Album Review: Jinjer - 'Wallflowers'

For anyone who has ever crossed paths with Ukranian metalcore leviathans Jinjer in the past, one thing is categorically clear: shrinking wallflowers, they are not. 

Lauded as being one of the most exhilarating and hardworking forces in the modern metal world right now, this quintet have frequently marched to the beat of their groove-laden brand of sonic annihilation since first forming back in 2009, and cementing their brand in 2010 with the addition of the formidable Tatiana Shmailyuk on lead vocals. 

Since then, an array of influences that span the globe and smash the parameters of heavy music have fortified the Jinjer sound, with everyone from Slayer, Pantera, Opeth, Cypress Hill and Aussies Twelve Foot Ninja and Karnivool thrown into the mix by the band over the years; and the true might of this lot is still yet to be witnessed, as evidenced by the impending release of their fourth album Wallflowers due out this Friday 27 August.

From the outset, Jinjer are here to crush skulls and take names, with the beautifully abrasive Call Me A Symbol clearly setting the scene for this aggressive new phase of Jinjer. That's not to insinuate there aren't moments of melodic beauty and sharp stylistic flair lying in wait, as the intro track readily showcases in its closing minutes. 

With plenty of grooving jaunt to scratch your djenty itches, there's also a cavalcade of snarling breakdowns (Vortex, Copycat), grungy hues (Disclosure!) and quieter beauty (Wallflower) lying in wait. And while the entire band are entirely on point throughout the entire album, the breathtaking light and shade of Shmailyuk's vocals dazzle in caustic and sensational fashion.   

Jinjer have experienced and survived more than many kicking around in the modern musical realms, escaping the volatile village of their hometown Horlivka in the Ukraine in 2014 as the unrest between the Ukrainian military, anti-government protestors and pro-Russian rebels ignited with gusto. But even without their eventful non-musical past, Wallflowers is a blistering and exciting masterpiece that furthers the already imposing legacy wielded by this all-powerful bunch. 

An irritable, beautiful and dynamic journey; Wallflowers isn't here to play nice - but with it, Jinjer deliver a new benchmark for modern heavy music.

Find out more about Jinjer here.