Birmingham will forever be a place of heavy metal pilgrimage. The indelible stamp left on the music scene by Messrs Osborne, Iommi, Butler and Ward will continue to attract those who lean towards the heavier way of things. For that reason, any metal gig in Birmingham always feels a little bit different, almost like those on stage are paying homage to those that helped their band to exist in the first place. With so many of the old guard winding down or, in too many cases, no longer with us, it's up to the next generation to keep the scene alive. The new guard might transcend genres and styles but the debt owed to the fathers of heavy metal is still the same. The same DNA is intertwined across the entire metal spectrum. Performing in the Second City can be a seen as a rite of passage. Which is why, on a cold, wet and windswept Friday night, a queue of punters is snaking down the street awaiting entry to an evening of progressive metalcore, headlined by Ukraine's finest export since Andriy Shevchenko and the brothers Klitschko.
The peculiarities of Birmingham gigs means that queuing to get in always seems to take a while. By the time the majority have shuffled in from the rain and made their way into this 1500 capacity former church and civic hall, they're just in time for the final couple of songs from TEXTURES. The Dutch sextet are rattling through some fairly by-the-numbers metalcore to an appreciative crowd which has swelled significantly since they emerged on stage. Following support act UNPROCESSED are an entirely different beast. Hailing from Germany, they've attracted a sizeable crowd, with no small number clearly familiar with their work, even before the opening notes are properly struck. Soon, fists, horns, and a number of pints, are in the air as they treat us to 40 minutes of well-executed technical metal that lands in the sweet spot between Deftones' spacious atmospherics and the riff-driven emotion of Killswitch Engage. It's an impressive performance and one that certainly wins them several converts and a rapturous send-off.
By the time JINJER take to the stage, the room is packed. Tonight's show is not quite sold out, but you wouldn't know it. This is their first ever UK and EU headline tour, in support of last year's excellent Duel album. Such is the reputation that they've built and the strength of their live shows, they've not long come off a US tour supporting heavyweights Trivium. This tour is their chance to really flex their muscles and show that they belong at the top of bills and can thrive at this level.
From the off, it's clear that they're not here to fuck about. No sooner have the band emerged onstage, all clad in black bar frontwoman Tatiana, whose white and peach combo adds contrast, the machine gun drums and razor sharp riff of the title and closing track from last year's album burst forth. The set will showcase most of the album but the band will also pluck choice cuts from their back catalogue throughout. The crowd are enraptured almost instantly as the opener is followed by another one-two punch from the same album. A particularly ferocious Fast Draw sees the evening's first crowd surfer hurtling towards the safe hands of the waiting security. It's obvious from the outset that a venue like this perfectly suits Jinjer as a live act. The small scale allows for the ebbs and flows of the music to wash over the crowd, like waves breaching a seawall in the heart of a storm. It also showcases the intricacies and technicalities of the instrumentation. Drummer Vlad, perched high above the rest of the band on his drum riser, hammers away with consummate precision, switching between skittering beats in the slower sections before battering away like a main possessed when required. Equally, bass player Eugene keeps the urgent, rampaging hum going, unleashing it with bowel-loosening intensity. On guitar, Roman makes use of the extra scales their sound requires to bring to life riffs that are both brilliant and brutal, highlighting an astonishing amount of dexterity and musical prowess. Tatiana's vocals are something to behold. The contrast between her guttural, almost malevolent roars, and the softer, almost angelic cleans holds the crowd in an almost hypnotic state. It's an incredible performance from a vocalist at the top of her game. The minimal amount of crowd interaction turns this into a thoroughly immersive experience, and she barely stops moving throughout the set, whether she's twisting seductively or whirling like a dervish. Enhancing the show are impressive, tesselating visuals on a screen behind the stage and a myriad of coloured lights.
Jinjer's songs have never sounded so tight and their lyrics never more profound than they do on this night, when it feels like they finally have nothing to prove. A storming Disclosure! elicits the first singalong of the night. Kafka dials things down a notch and is all slow-burn, amidst an anxious sounding riff. Teacher, Teacher! is a jagged whirlwind of spite and rage. There are messages amongst these lyrics, deeply personal and profound, and conveyed in a way that really allows the songs to breathe. Someone's Daughter is a polemic about women throughout history and their struggle to make their own paths in a world that was historically made by men. It's a progressive metal, feminist battle cry that shines light on how, even in the widely accepting world of metal music, female artists and female led bands have often found themselves unfairly sidelined in favour of male contemporaries. Jinjer refuse to be pigeon-holed and routinely reject the label of 'female-fronted band'. The fact that this newer song sits so well alongside the older material is testament both to the strength of the songwriting and Jinjer's growth as a band. Judgement (& Punishment), from 2019's Macro, begins with a twanging bass riff before segueing into an almost ska-tinged number until the riffs come back with a vengeance. I Speak Astronomy, is a bludgeoning slice of in-your-face metalcore that not so much reads your horoscope as punts you into the Sun. Just when you think things are coming to a close, and a sublime Pisces has knocked everyone sideways with it's gentle intro into massive chorus, it's time for an absolutely caustic and vicious Sit Stay Roll Over. The band name flashes up on the screen, bathed in yellow and blue lights to reflect the Ukrainian national flag. And then it's over. 1500 punters stagger out into the Birmingham night, minds well and truly blown.
Jinjer have absolutely nailed this show. For a band that's had to battle so much adversity, not least the total invasion of their homeland and the ensuing war, this is a triumph. They truly are deserving of high praise, not least for their perseverance, but for the sheer strength to carry on and create metalcore for a new generation. Technically brilliant, vocally astonishing and with songs that not just back it up, but sound phenomenal live. In a recent interview, Tatiana herself revealed that she's a big believer in manifestation. Based on this, they won't be headlining venues this small for much longer. They'll certainly have manifested something even grander.
Jinjer Setlist
Duel
Green Serpent
Fast Draw
Vortex
Disclosure!
Tantrum
Teacher, Teacher!
Kafka
Judgement (& Punishment)
Hedonist
I Speak Astronomy
Perennial
Someone's Daughter
Rogue
Pisces
Sit Stay Roll Over
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