JOURNEY INTO THE MORN

This is a very good blend of Contemporary Christian music and Celtic folk music that I salvaged from my mum's CD collection. Robert Fripp's touches on a couple of tracks aren't particularly notable, but there are some magnificent performances on this album. The vocals are brilliant and unmatchable. Joanne Hogg offers a truly moving version of the classic hymn 'When I survey the Wondrous Cross'. Elsewhere the epic 'Encircling' really soars, with atmospheric drumming and Gilmouresque guitar playing. Songs like 'Wisdom' and 'Everything Changes' are truly beautiful, while conveying those important songs of worship (I, myself am a Christian). I'm glad to see that there are bands like Iona taking a progressive approach to Christian music, but this seems very rare. The one problem with this album is that it is a bit long, without varying an awful lot, but it still does what it's supposed to do, create atmosphere, and one does not have to be listening intently to appreciate the effects of this album. Since there is so little variation I feel like I can only rate it three stars, taking into account that I'm predominantly a heavy metal fan, this is not my number one choice for music, although I like to keep my mind open (which is why prog appeals to me so much).