intertwine with synthesizers in intriguing concept albums based on such things as ancient Celtic manuscripts (Book of Kells), and the New World explorations of Celtic monks (Beyond These Shores). You might want to start with their latest, The Circling Hour, or try a live album like Woven Chord or Heaven's Bright Sun if you've never heard them before, though every album is stellar. You'll eventually buy them all, trust me. To save a little money, you might just pick up their box set, The River Flows anthology, which contains the first three records, plus a bonus disc of unreleased material.
The first album, titled Iona, is more jazz-rock fusion and what is sometimes called new-age music, and over half instrumental. It certainly will not disappoint a fan of early 70's progressive rock. BOK is my personal favorite, an epic progressive rock concept album that explores themes related to the amazingly intricate illuminated ancient celtic manuscript of the new testament, The Book of Kells. The album builds dramatically and is absolutely breathtaking during The Arrest - Gesthemane and the finale Eternity. There is not a bad track on it. That is the last album with Iona co-founder and woodwind player David Fitzgerald. He was replaced by the talented Mike Haughton, who departed after Heaven's Bright Sun. I actually end up listening to Beyond These Shores the most for it's smooth continuity. It's definitely the best one to turn on to your non-adventurous wife, perhaps a bit mellower than the others, but it really is exceptional music, bestowing more aural treats with each listen. Journey Into the Morn has a more commercial appeal in places, and adds Clannad's Maire Brennan to the backing vocals, but also contains some long progressive jewels, including what I think is their best song ever, Encircling, an 11 minute epic, and Bi-Se I Mo Shuil - Part 2, with it's blistering instrumental counterpoints. Heaven's Bright Sun is a double live album that touches on the highlights of all four studio albums, and it really highlights the energy the band plays with live. The songs are dynamically recorded, and the instrumentals and bonus reels will really get you moving. Terl Bryant, their excellent drummer, recently departed for other projects, and he was replaced by Frank Van Essan, a great drummer who also plays the violin.
Their incredible live album Woven Chord features the All-Soul's Orchestra backing up their new line-up on some of their classic songs recorded at the Royal Albert Hall last year. Different songs than on Heaven's Bright Sun (including Encircling!), with tastefully done orchestration, its certainly Christian progressive rock at its finest and is highly recommended. The recording quality and musicianship is exceptional. You can order it from Europe through the following website: http://www.gospel.it/iona/, and it is now available in the States.
Iona's latest studio album, Open Sky, is a departure from their last two albums in that it is much more freeform and progressive with heavier celtic elements. It has quickly become a favorite, and is a must for all progressive rock fans. Iona is music that holds up to continual listens, with something new to explore or find spiritual revelation in each time. And prog-heads take note that Robert Fripp from King Crimson adds some frippertronics on BTS. (See also Terl Bryant and David Fitzgerald for more Iona related music). Check out their official web site at: http://www.iona.uk.com/. Also, their singer, Joanne Hogg, has a solo album out in the US called Looking into Light. It features classic hymns redone in the Iona style. You can preview it at: http://www.gospel.it/iona/solo.html {dt}
Reviewed by Dave Taylor (10/20/06)
Every few years an epic event happens in my life: a new Iona record is released. Today The Circling Hour arrived in the mail, and I was excited as a schoolboy on Christmas morning. It was a long six-year wait. I hastily uncorked it and gave it a spin, after finding a quiet place to give it my thorough attention. Like a fine wine, you have to sip and savor a record of this kind of depth and intensity, and it’s not really fair for a reviewer to write all my impressions on just the initial taste. However, I'm leaving Alaska in a few days to fly to England to catch one of their shows, then its off to Kenya for a month, so there's no time to spare. After all, it only takes a small sip of wine to know if you want the waiter to pour you a full glass, right? So I have had my taste (actually three or four, but who's counting?), what's the verdict? I’ll take the whole bottle, thank you very much, and several more for later. Not content just to rehash old ideas, Iona successfully forges into exciting new musical territory, while continuing to maintain that perfect blend of symphonic rock, soaring Celtic pipes and whistles, gorgeously pure vocals, and soul-searching spiritual insight that launched them into the forefront of today’s Celtic and progressive rock scenes. With certainty, The Circling Hour is a lovingly crafted work of unsurpassed depth and creativity, phenomenally recorded to maximize your listening pleasure.
The band still consists of Dave Bainbridge on guitars and keyboards, Troy Donockley on pipes and whistles and guitars, Phil Barker on bass, Joanne Hogg on vocals, and Frank Van Essen on drums and violin. Dave and Troy enlisted veteran recording engineer John Kellogg to mix the record in LA, and it sounds superb. The album continues Iona’s left turn into fresh ideas that began with the emotive Celtic/ambient/progressive record Open Sky. Leaving behind much of their trademark folk, ambient and even pop trappings, this is their most upbeat and progressive record to date. For 65 minutes, The Circling Hour bursts with swirling keyboards, driving bass, and thumping drums, accentuated by fiery electric guitar solos and generous helpings of pipes and violin that swell with emotion. Joanne’s ethereal voice continues to cut through the music with crystalline purity, and Troy’s trademark Uilleann pipes craft the musical themes, but its Dave’s electric guitar and Frank's potent drums that lead the charge. There’s even some surprising new twists from Troy's bag of tricks. Not only can he blow into a dozen different musical gadgets and entertain a crowd with a runny nose (as seen on the Live DVD), on this record we discover he can sing lead vocals as well as play some serious guitar!
