IOTUNN In Istanbul: To Be or Not To Be

Danish heavy metal band IOTUNN is in Turkiye for the first time!

“To be or not to be!”

GHK – On Sunday, March 29, 2026, you will perform in Istanbul for the first time. It’s like a dream coming true. When I first listened to your debut album “Access All Worlds” on the exact same day in 2021 (it was definitely a Friday), I fell in love with IOTUNN at first listen. And it wasn’t just me. I shared it first with my closest friends, then countless times in rock and heavy metal groups on social media. During those dark pandemic days, I even got in touch with you—especially with our friend Jesper—and from that very day, I expressed my wish to see IOTUNN live in Istanbul, or maybe even Ankara. Finally, at least the Istanbul show is becoming a reality. Believe me, we worked really hard on this. Back then, I already reached out to our valuable promoter friends about it. And in the end, Duality Productions is making it happen with you. First of all, how did you manage to create such incredible music that blends genres so beautifully—atmospheric and cinematic at the same time—with seamless transitions between styles? I’m not even getting into the lyrics yet. You achieved this with just two albums after 2015. Could you summarize the story of IOTUNN for the rock and heavy metal fans in Turkey?

Jesper Gras – I think the best way to describe IOTUNN is not as a band that decided on a sound—but as a band that discovered one.

From the very beginning, Jens and I never approached songwriting with genre in mind. We approached it with feeling and inner pictures of nature, the Cosmos etc. In interviews I’ve said that everything we create is guided by “senses and emotions” rather than rules. That’s really the key.

We grew up listening to everything—metal, yes—but also classical music, film scores, folk, progressive rock. So, when we write, all of that naturally flows together. The “cinematic” aspect you mention is not something we add later—it’s already there in how we hear music internally.

The band itself really began as a search. Years of searching. Trying different expressions, different sounds, until suddenly something clicked—and it felt free and it felt like us. That freedom is still the core of IOTUNN today.

If I were to tell Turkish listeners what IOTUNN is:

It’s honest, emotive and total metal

GHK – IOTUNN is a band from Denmark (and the Faroe Islands), formed in 2015, producing progressive melodic death metal—with some doom metal influences too, perhaps from Saturnus… While pigeonholing a work into subgenres isn’t always meaningful, it’s something every metalhead and rocker inevitably deals with. As far as I know, “IOTUNN” means “giant” in the old language. What was your intention when choosing this name? How important is Norse mythology in your music and lyrics? How do you reflect it in your sound?

Jesper Gras – “IOTUNN” — yes, it means “giant.” But for us, it’s not about mythology in a literal storytelling sense. I think it is about scale.

Giants represent something beyond the human—forces of nature, ancient energies, something that humbles you. That feeling is very important to us. Whether it’s standing in nature, thinking about time, or reflecting on life—there’s always this sense that we are part of something much larger.

Norse mythology is present, but more as a philosophical lens than a narrative tool. We don’t write “about gods”—we write about what those ideas represent I think

GHK- Your first EP, “The Wizard Falls,” was released 10 years ago in 2016. Honestly, it had quite a power metal vibe. What happened that led you to evolve into progressive melodic death metal by 2021? Was it the spirit of the approaching 2020s that influenced you?

Jesper Gras – Back then, we were still exploring. The EP captured a moment in time and I think parts of it showed our sound. But over time, we became more honest with ourselves.

We slowed things down. We allowed space. And we found the space where complexity and simplicity could coexist in our own way. That’s why Access All Worlds became what it is. It was exploring and maturing from 2016-2020 and it was also a matter of becoming the band we still is today with the five members we are

GHK- Jón Aldará’s transitions between clean vocals and growls/death vocals are incredibly smooth. How do you achieve that balance? Don’t you show any mercy to the listeners?

Jesper Gras – Jón is something else. In my humble opinion he is one of the best rock and metal singers in the world today. But the reason it works is not his incredible technique—it’s emotional integrity I think. Every transition he makes is in service of the song and he just does everything with such honesty and professionalism. That’s why it never feels forced.

There is a kind of honesty in his delivery that makes even extreme contrasts feel natural. It’s like different emotional states speaking through the same voice.

And no—we show no mercy!

GHK – Dear friends Jesper and Jens Gräs seem to write a big part of the songs. How does the songwriting process usually work? Does everyone contribute lyrics equally? Did the band basically start between the two brothers at home? How does democracy work within the group?

Jesper Gras – Yes, the song writing begins between Jens Nicolai and me—and that foundation is there in all our songs.

Typically, we build the core structures: guitars, harmonies, arrangements. Then we bring it to the band, and something beautiful happens—a kind of collective transformation. As I’ve described before, once the others join, everything goes into a circular exchange where the song becomes complete.

There’s no ego-based democracy. It’s more like… a shared intuition. We follow what feels right.

