If one thing can be said for Jinjer, it’s that things haven’t exactly been easy for the Ukrainian band. They worked and worked to breakthrough, something that didn’t happen instantly with the release of King of Everything. The most recent and urgent challenge has been the Russian occupancy of their homeland, with the band having to be granted permission to continue touring from the government and become ambassadors. What effect has this had on the music? Well, intentional or not, Duél comes across as some of the most aggressive music from the modern act to date.
“Tantrum” instantly sets the tone for Duél as it’s opener. Exploding out of the gates with blastbeats and chaotic, complex riffing, it makes a statement of aggression. Not to say that the band’s longstanding groovy emphasis doesn’t show up, with more melodic moments featuring Eugene Abdukhanov’s basswork and vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk’s cleans don’t appear, but the intensity of the band at their most visceral is immediately notable. Later cut “Fast Draw” thrashes forward with dire urgency and breakneck speed. Shmayluk’s roars hit some masterful lows as the music comes into groove territory, and the music does not relent. “Hedonist” takes the dark aggression and channels it more into heavy grooves and murky atmosphere, and “Rogue” rolls out the fury with djenty chugs and progressive noodling.
But for all the aggressive energy present on the album, it’s far from one note. There’s still plenty of room for experimentation. “Tumbleweed” has an almost stoner doom feel to it’s riffing and melodies, standing as one of the most unique sounding songs the band has done. The emotive “Someone’s Daughter” switches between groovy and atmospheric melodies as it builds up to a breaking point. The title track works as a closing display of proggy melodies and tempo shifts between the melodic and heavy, showcasing all of the band’s continued evolution in one track.
While in some regards, what Jinjer is somewhat more predictable in their extremities between melodic and heavy clashes, its the space between that is most important. They prove themselves to be still hungry to develop and up the dynamics, whether it’s through being more progressive, intense, or in melody. They’ve put the time in to find a niche that is their own, and they continue to cultivate and expand that sound. Duél sees them standing tall, surmounting the challenges around them and continuing to up the sonic ante, proving themselves to be more than worthy of the hype.