Interview mit Jesper Gräs von Iotunn

You had to play an entire tour this year without your regular singer, Jón Aldará. When did you realize this, and how did you initially deal with the situation?
Jón came to us and told us that he needed a break to recharge himself, and we respected that. I can’t remember exactly when that was, but we began to work out a plan just after that to be able to play all our shows and go on the tour with SOEN and DARK TRANQUILLITY.

You found a replacement in Morten Bering Bryld – how did you come across him?
We all knew Morten, and Morten is a close friend to our manager. We knew of his vocals and took contact with him quickly after Jón had told us that he needed a break. We met with Morten and talked everything through, and Jens Nicolai and I went to the studio and worked on the song “Mistland” with him. For me, I knew he would be amazing to stand in for Jón right there in the studio.

How did he respond to your request, and how did you then approach the tour preparations?
He was ready immediately and at the very first meeting we had with him, we talked through all the shows we wished him to join us for, including the tour.

Anyhow, Jón did play the Wacken show himself – some fans found this incomprehensible and felt it was “cherry-picking.” How did this decision come about?
It was extremely important to us as a band to have this show together. It was our career’s biggest concert so far, a dream come true, and it meant the world to share this experience together as a band. What people call that I really don’t care about.

How is it in general – is Jón back with the band now, or will Morten continue to play shows with you in the future?
Jón is back in every matter now.

The shows with Morten were very well received, and I was also thrilled with how well he did. You can now hear for yourself the live qualities of the “right” lineup on „Waves Over Copenhell“. How did this release come about?
When we were preparing the show for Copenhell 2023, we hired in a big laser and light show as well as a film crew to document the show. It was our hope that we could release it one day. All our time after the Copenhell show was spent on creating our album and playing shows, so when „Kinship“ was released in October 2024 we had some space and went on with this whole project and worked on the mix, videos and everything for months during the first half of 2025.

The cover is a very expressive photo of the light show. How does it relate to the album title?
“Waves” has to do with the laser show – many layers during the show, which gave the place a waving feeling in many ways. It also is connected with the first track “Waves Below”, and it has to do with waves being an expression of atmosphere, feelings, sound, emotions and connection between the band and audience.

What is your personal opinion on live albums – do you like listening to them, or do you prefer studio versions?
I like both, live and studio albums. I prefer when you also get the video for the show and that is the case with our „Waves Over Copenhell“ album.

But so far, only one of the songs is available with a video on YouTube …?
We will release the full show on video during the coming weeks.

It’s all the more surprising that there is no CD/DVD version, only the vinyl version. How come?
That was the label’s decision. I would have liked CDs as well, but we have made some cool plans regarding that for a later time.

Are live albums still relevant today? To put it simply: do they even sell anymore, given that YouTube is always full of live recordings and bands are constantly on tour anyway?
I think they are and ours is selling fine it seems at the moment here up to the release. I love to watch quality live material released by bands, and I have been doing so for many years. Also, I still love to put on a live album. I recently heard “Reunion” by BLACK SABBATH, for instance, and it was amazing. I don’t think that a live album is for everyone. I see it as a special thing for the fans especially and to give quality live material to your fans as a metal band – I don’t hope that this will ever be irrelevant.

Do you have an absolute favorite live album that perfectly demonstrates the advantages of this release format for you?
I really like “Rock in Rio” by IRON MAIDEN, “S&M” by METALLICA, “Made In Japan” by DEEP PURPLE, “Reunion” by BLACK SABBATH, “Live” by AC/DC, “Decade Of Aggression: Live” by SLAYER, “Live At The Regal” by B.B. King … just to name some.

What is your general opinion of physical recordings – do you still buy them yourself, and if so, do you prefer CDs or vinyl? Or do you only stream now?
I don’t buy as much as I used to do, but I still by records now and then, and it can be both CD and vinyl. I also stream a lot of music.

You’re going on tour in April – do you already have new material up your sleeve, or will you be celebrating “Kinship” again first?
It will be a celebration of „Kinship“ but also with a serious focus on “Access All Worlds”. Even though we played in many of the countries during the Ultima Ratio Tour, we haven’t been a headliner in any of the many countries and places we will visit, so this is our chance to give our fans a huge setlist.

Let’s end the interview with a short brainstorming session. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the following terms?
Black Metal: Inner pictures of trekking in the harsh, mesmerizing Norwegian mountains
Christmas: Family
Climate change: One of our civilization’s biggest catastrophes
Wacken: Metal family
IOTUNN in ten years: huge band

Publiziert am 17. Januar 2026 von Moritz Grütz

Fotos von: Afra Gethöffer-Grütz