By Jason Walker
Not many bands can claim the incredible rise of popularity that has seen Ukraine’s Jinjer become one of the hottest bands on the circuit. Fresh off the back of playing quite possibly one of the most packed tents I’ve ever seen at Download festival this year, they’ve thrown themselves into a massive European tour in support of their latest album, ‘Macro’.
Playing Manchester’s Academy 2 after not only selling out Rebellion incredibly quickly, but it’s consequent upgrade to the Academy just as fast, they bring with them The Agonist, KHROMA, and Space of Variations. It’s an absolutely packed bill and to say I’m excited for this is a bit of an understatement: this is the type of show that’s going to leave Manchester’s Academy 2 shaking for days.
Space Of Variations are up first, a very unassuming looking four piece set to get the crowd warmed up. Right from the outset they go straight at it with a thick riffy sound, smashing it with harsh vocals and singalong choruses. Despite riding on an overall punk sound, delivering frenetic hooks and downright thumpy noise, there’s a definitive finesse to their delivery. Later on in their set, going from their somewhat straight delivery at the start, they move into some incredibly proggy territory, using throat singing samples amongst others with some parts straying into almost Prodigy-eqsue dark dance.
Their set showcases an incredibly diverse range of sound merging a myriad of influences but maintaining an incredibly tight and cohesive set. A fantastically talented group that did a fantastic job of warming what appeared to be a crowd that had no idea who they were. One last hurrah from the band sees the singer straight up dive into the crowd and start his own moshpit, definitely one to keep an eye on for future developments!
Khroma second up sporting a MacBook and effects deck setup with, bass, a guitarist and drummer so I’m half expecting something similar to The Algorithm prior to them starting. As their start time rolls up, it seems they’re still checking the drums, hopefully this is just a minor setback for their set. Five minutes late, they begin with a walk on to a sci-fi like theme which reminds me a lot of Pendulum. They kick off and this is some straight up drum and bass… No, wait, now it’s Djent… and now it’s almost like Gojira! This is the sort of heavy style fusion that Igorrr are well known for, despite the fundamental genre being very different.
Whatever you would pigeonhole this as, it’s insanely heavy as it is relentless. With polyrhythms, discordant melodies, and more chugs you can shake a stick at, KHROMA shake the stage with every beat. In a similar manner to Space of Variations before them, effortlessly flirting with multiple influences and styles then merging them into something extremely unique.
The Agonist kick us off with brutal double bass pedalled riffs, firing on all cylinders with a mix of melodic death and black metal. The crowd is well up for this, rapturous applause and screaming and the singer is right in everyone’s faces – what a fantastic opener!
Mixing in beautiful cleans with rock bottom gutteral growls, the singer is every bit as serene as she is aggressive. The Agonist definitely seem to be a curveball in the lineup for tonight as they’re very much on the more straightforward style of metal, but they are by no means not worthy. For every bit of thunderous rhythm, there are searing melodies – The Agonist are intense and oozing well-honed style. The set they’re bringing with them tonight is most definitely designed with crowd movement in mind, which they are seeing in spades. The pit is active and rife with the most metal of gurns pasted all over their faces. The band themselves are clearly enjoying the reception they’re receiving here in Manchester, and it’s an absolute joy to watch.
As Jinjer begin their set up, the audience keenly watches over the build, eager with anticipation for the headline act. A timer appears, counting down from three minutes, the tension builds, ready to break loose at 0:00. The crowd starts a chant, leading into a scream of “Jinjer! Jinjer!” – the stage darkens and on they come.
Tatiana brings the focus right in, an incredible stage presence supported by one of the fattest sounds in modern metal right now. You can see by the expression she has that the adores the audience every bit as much as they do her. Even so soon into their set it’s apparent why Jinjer have made waves as big as they have so quickly, as if they were made for shows this size and far beyond.
Everything about the show is frantic, from the polyrhythms, to intense riffs and all the way to the incredible light show. Jinjer are an absolute force of nature right now, you wouldn’t believe this is so far into the monstrous tour schedule they’re on, they’re absolutely tearing the place up with no apology.
Honestly it really is quite hard to put into words the sheer pressure that is coming with this, it suits them so well to have been upgraded to a venue like Academy 2. Tatiana is so easily capable of such soft, sweet melodies with incredible crescendos yet effortlessly blends them in with some of the most facemelting gutturals you’ve ever heard. Finishing the encore with their most well-known number that went viral, ‘Pisces’, it wraps up one of the tightest sets I’ve seen in a long time.
If I had to pick one band that is absolutely worth every merit and success they’ve experienced in the last couple of years, Jinjer would most definitely be it – I wouldn’t be surprised if the next time they come to Manchester that they get offered the Ritz at the absolute minimum. In every single possible manner, they have given everything to the show they put on tonight and it blows my mind that they can keep this up for the sheer length of this tour.
- Jinjer return to the Uber Kingdom to play the main stage at Bloodstock 2020 on Saturday 8 August.
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