I suppose you are wondering about the songs themselves? Empyrean Dawn starts innocently enough, with Joanne singing a refrain from an old hymn. But soon the electric guitar kicks in, the drums start pounding, and you realize that this is going to be a very active record, more in tune with Yes’ Fragile than Clannad or Enya, and that you’ll have to dig out Beyond These Shores if you want a more contemplative experience. Children of Time and Strength are both strong upbeat songs brimming with lyrical spiritual depth and the driving celtic-prog instrumental segments that are Iona’s trademarks. Strength is a strong candidate for a single to play on my weekly radio show. So far, so good, just the kind of life-affirming music I've been hoping they would create. Next comes the 11 minute epic, Wind Off the Lake, which has swiftly risen right up there with my all time favorite Iona songs. Troy sings the short vocal segment on what is mostly a dynamic progressive rock instrumental piece, really a showcase of Iona’s immense talent. This song is sure to be a rousing crowd pleaser during their live shows. Dave and Troy deftly solo in unison while the song builds to a frantic crescendo, finally dissolving into a few minutes of soul seeking ambience at the end. Wow. I can't wait to listen to this while driving around Scotland's pretty lochs next week. Factory of Magnificent Souls is a bit less adventurous, but gripping nonetheless, with a more stripped down, acoustic instrumentation providing a solid background to Joanne’s melodious vocals. It picks up in intensity as it goes, and the lyrics are not your usual uplifting Iona fare, as they highlight Nelson Mandela's trials and tribulations during imprisonment in South Africa. Heavy stuff indeed. Sky Maps, written by Troy, is another driving, mostly instrumental piece that gives the band another chance to showcase their considerable chops. No Fear in Love is a bit of a power ballad from Joanne that features some unique sounds not heard from Iona before, as well as a treatise on the virtues of selfless love that drives home the ever present spiritual theme of love and redemption in their music. Then there is Wind, Water, and Fire, a 13 minute mini-trilogy of high Celtic-prog that is the showcase of the album, evoking the three elements of Celtic Fire, the living faith at the heart of the Celtic peoples, akin to St. Brigit’s fire which was lit for a 1000 years at Kildare. Frank’s haunting violin highlights Wind, while Joanne’s voice soothes us like the washing of the water of the Word on Water. When the Fire shows up, it burns hot, and its one of the tightest bits of progressive musical abandon you’ll hear. Closing out with the haunting ballad Fragment of a Fiery Sun, The Circling Hour left me breathless and ecstatic, knowing I had just experienced something akin to a first kiss with a soul mate. I anticipate a long and intimate relationship with this exceptionally fine record. It is time to hit repeat and let the hours circle indeed. Hats off, Iona. You’ve done it again. The Circling Hour and other great Iona releases are available from Open Sky Records at http://www.iona.uk.com or in the USA at http://www.goldusa.com <dt>
Reviewed by Dave Taylor
September, 2011
Iona’s seventh and latest studio effort is a double-disc musical extravaganza that plunges headlong into a fresh world of spiritual depth and experience, aptly titled Another Realm. With over two decades of creative and beautiful Celtic-infused progressive rock, Iona has consistently explored deep themes of faith, with esoteric lyrics about misty British islands, adventurous Celtic monks, ancient hand-illuminated manuscripts, and holy prayers. Such topics have been musically intermixed with pounding odd-time rhythms, spacey synths, blistering guitar solos, woodwinds, pipes and whistles, and punctuated by lead singer Joanne Hogg’s gorgeous, ethereal voice. This album stays true to the musical formula, this time with a fresh worship-oriented theme of spiritual awakening and revival. This is a record that is on such a deep spiritual level of healing and renewal that it demands active participation rather than passive listening. It is by far their most ambitious record, being a double disc of nearly 100 minutes that is much more than a concept album. I am happy to say it ranks up with their very best, which is saying a lot considering the masterpieces they have created previously such as Beyond These Shores, The Book of Kells, and Journey into the Morn.
Dave Bainbridge (guitars and keyboards) and Joanne Hogg (vocals) have been the band’s fixtures over the years, and they are joined once again by Frank Van Essen (drums, violin) and bassist Phil Barker. Martin Nolan makes his first appearance on whistles and Uilleann pipes. Unfazed with the departure of the exceptionally talented Troy Donockley, the band seems unified in faith and purpose once again, and the fervor to pursue and behold God spreads like revival fire throughout the record. Lyrically, Another Realm falls unabashedly into a category that some call “prophetic worship”, vertical songs that draw the listener into the presence of God and, like a holy arsonist, spark raging fires of faith for the supernatural and hunger for Him. It is not casual music, but rather something seemingly unearthed from the ancient wells of holy monks of old, meant to be drunk deeply and solemnly even as the heady holy water quenches spiritual thirsts and inspires a joyous dance of celebration and victory.