GHK – Bjørn Andersen’s drum parts sound very alive and organic on the albums. Do you record them in the studio, or do you go for a more live rehearsal feel?

Jesper Gras – We always aim for life in the sound. Even in the studio, we think in terms of performance, not perfection. Slight imperfections can carry emotion—and we never want to lose that. The drums for our two albums has been recorded in Bjørn´s own studio.

GHK – The main theme of Kinship seems to be built around human relationships, bonds, and the separations brought by death. What was the personal or collective motivation behind choosing this concept?

Jesper Gras – This is something very close to us.

With Kinship, we consciously moved toward something more human, more immediate. We wanted to create something very relatable and resonant with the listener.

It deals with relationships:

With ourselves
With each other
With nature
With time

It’s about what binds us—and what inevitably separates us and this is all in a search to explore the true nature of us. Are we able to build a world of connectedness or are we bound to separation and to be our own doom.

GHK – After listening to your 2025 album Kinship, we said it feels less “alien/cosmic” than the first album “Access All Worlds” and more introspective and emotional. Did you make this change intentionally, or was it a natural process?

Jesper Gras – Yes and no.

I think it was intentional in the sense that we followed what felt true at that moment. But it wasn’t a calculated shift. For us Access All Worlds is looking outward. Kinship is looking inward. But both are part of the same overall very broad question I think: What does it mean to exist?

GHK – Which song on the album is your favorite and why? Many people—including me and Sibel (we’ve been your first two fans in Turkey from day one)—say “The Coming End” or “Kinship Elegiac.” What do you think? Will we have the chance to hear them live at the concert?

Jesper Gras – That’s always difficult to me to choose. I feel deeply connected to all songs, because we never compromise during the process. But in some way Mistland is very special to me. But I am really proud of them all!
We are very aware of what people love and we want Istanbul to be amazing so we have prepared a great setlist.

GHK – In masterpiece tracks like “I Feel the Night,” there are very soft verses and then massive heavy choruses. What do you pay the most attention to when creating these dynamic contrasts?

Jesper Gras – This is essential I think. Music lives in contrast. Light and dark, soft and heavy. We often think of songs as landscapes—with valleys and peaks. You need both and that what very much present when we wrote I Feel The Night.

GHK – If we asked, “Which song should someone start with when discovering IOTUNN for the first time?” what would you say?

Jesper Gras – Probably “Kinship Elegiac” or “The Tower of Cosmic Nihility” or “Mistland”

They show the full emotions and scale of our sound.

GHK – Who are the biggest influences and masters for you?

Jesper Gras – It’s a wide universe. Bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Opeth, Enslaved, and Borknagar have shaped us, but also many classical composers, movie soundtracks and bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis.

For me personally, that combination of metal and something more atmospheric and philosophical has always been important.

GHK – Here’s a fun political question (you don’t have to answer, of course). Since you’re coming from Denmark to our country: Donald Trump wants Greenland, as you know. My favorite island, Greenland. What’s going to happen to Greenland? One day we want to visit that beautiful land and its people with Schengen. I already have a US visa, but please let’s not need it…

Jesper Gras – Let’s hope it remains a place of beauty, culture, and respect and that the US stays away with Trumps crazy mind. We have a deal with them going a long way back to the 50´s so everything Trump wishes in regards of defense policy he can do already. I think the problem is that he is a crazy imperialist.

GHK – When we think of Denmark, the first name that comes to mind is the great master King Diamond. He came to Turkey last year too. Lars Ulrich doesn’t really come to mind 😄 Saturnus is our red line—we’ve been writing “come unite” to them for years, and beautifully, they’ve played in Turkey three times in recent years. I really like Volbeat too. There are quite a few bands, but let’s not be unfair. Who are your favorites from Denmark, and even from Europe (excluding the old classics)?

Jesper Gras – Of course King Diamond is legendary. And we fully understand your love for Saturnus—they are truly special. For me personally I think of Mercyful Fate.

GHK – The last question is from my girlfriend Sibel. She’s also one of your first fans in Turkey. I think it’s a really nice question. In your first album, you dove deep into space and cosmic themes. Are you really sure you’re from this world? J

Jesper Gras – Sometimes I’m not entirely sure J But I think music is our way of reaching beyond it while still being deeply rooted in this world.

GHK – Do you have any message for the Turkish audience and listeners before coming to Istanbul? If so, what is it? We’re waiting for you with four eyes (eagerly)! You’ll find a very enthusiastic crowd here—we guarantee it. This will be a beautiful and meaningful start for your upcoming Turkey concerts on the tour as well. See you soon.

Jesper Gras – We’ve felt your support for years andnd now, finally, we meet. Bring everything you have—your voices, your energy, your passion. Metal is a common language and energy that connects us beyond everything else. Let’s create something together in Istanbul that we will all remember. See you on Sunday