Review IOTUNN “Kinship”

In the midst of the pandemic, a band emerged with a stunning debut album. “Access All Worlds” is the title of this release and it’s Iotunn from Denmark who unleashed this excellent album. The guys had an EP out called “The Wizard Fails” before the full length debut, but it was “Access Al Worlds” that really put the band on the map.

Time jump to the present. Iotunn have been working on the sophomore release and it is ready to be shipped to the record stores. “Kinship” is the title of an album that is a continuation of what started with the debut. For the next time, the Danish/Faroese band has written music that impresses in every way.

Lyrically, the songs on Kinship are connected. The band tells the story of a tribesman from a prehistoric tribe who encounters all aspects of life – from body/mind to good/bad to human/inhuman. It’s the story of how everything is connected and has an impact. Nothing stands alone and is interrelated, while the individual must find his own path to the inner self.

Musically, Iotunn builds on the foundation the band laid with their debut full-length. However, the second album takes things to the next level. “Kinship” is more mature and reveals the variations of Iotunn’s music in an even better way.

“Kinship” contains eight songs and what sounds like not much is a rich musical performance with all kinds of twists and turns. Iotunn add an epic aspect to their music, resulting in an album with a running time of 68 minutes. There is a lot of music that fans get with “Kinship” and that quality is another part of this release goes without saying.

Putting a 13-minute song like ‘Kinship Elegiac’ at the top of the tracklist is a brave decision, but also a very logical one. The majestic track opens the door to a world of music that impresses as “Kinship Elegiac” shows the band’s versatility in one song.

A calm and very soulful start pulls you into this composition. Clean vocals and a lot of feeling is what you get. Slowly but surely the song builds up when the guitars join in. The melodic death metal roots dominate the second half of the song, while the early soundscapes are still the underlying pattern that returns towards the end. “Kinship Elegiac” is a milestone for the band and it’s a good choice to put this song in pole position.

Let’s jump from start to finish as “The Anguished Ethereal” is the second track on this release to exceed the 10 minute mark. It’s again an acoustic start to a song that once again shows the musicianship of the Danish quintet. The song is another cornerstone of the Scandinavian sound architects, manifested in many breathtaking moments embedded here. The massive riff power and the narrative moments, clean and growled, together with the hypnotic repetitiveness are elements that take you on a musical journey you don’t want to miss.

These two songs are the cornerstones of the album and what comes in between has the same captivating quality. “Iridescent Way” is an acoustic ballad that touches the heart, while the furious and raging sounds echo through “Twilight”.

“Kinship” is an album that has that extra wow factor. This longplayer is a milestone for the band and a treat for their fans. If you missed the debut, you should catch up now, as this album has the potential to become a classic in the art of progressive epic metal and shows how wide the range of melodic death metal can be when a progressive element is added.