ITP V.021 REVIEW: IOTUNN: "ACCESS ALL WORLDS"

 

 

 

 BAND: IOTUNN (DENMARK)

GENRE: PROGRESSIVE, POWER METAL

LABEL: METAL BLADE RECORDS

 RELEASE DATE: 2/26/2021

TITLE:  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS"

 

   PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): 

  "THE WIZARD FALLS" (EP), 2/18/2016 via BANDCAMP (DIGITAL, SELF RELEASED).

 

IOTUNN: "ACCESS ALL WORLDS": TRACK LISTING: 

1. "VOYAGE OF THE GARGANEY I"

2. "ACCESS ALL WORLDS"

3.  "LAIHEM'S GOLDEN PIT" 

4. "WAVES BELOW" 

5. "THE TOWER OF COSMIC NIHILITY"

6. "THE WEAVER SYSTEM" 

7. "SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT"

BEST RELEASE(S):  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" (2021)

 

  ITP RATING:****
PRODUCTION:*** 1/2
SONGWRITING:*** 12
PERFORMANCE:****1/2

Formed in 2015, IOTUNN are a progressive, power metal band from Copenhagen, Denmark. . IOTUNN just released the bands debut full length "ACCESS ALL WORLDS". 

 IOTUNN'S : "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" kicks off with "VOYAGE OF THE GARGANEY I", as the track opens with a beautiful acoustic piece complimented by synths. At 1:00 the bands powers into "VOYAGE OF THE GARGANEY I" with death metal vox. At 2:09 "VOYAGE OF THE GARGANEY I" changed riff structure and employs good clean vocals. At 2:52 seconds the bands again shifts riff structures for some soaring clean vocals.  IOTUNN'S "VOYAGE OF THE GARGANEY I" continues with the death and clean vocal interplay and some good lead and rhythm guitars solos. 

IOTUNN'S title track,  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS", a 11:36 epic track opens with pompous rock riffing and some amazing clean and death vocal interplay. At 2:30 "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" changes riff structure and slows down  to spoken word and softly sung vocals with nice melodic guitar leads. However, the title track from IOTUNN'S is way to long and meandering for my taste.

 IOTUNN'S  "LAIHEM'S GOLDEN PIT", is a heavier track with pronounced thrash riffs, blast beats and yelled vocals seguing into clean then death vox. This track has the word "pit" in it, so you KNOW what to do during this rager. 

 IOTUNN'S "WAVES BELOW", kicks off with yelled vocals as the singer belts out "I'm searching waves below". Mid song,  IOTUNN'S "WAVES BELOW" takes a breathier for some melodic guitar solos and epic clean,  death vocal interplay with blast beats.

 IOTUNN'S  "THE TOWER OF COSMIC NIHILITY", is  a mid paced track features some melodic rock riffing and an epic vocal performance of both clean and death vocals. . 

 
IOTUNN'S  "THE WEAVER SYSTEM", enters in beautiful balladry, before (at 1:00) the brutal death metal vocal interplay with soaring cleans. IOTUNN majestically compliment the death vocals with heavier and melodic riffing. 3.00 into IOTUNN'S  "THE WEAVER SYSTEM", the track segues into some underrated technical guitar wizardry and tribal drumming and back into the main melodic riffs and vocals.IOTUNN'S  "THE WEAVER SYSTEM" is a perfect single. .  
 

 IOTUNN'S  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" closes with "SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT", featuring soaring double tracked death and clean vocals, almost a one man duet of both vocal styles."SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT",features some technical and melodic guitar riffing,  blast beats and a wondrous guitar solo. "SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT",extends with a nice acoustic, melancholy atmosphere, seguing into some progressive, melodic, thrash moments... 

Nine minutes into  IOTUNN'S "SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT", the track gets heavier with epic heavy riffing, death vox an organ for an epic close to an an impressive debut. 

 

Other than a few bones to pick IOTUNN have stunned the world with their debut.  

Some of the tracks on IOTUNN are too long, with repetitive riff structures that lack variety. Ironically, IOTUNN'S "SAFE ACROSS THE ENDLESS NIGHT", the bands longest track is one of my faves, with plenty of riff variety and loud soft dynamics. 

 

The drumming for the vast majority of   IOTUNN'S  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" sounds too triggered, I would prefer a more organic drum sound. 

....However, BARREN EARTH and HAMFERD vocalist JON ALDARA is soon to become a household name with his epic vocal performance on  IOTUNN'S  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS". 

It is not easy to perform brutal death metal vocals. It's not easy to perform epic clean vocals.  IOTUNN'S  JON ALDARA performs BOTH death and clean vocals with not only competence,.  JON ALDARA brings an epic intensity to IOTUNN'S brand of cosmic power metal practically carrying the band. ALDARA's vocals soar into an epic cosmos and also is the last nail in your coffin as he growls enough to summon the demons of hell. . 

 

 

Overall, I would like to hear more progressive elements from IOTUNN as this band has a bright future,  IOTUNN'S  "ACCESS ALL WORLDS" is an impressive debut with amazing vocals backed by excellent musicians. . 

 

   ITP RATING:****
PRODUCTION:*** 1/2
SONGWRITING:*** 12
PERFORMANCE:****1/2

https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/2021/02/iotunn-post-new-release-access-all.html

 

 

 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

 

 

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-