Review Summary: Theatrical metal with a storytelling vibe, very satisfying buildups and resolutions, and amazing to fall asleep to
The 2024 outing by the Copenhagen metallers
Iotunn titled Kinship is one of those releases that are somewhat difficult to define in terms of genre, invoking tropes from multiple different branches of metal, not unlike established acts such as
Ne Obliviscaris, who I feel this band resembles most overall. At times too vocally-driven and unpredictable to be labeled melodeath, yet at others too structurally rigid to be labeled prog, yet borrowing some black and power metal elements where they benefit the music as well - the music on Kinship straddles a very interesting line where the end result produces something immersive and engrossing.
The music is really cinematic and epic in scope, and effortlessly so - something that sets Kinship apart from many other prog bands who go for a more subdued and contemplative sound. Here the slower moments only serve to prime the listener for the oncoming explosion of bombast. Even with that in mind, the emotionally charged climaxes don't feel tiresome and never feel like they overstay their welcome - largely thanks to the impeccable prowess of vocalist Jón Aldará, who is endowed with a very pleasant vocal timbre and is capable of singing high with relative ease, while not being bogged down by ills that torment many vocalists in, say, power metal - you will not find any excessive, tasteless reliance on vibrato, for instance. The guy is just a delight to listen to, and he's by no means a slouch with harsh vocals either. Guitar work is handled by the Gräs brothers, Jesper and Jens Nicolai - who while adequate technically, probably shine even more in their capacity for songwriting - both on the macro level with the structures and transitions, and on the micro level with occasionally really catchy riffs and floaty lead passages. It is indeed quite a trick to write songs that clock in at over 10 minutes, yet feel much shorter - or at least affect the listener's perception of time to such a degree that the length becomes a non-issue.
These are the hallmarks of an immersive listening experience. Not being as self-indulgent as Ne Obliviscaris in terms of showing off instrumental prowess, nor as emotionally demanding as the poignant stories of
Be'lakor are - the guys from Iotunn craft a different kind of experience, one that the listener can immerse and lose themselves in, completely disengaging any thought and just releasing themselves into the flow. This is a commonality with another 2024 release, A Giant Bound to Fall by
Eternal Storm, though Iotunn arguably do it somewhat better than their Scottish colleagues. And overall it's quite a welcome new way to enjoy music, given that most similar-sounding bands produce stuff that demands engaging the intellect and digesting the sound properly, possibly even requiring multiple spins to properly internalize the signals. Here it feels like the music can be enjoyed passively, practically as if you could just put it on in the background and focus on something else entirely, while still being able to hear and remember everything. It's really an uncanny quality for music to have, made even more impressive by the fact that it's, of course, still intricate and well-written and equally rewarding when listened to with the utmost attention. But that attention not being required makes the experience relaxing and recuperative - something rare for metal and even more appreciated for that fact.
So if you're in the mood for some vocally-driven extreme metal that manages to be both ethereal, catchy, crushing and relaxing at the same time, this release is a definite must check.
