Iotunn – Kinship

Stargazer scholar

Some bands deserve more than a simple review. Some albums deserve an elegy. It is well-nigh impossible to give a verbal description to the whirling tangle of emotions they evoke, but this is why music exists in the first place – to channel sentiments that evade other mediums of expression. In a hopeless attempt to perceive the divine machinery of art, we can only aspire to arouse curiosity in others with the humble means at our disposal. And it is with this hope that I bid you welcome to the world of Iotunn‘s Kinship.

While the mere mention of Extreme Progressive Metal would call to mind myriads of names both obscure and well known, Iotunn are best considered without referencing other acts. No, they do not reinvent the genre, nor do they employ outlandish time signatures or exotic instruments. It’s the elusive, subtle something that sets it apart. It’s what one would call a vibe.

Emerging from the metaphorical cosmology of their first opus, the musicians drastically change the scenery of its sophomore album as it transports us to a primordial wilderness to follow a tribesman’s quest for identity and purpose. Even given a different aesthetic and a more personal backdrop, the record retains Iotunn’s signature cosmic elegance. The convoluted bottomless microcosm of the protagonist’s inner universe and his relationships with other inhabitants of the world is masterfully painted with a recurring sensation of mist. The mist penetrates everything; it draws you in with the roiling tenderness of its touch and caresses you with a velvet promise of a soft drizzle. The mist conceals dangers, uncertainty and betrayal, but it also brings solace and hope, going beyond its lyrical cameos and enshrouding the whole album, seeping through every note and luring, luring you in. You can’t leave. “In the mist we’re all the same”.

And in the mist, the starts flare up. They shine with the pounding energy of the riffs, sparkle with the stormy elegance of the solos and throb with the lavish, nuanced work of the rhythm section that supports the inexhaustible variety of ideas , sometimes even treating us to a blast-beat or two . Those of you who love Metal for its seemingly improbable combination of energy and melancholy, rejoice.

And then, there is Jón Aldará. He of Hamferð and he of Barren Earth. You’ll never forget the first time you hear his clean vocals. I genuinely envy those of you who still haven’t experienced him go full force. The engulfing, overpowering yearning projected by his voice clashes with the all-encompassing, bittersweet longing of the music. He croons deeply, he growls savagely, and the next moment his celestial highs soar above the mist. But there is nothing beyond them, they are the firmament, the alpha and omega. Jesper and Jens Gräs, the true guitar heroes, support his plea with intricate arrangements and melodies to match, and there you have it, the mysterious art machine at work.

The last thing I want to do is to find fault with this record. I can see how some listeners might object to its sizable runtime and pervading gloom, although even the most critical voices shall be silenced by a delicate acoustic detour of “Iridescent Sky”. Kinship is like a treasure chest that continually generates knew wonders for us to marvel at. Some of its moments are immediate, like the stunning melodies of “Mistland” or the gentle groove of “Twilight”, and others require a deeper study, but in the end, all of them are just parts of a perfect flow. Time will tell whether Kinship shall endure multiple revisits like Iotunn’s stellar debut, but rest assured that its poignant poetry would move many a heart. Bravo.

Label: Metal Blade Records

Release date: 25 October, 2024

Website: https://www.facebook.com/iotunn

Country: Denmark/Faroe Islands

Score: 4.5/5.0, but the impact of this art cannot be described with numbers. Just give it a go