Ginger's Rock

Welcome back to Finetuned! We are going to be keeping the energy high! This week is all about incredible prog metal with one of my favorite rhythm sections. This week is all about Jinjer! Let’s jam to some wack-ass time signatures.

Who Are Jinjer?

Jinjer is a Ukrainian metal band known for their progressive, groove, and metalcore influences. I am absolutely in love with this band! Formed in 2009, they gained international recognition for their complex compositions, heavy sound, and the powerful vocals of lead singer Tatiana Shmayluk, who seamlessly switches between deep growls and clean singing. (honestly… I’m crushin a bit 🤦)

Okay, but what about other band members? We have already mentioned Tati! Joining her are friends and bandmates Roman Ibramkhalilov (guitar), Eugene Abdukhanov (bass), and Vladislav (Vlad) Ulasevich (drums). As somewhat aforementioned, Jinjer combines elements of progressive metal, djent, metalcore, and groove metal, often incorporating jazz, reggae, and funk influences into their music. Their sound is known for unpredictable shifts in tempo, technical guitar work, and Tatiana's dynamic vocal range. I really also cannot speak highly enough of their rhythm section, WOW, Eugene and Vlad really bring it every track.

Notable Albums & Songs:

• Cloud Factory (2014)

• King of Everything (2016) – Includes the viral hit "Pisces", which showcases their signature heavy-to-soft contrast.

• Micro (EP, 2019)

• Macro (2019) – Features tracks like "Judgement (& Punishment)" and "On the Top".

• Wallflowers (2021) – A more introspective and experimental album.

What To Expect Sonically

Jinjer's sound is really quite the dynamic blend of brutality and melody, technical proficiency, and genre fusion. To break down their sound much more specifically, let’s do it this way ⤵️ 

Vocals: A Wide Range of Extremes

• Tati delivers both deep, guttural growls and clean, melodic singing, sometimes within the same line - and most definitely within the same track.

• Her vocal transitions are seamless, often catching new listeners off guard (e.g., "Pisces"). This can lead to a jarring experience, but it also has you on the edge of your seat endlessly.

• Her cleans are soulful, sometimes jazzy or even pop-like, contrasting with her monstrous screams. They are truly so beautiful!

Instrumentation & Composition

• Djent-style, low-tuned, polyrhythmic guitars with groovy and technical riffs.

• Bass-heavy sound, often featuring slap bass techniques that add a funk influence that are mixed so beautifully that “forces” you to hear it.

• Drumming that is intricate and diverse, incorporating blast beats, off-time rhythms, and jazzy fills.

• Songs shift between aggressive breakdowns, melodic clean sections, and unexpected genre detours (jazz, reggae, funk).

Genre Fusion & Atmosphere

• At their core, they blend progressive metal, groove metal, and metalcore. You can expect tracks to contain unexpected jazzy interludes, reggae vibes, or atmospheric sections before diving back into heaviness that you will bang your head to without even realizing you are.

• Their production is modern and punchy!

Similar Bands

I’d say elements of the following groups are present in Jinjer’s tunes. Spiritbox, Arch Enemy, Periphery, Tesseract, Gojira, Twelve Foot Ninja, Vildhjarta, and even Meshuggah.

It’s Time For A Duel

This record is so damn good. It’s honestly been on repeat for me for quite some time and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It brings everything I want from Jinjer but still feels so new and fresh. Sincerely, what a release!

Thanks for reading here, Finetuners! I do hope you all have enjoyed this week’s Finetuned. I’d appreciate any insights, admiration, or otherwise. You can reply to the newsletter directly or DM me on Twitter. (or email me here: [email protected])

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See you all in the next one! 🙌