Released 20 years ago tomorrow (or somewhere around that time), this is the sixth studio album by Celtic progressive rock band Iona. This band has a beautiful mix of traditional Celtic sounds mixed with rock stylings, and though this is not their best album in my opinion, it's still worth a listen. Joanne Hogg's lead vocals are so beautiful, and the band's instrumentation is just as beautiful. it opens with an epic 8-minute track "Empryean Dawn", which starts with just soft vocals but then keeps building into a full-on jam that defines the album. The final coda of the album, "Fragment Of A Fiery Sun", contains some of the same lyrics as the opening track as well. "Wind Off The Lake" is an 11-minute musical exploration and is one of the best on this album. And tracks 8-10 are a trilogy of songs: "Wind, Water & Fire", where the vocals, electric guitars and pipes soar along together in the end after some calmer melodies. It's certainly a musical journey spanning so many styles: from rock, to Celtic, to classical, and many more. This album might be a more rock than some of their previous albums, but I still love it. Iona is one of those bands I wish I had been able to see live, but I may never get that chance.

Release Year: 2006
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