Ukrainian metal band Jinjer released their sixth studio album Feb. 7, marking their first new music since 2021. Fans had been eagerly awaiting their return after a series of cancelled shows due to the war in Ukraine, and Duél is the perfect reinstatement of the band’s capabilities.
Some tracks are reminiscent of their older albums, with a recognizable sound and structure that engages long-term fans. Others push the boundaries of their traditional style and incorporate new elements, expanding the band’s previous limits and appealing to proponents of new styles and genres.
The opening song “Tantrum” has a fast, heavy beat that slams right into the song without any intro or buildup. It feels like the perfect start to an album with the same aggressive style and is a perfect showcase of the lead singer’s ability to switch instantaneously between harsh and clean vocals while maintaining the heaviness of the song.
“Tumbleweed” is slower than those around it and is where lead singer Tatiana Shmayluk showcases her clean vocals the best. She proved she could still maintain her iconic harsh vocals in the first song and is now expanding to demonstrate her entire vocal range, hitting the difficult notes with apparent ease.
“Green Serpent” has the sound of a classic Jinjer album, starting off slow and building up to a harsh, heavy chorus before sinking back down to the slower tempo. This is a song that could find its place on any of the band’s albums and proves that no matter what musical directions the band may go in, they will always have their iconic sound.
“Dark Bile” was one of the most interesting songs on the album. The guitars had complex rhythms and sounds that contrasted nicely with her transitions between clean and harsh vocals. Though the lyrics didn’t have the same obvious storyline as some other songs had, they were vivid and added to the song’s general energy.
“Someone’s Daughter” is the slowest song of the album, with lyrics that delve into the difficulties and injustices of trying to be a strong and assertive woman in a world that views those traits as strictly male or unfeminine.
Shmayluk describes how she no longer feels like a daughter because she has been forced to learn traits and behaviors that are typically associated with men in order to survive, and that she feels like she has “to combat the world alone.” This is one of the most lyrically evocative songs on the album.
The final song “Duél” starts similarly to the first, with the instruments picking up a heavy rhythm without a prelude. This is another song with their classic sound and perfect mix of harsh versus clean vocals and sounds and quick versus slow tempos.
It made the album feel as though it had come full circle, ending the same way it started despite the journey of different sounds, styles and ideas the band explored throughout.
The album feels like the perfect addition to the band’s repertoire and shows that nothing can stop them from doing what they love – and doing it well.