Album Review: Jambinai – ONDA

Jambinai are usually labelled as post-rockers using traditional Korean instruments. But this doesn’t credit them with the originality they deserve, as on their third album they continue to create music unlike anything else. With a sound that’s dark, heavy and (in a good way) cacophonous at times, the rugged Sawtooth makes for a scenic opener, sweeping over a landscape that’s beguiling then baleful. It’s fortified with the kinetic tension of Jaehyuk Choi (drums) and B.K Yu (bass), former touring members now made permanent. 

ONDA is an album that’s never static, always seeking new ground. The environmental catastrophe of In the Woods is a 13-minute case in point – one that truly deserves that overused superlative, 'epic'. It culminates with the band attacking their instruments with the almost vindictive violence fans will recognise from their gigs. It’s an album full of peaks, but the crescendo to Small Consolation has that subtle touch of sorcery that elevates it into something truly special, while the closing title track surges to a plateau of swirling sound. 

With their unique approach and tonality, Jambinai continue to tread wild musical terrain explored only by them.