This is the fifth album from Ukrainian metal band Jinjer.
I haven’t caught up with Jinjer since their 2016 album King of Everything, so this new album seemed like a good place to see how the band are faring in 2025. It turns out, very well indeed. Duél is a keeper.
Since last hearing Jinjer the band have exploded in popularity, so I was interested to see how much aggression, heaviness, and personality was left in their sound. As opener Tantrum immediately makes clear – plenty. It’s great to see that Jinjer have achieved success through just being themselves.
Jinjer have continued to refine and expand their expressive brand of modern metal. Blending together aspects of groove metal, metalcore, progressive metal, hardcore, and technical metal, alongside influences from jazz and a range of other sources, Jinjer continue to impress with their engaging songwriting. There’s chaos, there’s brutality, there’s beauty, there’s fragility. Honestly, it’s all very good. Jinjer have clearly continued to develop their own voice in the contemporary metal space.
The songs are full of sharp hooks, memorable sounds, and infectious choruses. The riffs shape the songs in the service of rich impact, while the bass is a constant companion, with its wandering and intricate outbursts that texture the material. The drums underpin everything with power, while the talented singer alternates between harsh shouts and crystal clear clean singing. Around this there is more variety than most ostensibly similar acts manage, and the entire album is awash with high quality music.
What sets Jinjer apart from many of their contemporaries is their character and songwriting quirks. Their performances are imbued with emotion and energy, while the songs frequently display atypical arrangements, creative flourishes, or inventive use of well-executed ideas. All of the familiar ingredients are there in Jinjer’s sound, but they are used in unusual ways, and then added to by some flavourings unique to Jinjer alone. The music is frequently complex and involved, and has a depth that’s lacking in many popular acts. The band tie this together with songwriting that makes the music easily accessible, despite its intricacy. And of course, sometimes they just peel off the Huge Damn Riffs, and everyone’s happy.
Duél is an extremely enjoyable record. It takes everything I loved about King of Everything and presents it in a bigger, more refined manner that is very satisfying. I’ve definitely erred in letting the band fall off my radar, but that ends now. Duél is an essential listen for anyone into metal songs that you can rage to, dance to, and sing to. Don’t miss this.
Wonderbox Metal 