Jinjer – Duel Review

Hello, music friends, and welcome back to my series of music reviews, and keep on clicking, reading, and commenting!

When you think of bands who have risen to prominence in their respective genres, what country do they hail from? The United States, naturally, Canada and the UK/England as well. And let’s not forget the likes of Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain, and, yes, even Russia. But when you think of successful (or on the rise) bands, do you think of Ukraine? If not, then you should, because Jinjer is changing all of that with their recent string of major label releases, leading up to Duel, their most recent release from the quartet.

To find about this and, of course, so much more, feel free to read on!

Jinjer – Duel
Release Date – February 7, 2025
Genre: Prog Metal/Groove Metal/Metalcore

Band Line-up:
Tatiana Shmayluk – Vocals
Roman Ibramkhalilov – Guitars
Eugene Abdukhanov – Bass
Vladislav Ulasevich – Drums

Track Listing:
1. “Tantrum” (4:01)
2. “Hedonist” (3:45)
3. “Rogue” (3:12)
4. “Tumbleweed” (3:21)
5. “Green Serpent” (4:01)
6. “Kafka” (4:09)
7. “Dark Bile” (3:40)
8. “Fast Draw” (3:13)
9. “Someone’s Daughter” (4:17)
10. “A Tongue so Sly” (4:24)
11. “Duel” (4:48)

Returning with their fifth full-length studio album, Jinjer continues to provide thought provoking and volatile music for the masses with Duel. While the band has been around in some incarnation since 2008, it has only been over the recent years that the public eye has been turned to the events happening between Russia and Ukraine, and while I won’t say that this has given the band a spotlight for their music and mission, it certainly hasn’t hurt either. Speaking solely for myself, I came across the band in 2019 with the release of Macro and have been here for the ride since then.

Tatiana is the focal point of the band, and for good reason. Her ability to turn from an angelic, swooning voice that a pop star would appreciate to some harsh and guttural screams seems about as easy as turning the light switch on and off. She does this often across most of the tracks, although on “Tumbleweed,” “Someone’s Daughter,” and single “Green Serpent,” she tends to let the harmonic side of her vocals resonate. In contrast to this, “Rogue” and “Fast Draw” see total screams and growls that make it sound like she is about to embalm the listener.

Whether fair or otherwise, the instrumental performances on this album can be viewed as one amorphas blob with little in the way to pinpoint true stand outs. Such is the life of musicians in these genres of music, but there are some highlights to be found. On “Tantrum,” Eugene gets a standalone bass solo, while on “Hedonist,” Roman’s guitar kicks the track off sounding like a low hum Jeep that needs a new muffler. Finally, on “Dark Bile,” the guys open the song with a fury that rivals nothing else on the album, before it settles into paint by the number’s territory.

Without stating the obvious, recent events over the years between neighboring countries have helped to mold the lyrics and the message from the band, with this album being the quintessential point in all of this. The lyrical content from Tatiana covers a lot of spectrums, and she delivers it with equals parts grace and dignity, anger, and hostility. As the band have gotten more popular and been on bigger tours, they have also toned down their rough edges some, although on songs like “Rogue,” “Fast Draw,” and the title track, they stand to remember how loud, and abrasive they have always been.

Coming in at just a touch under 43 minutes and spanning eleven tracks, Duel is an easy and digestible listen if you are a fan of the genres that the band represents. Even so, the casual fan might find something that they like and that draws them into the band as well. The Jekyll and Hyde vocals from Tatiana, along with some competent (albeit faceless) instrumental work and some very sound production make this album a good starting point if you are late for the band, or if you are simply curious about who they are and what they represent.

Recommended Tracks: “Rogue,” “Fast Draw,” “Someone’s Daughter,” and “Duel.”

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

Duel find Jinjer continuing to bring the anger and hostility while they continue to sand the edges and incorporate more harmony and tempered pace. The band's fifth LP sees Tatiana dominant this one, while the guys perform ably throughout, albeit without much of a standout performance to be found. Duel probably won't change your mind if you don't like Jinjer, but if you were ever curious about them and their message, this is a good place to start.