The Ukrainian progressive metal four-piece Jinjer has well and truly backed up their previous success with their latest release, “Wallflowers”. Turning more towards the heavier side of metal, they have well and truly cemented their place as one of the premier metal acts at the moment.
“Wallflowers” starts off with an absolute bang. “Call Me A Symbol” and “Colossus” are monster tracks, incorporating their classic groove, a mix of Tatiana’s harsh and clean vocals with double kicks, blast beats and riffs not out of place in a black or death metal band. I also really enjoy how the bass does it’s own thing most of the time, it gives the songs extra depth, and is a constant feature throughout “Wallflowers”.
Jinjer now start to leave the new styles behind and revert back to their progressive, groovy and smooth nature with “Vortex”, “Disclosure!” and “Copycat”. Chunky breakdowns now start to appear throughout as well, providing a nice contrast of cool riffs that are only used once or twice with the clean vocals giving a nice melody over some pretty harsh sections. “Pearls and Swine” takes this further, with heavy riffs and deep breakdowns galore.
The progressive aspect’s of Jinjer’s writing really start to come into play with “Sleep Of The Rightous” and “Wallflower”. You can feel the emotion being poured out in these songs, with the lyrics giving off the impression of surrender and apathy, and it works really well with the ethereal tunes in the background.
“Dead Hands Feel No Pain” continues the gloomy vibe, but adds a touch of urgency and tension, with the drums being a bit more upbeat and the guitars and bass following that trend. Personally, I think this is the most technical song on the album, with both stringed instruments playing their own thing, almost fighting at times, which makes for very good listening and gives me a real appreciation of their talent.
“As I Boil Ice” takes a path more like “Vortex” and “Copycat”, being a heavy, groovy song that’s sure to make you nod your head, whilst mixing in the slower, melodic sections found in “Wallflower”. It works well and does a good job in setting up the finisher.
The final song on the album, “Mediator” is the perfect closing song. Bringing back some of those black/death metal elements, it ties it up in a neat, well-crafted bun. This features some of the heavier breakdowns on the album, and I love the flow between them and the heavy riffs that close out “Wallflowers”.
If you’re a fan of groove metal, heavy progressive metal or a Jinjer fan of old, then you will love this album.
Jinjer: Facebook
Release Year: 2021
Label: Napalm Records
Category: Album
Country: Ukraine
Reviewed by Gerard May
