Punch of harmonic heavy metal

Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer was formed in 2009 by former members Maksym Fatullaiev, Dmitriy Oksen and Vyacheslav Okhrimenko. The band considered 2010 the year of development when vocalist Tatiana Shmailyuk replaced Fatullaiev, and Roman Ibramkhalilov became the lead guitarist, with bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and drummer Vladislav Ulasevich joining later to make the current lineup. Last month, Jinjer released their record Wallflowers, where the music is smashing with a powerful vocal performance from Shmailyuk throughout and the guitar playing from Ibramkhalilov. Eugene Abdukhanov is capable of shaking the veins of those who are listening, and Ulasevich’s drum playing lights the atmosphere with thunderous drum beats. Jinjer knows how to create impactful metal music that has a solid kick of madness.

“Vortex,” a surging track, is a bittersweet piece that displays how talented Shmailyuk is as a vocalist. Right off the bat, the sound of her singing in a delicate and melodic tone shows Shmailyuk’s vocal skill in projecting what she is feeling. Then, the rise in the middle where Shmailyuk starts shouting out the lyrics showcases the power within her voice. The mixture of melody and rage can be felt on “Vortex” by how Shmailyuk uses her voice to create musical havoc that fans want to hear.

“Copycat” has wildly blazing guitar playing from Ibramkhalilov. Throughout the whole thing, the heavy sound of riffs emerges from the background with great authority, accompanied by harmony and metal crashing into each other to bring more energy. The louder Ibramkhalilo plays the guitar, the better the song sounds blaring on the speaker. “Copycat” is a mind dazzler that has Ibramkhalilo showing off his skills to create heart-stopping riffs.

The title track, “Wallflowers,” has its twist and turns. What is enjoyable is how soft the band is playing at the beginning because the instrumentation carries on a slower melodic tempo. This quickly changes toward the middle of this song as the tempo picks up and the band begins to play faster and louder. While listening, the music proves how creative Jinjer is with their music. This track shows off the band’s capability of transforming a soft musical pattern into non-stop craziness. “Wallflowers” is a sheer hit that will make some people appreciate the band’s use of creativity to share their feelings.

“As I Boil Ice” is a killer composition that has dynamic drum playing from Ulasevich. It is neat how Ulasevich starts to play lightly before he switches to faster and deeper drum beats. In some ways, his drumming does keep this tune together by the way he rhythmically drums to a steady tempo, and the sound blends in with the harmonic music the rest of the band is playing on. “As I Boil Ice” is beautiful, and it has fantastic drum playing.

Overall, Jinjer has hit a home run with Wallflowers. The music will blast people’s ears with hard-hitting metal music.