Review: IOTUNN – Access all Worlds

Style: melodeath/power (mixed vocals)
Review by: Dylan
Country: Denmark
Release date: February 26th, 2021

Okay, there’s an elephant in the room we have to address: If you closely follow prog releases on your own, you probably already know about this album. Truth is, thanks to a release on Metal Blade and highly rated reviews on popular sites, only a few weeks into its release Access all Worlds has surpassed our maximum listeners on Spotify criteria (Currently at 16k as I write this). However, this happened after the album was preemptively bookmarked by our staff and I decided to review it, so that’s why this review exists 🙂

But fear not, as this is not a wasted space on a mediocre band that has found sudden success out of sheer luck or an algorithm, but rather by being delightfully unique and masters of their craft.

Unpacking this album is quite a challenge, considering there’s very little about IOTUNN that can be considered straightforward. Its structure warrants longer tracks, with a blend of melodic death, power, and even a bit of epic doom that pockets influences out of a ridiculous amount of bands in the metal sphere (seriously, take a look at the FFO, it’s as varied as it gets). Against all odds this insane salad of genres works thanks to an outstanding commitment from every band member to not only nail every style present, but to also properly structure a song (and album) around it. A massive shoutout has to go to the vocalist Jón Aldará, who might as well sing for any type of metal band and fit right in. He’s got pipes for everything: anthemic power metal hooks, low gutturals, shrieks, and even a sort of melodic harsh style that’s perfect for those mid-intensity moments. This goes without saying, but of course the rest of the band has pulled it off. The album has a sheer abundance of intricate yet catchy riffs, an intelligent use of blast beats of various kinds to elevate the scale and grandiosity of it all, and a great sense of identity. They acknowledge the artists that they’re being influenced by whilst pushing boundaries with them through songwriting methods that they can be proud to consider their own.

Do I have any complaints about this album? Yes, but it is a small nitpick: I feel like listening to this album separated or as a whole is the same. All 7 tracks are excellent, but I feel like there’s unused potential to make them more interconnected with some sort of call back or full-circle like referencing that truly satisfies my desire to listen to this front to back. That being said, it really is a very small inconvenience that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the album at all. Access all Worlds is grand, gorgeous and expertly crafted. If you’ve yet to check this album out, I implore you to do so.

Recommended tracks: Access all Worlds, Laihem’s Golden Pits, The Weaver System
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Insomnium, Nevermore, Amon Amarth, Candlemass, Dan Swano
Final verdict: 9.2/10

Related links: Bandcamp| Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | metal-archives

Label: Metal Blade – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

IOTUNN is:
– Jón Aldará (Vocals)
– Jens Nicolai Gräs (Guitars)
– Jesper Gräs (Guitars)
– Eskil Rask (Bass)
– Bjørn Wind Andersen (Drums)