From the opening track, As it Was, that evokes their 1990 self-titled debut, the record draws the listener into a powerful place of reverence, with a grand respect for the past and their spiritual heritage, to delving into the fresh wind of the Spirit, hoisting sails for new horizons and deeper revelations. The Ancient Wells gives homage to the spiritual fathers of the UK, people like the great Saint Patrick, and what they achieved, proclaiming gladly that the ancient wells will be open once again, the river of the Holy Spirit flowing, and revival spreading throughout the land. The first CD is a barrage of epic tracks. The title track speaks of concept of the open heaven, when through intercession and sanctification barriers between heaven and earth come down and the glory of God manifests. The song Clouds speaks of powerful things stirring in the heavenly realms, and musically the song soars with heart-wrenching power. An Atmosphere of Miracles proclaims immediately, “Our King is here with us!” and if you’ve ever prayed for a true miracle from God in your life, or need to, this is the soundtrack. The hair on my neck stands up every time I listen to it, so gorgeous and healing are the melodies. Joanne has never sounded so heavenly as on this 15 minute ethereal epic, flowing like a river of music that meanders for a while then occasionally plunges over deep waterfalls on its way to the sea. Let Your Glory Fall concludes Disc 1, another powerful, progressive, worshipful track inviting the Holy Spirit to pour out and transform.
Disc 2 opens with a breathtaking violin instrumental from Frank Van Essen. Speak to Me is next, listing all the ways God speaks to us through his creation with a backdrop of acoustic guitar and Uilleann pipes. And the Angels Dance follows, picking up the tempo with a poppier feel that makes the song a candidate for a single, even as the second half of the song kicks into a rhythmic reel with the Uilleann pipes. Foreign Soil speaks of God’s ability to reach us wherever we travel. There is no escaping the height and breadth and width and depth of his love for us. One of the coolest tracks (and they are ALL good) Let the Waters Flow follows, and the pounding drums and guitar remind me of a favorite section within the Book of Kells , which then morphs into the melody from Ancient Wells even as the song left turns into a fiery Bainbridge guitar solo. The more subdued Saviour speaks of the hell on earth and our need for Christ, praying for deliverance, and the space of the song allows Joanne’s voice to shine. The mostly instrumental The Fearless Ones features the Jewish battle horn, the Shofar, setting the stage for the records most epic, most progressive track, the 11 minute White Horse. Pounding out a drum rhythm like horses hooves, the song gallops forth into the fray. Keep your eyes on the standard of the cross, hold your sword up high, follow the King on his White Horse, see His glory. Joanne’s voice passionately pleads for you to open your eyes and see Him as He truly is, our King who battles for us. Surely heaven sings along with her whenever this song is played. The finale, As it Shall Be, is a reprise of the opening track, again evoking the beginning and end of their debut album, the Iona of our hearts.
If Iona never releases another album, Another Realm is a fitting capstone on their career, surely the pinnacle thus far of their creative talents. Unless you are easily offended by spiritual music, you cannot listen to the record without being moved within, drawn into the presence of the King, stirred with a longing for a deeper personal experience with your creator. As Christian artists, Iona have achieved something few other Christian albums have done. This isn’t so much of a record as it is a statement, a proclamation, a holy standard raised, the soundtrack to spiritual warfare, like a sword that cuts through darkness and reveals the brightness of God’s goodness lurking just above the clouds. We all know it is up there, perhaps, but Iona has enabled us to get a true glimpse into Another Realm where heaven invades earth. Five out of five stars.
Iluvatar (93); Children (95); Sideshow (97); A Story Two-Days Wide (99)
I hear this popular American neo-prog band may have some lyrics about God, but I don't own any of their cd's. I do know that Illuvatar was Tolkien's name for God in the Silmarillion. Go to http://www.kinesiscd.com/storeframe.htm for more info and CD's. {dt}
Lines in the Sand (06)
Prog metal band Immortal Soul sounds like a cross between Galactic Cowboys, Megadeth, Dream Theater and Tool. The power trio of Jason Goad, Jon Goad, and Jeff Cline rock out on their self-produced album Lines in the Sand. Their songs are filled with huge crunchy guitars, thrashing drums, and driving bass lines. Jason Goad's vocals are decent for the style of music, if a bit over dramatic. The faith infused lyrics aren't preachy but delve into some interesting issues. Owe My Life and Spiritual Eyes are two tracks I'll be playing on my radio show in the future. Recommended for fans of prog metal with Christian lyrics. You can listen to mp3 samples and find more info at their web site, http://www.immortalsoulband.com {DT}