– October 28th, 2024 –
“Kinship” Full-Length Out Now On Metal Blade Records
Photo by Nikolaj Bransholm
Watch/stream IOTUNN’s “Earth To Sky” HERE
Danish/Faroese epic progressive metal collective IOTUNN are pleased to unveil their video for “Earth To Sky.” The crushingly stunning track is featured on the band’s Kinship full-length, out now on Metal Blade Records!
A monolithic album arising from the primeval sea, IOTUNN‘s Kinship is a mythological journey through eight tracks that span immense spheres both musically and lyrically, exploring the deep roots of human nature, its connection and disconnection with everything and everyone, and how our choices have always defined ourselves and the lives lived.
Comments guitarist Jesper Gräs on “Earth To Sky,” “This song is, in many ways, inspired by the tradition of film music. It is progressive and yet simple at its core and presents a sound full of themes, moods, and feelings which truly unfold in the mid-sections but are constantly present throughout. When we were done with the album, we all got hit by this one in a very special way which we had not foreseen, and we found it to be a natural single from the Kinship album. It holds many things which we hold dearly, includes many of the core ingredients which is IOTUNN, and it has some of the most brutal metal of the album.”
Adds guitarist Jens Nicolai, “This song is built on two connected ideas except a couple of minor detours, so it’s a way of writing that we’ve done before – to see how many colors we can paint within very limited settings. As it turned out, the frame got bigger and bigger and rich on motifs, and it’s got lots of cool transitions.”
Watch IOTUNN‘s “Earth To Sky” video at THIS LOCATION.
Watch IOTUNN‘s previously released videos for “Twilight” HERE, “I Feel The Night” HERE, and “Iridescent Way” HERE.
Kinship unfolds the story of a prehistoric tribesman. It tells the story of life’s manyfold conditions as themes of unity/disunity, light/dark, body/mind, nature/culture, good/evil, creation/destruction, and human/inhuman appear throughout the album. The album also shows IOTUNN reveal their musical worlds to their fullest scales to date which has been the dream achievement in composing the offering.
Already praised by critics globally, Kinship has earned the #1 slot on soundcheck lists in such esteemed publications as Metal Hammer Germany, Scream Magazine, Aardschok, Inferno Magazine, and Powermetal.De.
“The creation of Kinship has been the most extensive and wild journey we’ve ever been part of,” says Jesper Gräs, “Like trekking up the Galdhøpiggen mountain in Norway, we have crossed peak after peak and seen things continuously brighter and wider until we reached the top, the end. Never have we been prouder and more pleased, and we hope our fans – old and new – will take this album into their hearts and let it unfold from there.”
The artwork and art pieces of Kinship were created by ink and graphite illustrator and artist, Saprophial (Hammers Of Misfortune), with the design and layout created by art director Brian Ames at Metal Blade Records. Kinship was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios Denmark (Arch Enemy, Katatonia, The Black Dahlia Murder, Volbeat, Týr).
IOTUNN‘s Kinship is available on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
Dark Jade Marbled (US)
180g Black (EU)
Olive Beige Marbled (EU)
Teal w/ Red, Orange + Yellow Splatter (EU – Ltd. 300)
Bright Orange (EU – Special Edition feat. expanded 20-page booklet + patch – Ltd. 1,000)
Find orders at: metalblade.com/iotunn
IOTUNN Live:
1/09/2025 Pumpehuset – Copenhagen, DK
1/10/2025 Voxhall – Aarhus, DK
1/11/2025 Godset – Kolding, DK
4/05/2025 Epic Fest – Roskilde, DK
9/06/2025 Brynerocken 2025 – Bryne, NO
9/07/2025 John Dee – Oslo, NO
“Indeed, there’s a lot of meat in these songs. IOTUNN, to their infinite credit, never makes you feel like they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. The songs on Kinship are simply too much of an enjoyable journey. This is the next level of melodic death metal.” – Blabbermouth
“Only eight songs are needed as pillars to create a magnificent palace of an album. Rarely has a band convinced so early in their career, and so quickly on one record — and the trust that has been quickly built up is not disappointed over the course of the extra-long songs, so that the more than one-hour running time does not even begin to feel that long. Truly great art.” – Metal Hammer Germany
“Kinship is absolutely fucking huge. IOTUNN are building their own sonic universe, and it’s genuinely mind-blowing.” – Metal Hammer UK
“The production is top-notch, balancing the intricate, progressive elements with heavy, galloping sections in a way that feels organic. The renewed energy and vigor with which IOTUNN approach this album make it an exhilarating listen from start to finish.” – Distorted Sound
“With Kinship, IOTUNN creates a world of their own, full of emotions, love, devotion, and mystical depth, for 70 minutes. It is intense, gripping, and full of love. This is great art, as close to the dark core of one’s own existence as it is unattainable in the attempt to grasp and translate it….Anyone who doesn’t listen to this masterpiece is missing out on the beauty and power of music! I say: Thank you, IOTUNN!” – Metal Glory
“…it’s hard to imagine how this kind of music could be made any better… Kinship deserves nothing other than the highest grade.” – Metal.de
“…essential listening…” – Wonderbox Metal
“This album strikes an intricate balance between aggression and melody, offering an experience that feels both forceful and refined. The band pours an immense amount of melody into their hardened structures, creating a dynamic soundscape that’s as brutal as it is beautiful.” – Metal Temple
“Kinship is a masterpiece. It doesn’t get any better than this.” – Metalized
“IOTUNN has brought Denmark and the Faroe Islands back on the map, and appears in many ways as one of the most impressive bands ever from these countries.” – Scream
“Even if you think you’ve known heavy metal for decades, every now and then there are significant innovation drivers like IOTUNN that bring back the childlike enthusiasm of the early days.” – Deaf Forever
IOTUNN:
Jón Aldará – vocals
Jens Nicolai Gräs – guitar
Jesper Gräs – guitar
Eskil Rask – bass
Bjørn Wind Andersen – drums
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