Iotunn! They come from Denmark/Faroe Islands, they play in a strange and beautiful extreme metal style and in some days we will enjoy their progressive, melodic death metal sound in Rockwave Festival at Terra Republic, together with Opeth, The Halo Effect, Longshots and Venus Effect. As the 26th of June is approaching, Myth of Rock came in contact with this charismatic band and Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums), who answered politely our list of questions! Terra Republic and Rockwave Festival are waiting for us, so read this engaging interview and grab your tickets!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
When, where and under which circumstances was Iotunn formed?
The first iteration of the band was actually formed long ago. In different configurations, Jesper, Jens Nicolai and our old singer Benjamin started making music. A lot of experiments were made, and experience was gained. It goes all the way back to 2009. The way of composing that created “The Wizard Falls” first emerged around 2013.
Some months have passed since the release of your second album, “Kinship”. How do you feel about this album now? Would you change something to it now, if you had the chance?
I feel very good about the album. I would not really change anything. Of course there is always small minute things, mix decisions where one can imagine a tad bit more or less of something, but generally i am very pleased. I think the album sounds massive. Songwriting wise I think every song is very strong, and each one fits very well within the context of the whole album in my opinion. I am very proud about what we achieved with it musically.
“Kinship” was a very successful album. Are you satisfied with the people’s response to the album? How do you explain all this critical acclaim?
Yes that has been very overwhelming. We are all very, very humbled by the reception. Make no mistake, we knew that we had done something very good, but we did not expect that to necessarily resonate on such a level with so many people as it seems to have.
I think our way of creating, and Jesper and Jens Nicolais way of focusing so heavily on great and memorable melodies is really really important. And we each bring our own thing to the table – the mix of inputs are really good, we know what we like and we feed off each other in a great way. And Jón brings so much emotional energy on top of the music. I think we agree on what good taste constitutes. Not that we have the answer, but it gives great common direction within the band.
“Kinship” was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios. How did this collaboration come up? How was it to work with such a renowned producer like Jacob Hansen?
We were all just very impressed with the sounds he creates. I love his way of mixing drums. And he resides in Denmark, so it was very uncomplicated to get in the car and drive down to his studio. That whole process was very easy and uncomplicated. We knew from the first mixes that the record would end up sounding spectacular, and I think it does.
How would you describe the music style of Iotunn? Which are your main music influences?
A lot of people have described it as melodic death metal, but I would rather describe Kinship as a form of classic heavy metal meets black and folk metal, with classical guitar and old school prog rock in the mix. If you listen to the guitars on “Kinship” it is actually quite rare that you have a chugging death metal riff. But again, that might change on our next release…
We all listen to a lot of different bands. New stuff, old stuff. We like all the classic stuff NWOBHM, classic black metal albums, the Gothenburg sound etc.
Right now, I have personally been having quite a period of listening to Paradise Lost. And besides metal I am very fond of electronic music, 80ies pop and rock, and soundscapes of different kinds.
How would you describe the evolution of Iotunn from your debut album (“Access All Worlds”) to “Kinship”?
I think the song structures are a little more mature. We convey our emotions better, and more to the point, even though the music is broader in a sense and contains more instrumental action.
Where do your lyrics refer to?
A existential voyage of an unnamed human from an unknown ancient past. Themes of loss, family, mind, body and spirituality. A voyage through a crisis of a tribesman and a mystical ritual that he undergoes.
Who is responsible for music and lyrics in Iotunn? How is usually an Iotunn song composed?
Jens and Jesper write all the guitars, usually in one big arrangement per song. I then compose drums to that arrangement – and when they are ready Eskil writes the bass, and Jón the vocals. Then we go back and forth, but usually we are very close in the first round. The goal is for the guitar arrangement to sound so great, that it almost carries itself without the rest. So when it all comes together, it usually works very well.
How do you make band decisions – as a team or is there a “leader” in the band?
As a team I would say. We are generally good at delegating things between us also.
How much important is atmosphere and emotion in your songs? How would you describe the atmosphere of your songs?
That is the most important aspect. I think we like to convey a lot of emotion, drama, epicness, and an ominous atmosphere, and we like to couple that with the feeling of hope. It is hard to put music into words. But we revere emotion a lot more than technicality. We always ask ourselves if we feel the music strongly.
You have a contract with Metal Blade Records. How did this contact come up? Are you satisfied with Metal Balde? Will your new album be released by Metal Blade?
Jóns band Hamferð were signed to Metal Blade, so when the time came to seek assistance with “Access All Worlds”, it was natural to seek out an arrangement with them – and they liked what they heard. We heard good things about them, and we have been very happy with them ever since.
The third album will also be released through Metal Blade.
I liked very much the cover artwork of “Kinship”. Can you give us all the info about this cover?
It’s painted by the very talented Canadian artist by the artist name Saprophial. The final result is her idea, and her making. There are so many minute fine details on that cover. As to an interpretation, that is up to the eyes of the beholder.
The coming months you will be on the road, performing live. How do you feel about that? How important are live shows for Iotunn?
Recorded albums are of course our center creations, but the live show is in a way, the purest way of experiencing our music, or music in general for that matter. It’s both nerve wrecking and ecstatic at the same time. It can be a transcendental experience both as a musician and as an audience. For us it is one of the most important things of all. A concert that we play well is one of the best feelings that I have ever experienced.
You hail from Denmark/Faroe Islands. How are things there for rock and metal music? How does your origin reflect on your sound, lyrics and visual concepts?
I think the metal scene has been having quite a resurgence in Denmark. The quality is very high and I think that has resulted in some bands getting attention from foreign labels with more reach.
As for inspiration, i could say that we are inspired by the cold air of the north, the darkness of winter and all things nature and the force of the world around us. We are drawn towards these big emotions. A roaring ocean in a storm is great inspiration for metal music.
How important is the internet for newcomer bands like you? What do you think of the use of AI in music?
The internet is very important. We get an international reach that would be rare back before all the ways communication we have today. But it is also a double-edged sword, because musicians are pushed to be “online personas” to make a living, striving for subscribers and a “thumbs up”. That does not convey artistic energy very well in my mind, and I sometimes long for the allure of mysticism that used to surround bands. At the same time, I know that that way is gone, and we have to evolve with the times.
I hope AI music will coexist with music made by humans, but I can also fear that it will replace humans doing arts in general. In a better world, the evolution of robots, being AI or physical machines, would take away the hard work and let humans express themselves more freely and be less bound to the toils of labor. I hope for a future where technology will set us free rather than enslave us to poverty, or replace us as a creative force.
Have you started working on your next songs? If yes, how do these new songs sound?
Yes we have! There might be more chugging riffs. Some of the songs seem even more “metallic” than our previous albums. There will definitely be melodic death metal on the third album. Without promises of course.
Which are your ambitions for Iotunn?
To keep pushing the boundaries of our music, keep getting better as players, writing better songs and maybe end up making a living of doing what we love the most.
Which is your motto?
There are too many good ones to choose from, but since you are from Greece, i will say this: “Nothing is forever except change” by Heraclitus.
You are going to play in Thessaloniki, Greece, in some days (26 June, Rockwave Festival). How do you feel about that? What should we expect from you?
We are very happy to come to Greece! We are very happy to play on such a big stage and not least before such a classic band as Opeth. A band we all have listened to for many many years. And we have a feeling that there has been a great reception for our music in your beautiful country – so playing in Greece is a big thing for us, one that we have been looking forward to for a long time.
Send your message to our readers!
We can’t wait to play to our Greek audience! We are humbled to finally get the chance.
