I’m trying to review through the remaining albums on my list, and the one at the top is Iotunn’s new record Kinship, which released on October 25th through Metal Blade Records. This is one of those albums that needs time and the right mood to appreciate, but when it breaks open, it quickly becomes addictive.
The band comes to us from Denmark. They released their debut Access All Worlds back in 2021, but I’ll admit that I still haven’t heard it. I’ll have to correct that soon. Anyways, the lineup includes Jón Aldará on vocals, Jens Nicolai Gräs and Jesper Gräs on guitars, Eskil Rask on bass, and Bjørn Wind Andersen on drums.
Iotunn plays an epic and bold progressive metal that features elements of death metal, folk, and cinematic music. Their sound is full and booming, like singing from the mountain tops. Their guitars are heavy, but I find their guitar phrasing to be melodious and even hopeful in sound; there is definitely a shoegaze influence here, which is interesting with the other genres present. The combination of clean and harsh vox leans more towards clean, I think, but both styles are done with manly and chesty bravado. Throw in a terrific rhythm section that never seems to rest, and you have the makings of an album that will sweep you away for an hour.
And Kinship really does send you to faraway places. I think the opener “Kinship Elegiac” is a good example of this. The song reminds me of something from Wilderun in how it utilizes layers of sound, contrasting heaviness with elegance and melody with gritty darkness. The song is cinematic in structure, and one can’t help but feel enthralled through its entire 14-minute runtime.
The album is framed by longer tracks, the first one being fourteen minutes, and the closer being eleven. In between, though, there are six additional tracks that are rather hypnotic. My favorites would be “Twilight” with its huge vocal hook and beautiful aura, “I Feel the Night” as it combines balladic sensibilities with heavy instrumentals, and the true ballad of the album, “Iridescent Way”, a gorgeous piece with excellent acoustic guitar and vocal melodies. All of their tracks are great, though.
The closer “The Anguished Ethereal” is possibly the heaviest song on the album, and I love how vicious and piercing the guitar work is, from the biting riffs to the shoegazing highs. I love the chorus and how the song winds down slowly to a quiet ending. It leaves you in a haze—in a good way.
Iotunn has a wonderful album for us here, and I’m left appreciating the contrasts and layers they provide most of all. I love the various shades of harsh vox they utilize, and how clear and emboldened the clean singing is. I love how each song goes through transitions and cinematic, towering segments, and all of it feels deeply authentic. Fans of progressive death metal need to hear this.
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The PROG Mind 
Great review and very accurate! When I first played this album I was blown away by how good the music was and the vocals were so powerful and beautiful. I’d give this a 10 / 10 and it has been in constant rotation since purchase. Definitely my AOTY
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