Review Summary: Much more than just a promising start.
Although more and more bands delve into the technical aptitude of their own music sooner or later in their career, music producers are still a critical factor in the process of making an album. This is due to their ever evolving know-how about recording techniques/equipment, the ability of some in getting the best out of the musicians while minimizing the stress, and lastly, their experience in becoming a lidless eye monitoring and optimizing bands' vision. Commenting on the role of music producers in metal for a piece in Metal Hammer Greece, Mille Petrozza of Kreator fame, argued that a band has to have real songs, even in raw form before entering the studio, as the sole thing a producer can't do (in metal at least...), is to write the music on behalf of the outfit. Iotunn have recently emerged from Copenhagen, Denmark, and on their debut EP, they had fellow country man and producer Flemming Rasmussen (yes, the man who recorded
Master of Puppets!), sitting behind the console. Rasmussen's involvement in the project, is merely a clue about the stark quality of these Danes.
What makes
The Wizard Falls so interesting, is the amalgamation of elements that grant each of the four full songs of this EP, a very, very well versed progressive metal identity. Iotunn sound as if
Into the Mirror Black-era Sanctuary came as immigrants to Europe with
Master of Puppets blasting their walkmans (sic), and were enthralled by Iron Maiden, pagan-themed thrash (think only of Sabbat), and epic black metal (think of early-to-mid '00s Primordial). Much like the trajectory of water flowing in a river, the route of the songs is meandric, properly diverted through atmospheric passages, only to become turbulent anew with phrases, previously encountered. Coated with Rasmussen's top-level production, the intertwining of rhythm and lead guitars is absolutely devastating, as sheer heaviness and shredding solos, form the main pillars for mixing the genres brought to the table by previously mentioned acts. The epic factor is further amplified by the abstractly structured lyrics and the vocals, which may be an acquired taste during first few listens.
Apart from the band's image which hints at that of an alt rock outfit, Iotunn's genuinely cool, but rather unjustified low profile, is further evident in their 10-minute "make of" documentary. Therein, the dedication in the meticulous development of riffs, bass lines and drum beats, is flowered with hilarious conversations between band members and Rasmussen about the recording process, the dire status of the music industry, and the prolonged period of production for the EP. In contrast to the music, band does not take itself too seriously, and that's a good thing, but everyone else should; along with the sophomore Trial (SWE) album, Iotunn's debut EP sounds like the freshest thing in Euro heavy/progressive metal in quite some time.
