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Jinjer
Jinjer performing in 2019 (L–R: Ibramkhalilov, Shmayluk, Ulasevich, Abdukhanov)
Background information
Origin	Donetsk, Ukraine
Genres	Progressive metal metalcore groove metal djent
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Napalm The Leaders
Members	Tatiana Shmayluk Roman Ibramkhalilov Eugene Abdukhanov Vladislav Ulasevich
Past members	Dmitriy Oksen Maksym Fatullaiev Vyacheslav Okhrimenko Oleksandr Koziychuk Yevhen Mantulin Dmitriy Kim
Website	jinjer-metal.com

Jinjer (/ˈdʒɪndʒər/ "ginger") is a Ukrainian metal band from Donetsk, formed in 2008. None of the founding members remain with the band. The current lineup considers 2009 as its official year of formation, with the arrival of singer Tatiana Shmayluk and guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov. The band has since added bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and drummer Vladislav Ulasevich. Their upcoming fifth studio album, Duél, is due to be released in February 2025.

History

Jinjer was formed in 2008 by singer Maksym Fatullaiev, guitarist Dmitriy Oksen, bassist Oleksiy Svynar, and drummer Vyacheslav Okhrimenko. This lineup released the four-song EP Objects in Mirror Are Closer than They Appear. In 2009, Fatullaiev was replaced by Tatiana Shmayluk, and Roman Ibramkhalilov joined on second guitar. In 2011, Oleksiy Svynar was replaced by Eugene Abdukhanov, while Okhrimenko was replaced by Oleksandr Koziychuk.

This lineup self-released the EP Inhale, Do Not Breathe in 2012 and Jinjer began relentlessly touring on their own funds. They were noticed by the Leaders Records in late 2012, and Inhale, Don't Breathe was officially re-released in 2013 in an extended format, with three live tracks. The band won the Best Ukrainian Metal Act award held by Kyiv's InshaMuzyka label in 2013 (they would win that award again in 2016).

Jinjer self-released their first full-length album, Cloud Factory, in 2014; the record featured another new drummer, Yevhen Mantulin. It would later be picked up and re-released by their current record label, Napalm. Jinjer began touring internationally and personally booked their own shows. The final remaining founding member, Dmitriy Oksen, departed in 2015 and was not replaced, leaving Ibramkhalilov as sole guitarist.

While the band was on tour in 2014, Mantulin fell out of a third-story window and suffered severe injuries, severing his spine and rupturing his spleen and thus being unable to continue playing drums. He was replaced by Dmitriy Kim.

After several world tours, Jinjer released their second full-length album, King of Everything, in 2016, which was preceded by the single "Pisces". In 2021, Metal Hammer placed "Pisces" at No. 74 in their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Songs of the 21st Century". Shortly after the release of King of Everything, drummer Vladislav Ulasevich joined and the band's lineup has remained stable since.

In 2017, Jinjer committed to two tours across Europe in support of Arch Enemy, followed by their first tour of North America, alongside Cradle of Filth, in 2018. The band also reissued their 2014 album, Cloud Factory, on Napalm Records in February 2018. In September of that year, Jinjer landed on the Billboard Next Big Sound chart. They released the five-track EP Micro in January 2019, followed by tours with Amorphis, Soilwork, and Nailed to Obscurity.

Their third full-length album, Macro, was released in October 2019 and featured experiments in reggae and progressive rock. Loudwire named it one of the fifty best metal albums of 2019. Jinjer was forced to cancel several tours, including their first in Latin America, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They released the live album Alive in Melbourne in November 2020. They then returned to Kaska Record Studios in Kyiv in March 2021, and their fourth full-length album, Wallflowers, was released on 27 August. Loudwire ranked it among the best rock/metal albums of the year again, placing it at #21.

In March 2022, it was reported that Jinjer had "paused" their career to focus on relief efforts in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country one month prior. In June 2022, Jinjer announced that they received permission from the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to leave Ukraine and tour as ambassadors of the nation.

In June 2024, Jinjer confirmed the completion of their fifth studio album and announced plans to debut new songs on their upcoming North American tour. The record, titled Duél, is set to be released on 7 February 2025.

Musical style and influences

Jinjer have mentioned many influences for their music, including Guano Apes, Slayer, Death, Pantera, Anathema, Lamb of God, Gojira, and Twelve Foot Ninja. While explaining their influences, the band have noted other metal acts like Opeth, Karnivool, and Textures, in addition to groups across the spectrum of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, reggae, and hip hop, such as Cypress Hill and House of Pain.

They have been noted for progressive experiments with genres such as R&B, soul, funk, jazz, reggae, and groove metal. Bassist Eugene Abdukhanov has been noted for his use of a five-string bass to supplement the group's sound since Roman Ibramkhalilov became the sole guitarist. The band's more recent releases have featured lyrics addressing the war in Donbas and its effects on their home region of Donetsk.

Band members

• Jinjer performing at Wacken 2019
• Tatiana Shmayluk
• Roman Ibramkhalilov
• Eugene Abdukhanov
• Vladislav Ulasevich

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

• Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear (2009)
• Inhale, Do Not Breathe (2012)
• Micro (2019)

Live albums

• Alive in Melbourne (2020)
• Live in Los Angeles (2024)

References

1. Simon Russell-White (29 October 2020). "Feeling Alive with Eugene Abdukhanov from JINJER". Retrieved 13 November 2020.
2. Dave Everley (5 August 2020). "Jinjer have announced a post-lockdown mini-tour next month". Retrieved 24 August 2020.
3. "Progressive Groove Metal Leaders Jinjer Release New Album 'Wallflowers'". Bass Magazine. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
4. Gerber, Lothar (22 August 2022). "Jinjer fühlen sich vom Krieg in der Ukraine zu neuen Songs inspiriert". Metal Hammer (in German). Retrieved 1 June 2023.
5. Napalm Records America. "JINJER". Retrieved 13 December 2017.
6. ^ Jinjer – Official Site. "Biography". Retrieved 21 June 2021.
7. "Jinjer: Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear". www.spirit-of-metal.com. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
8. FenrirXXII. "Jinjer Backstory". Retrieved 18 November 2019.
9. "Biography-FB". Facebook. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
10. GhostCultMag (27 February 2018). "Jinjer – Cloud Factory". Retrieved 12 November 2019.
11. Jinjer. "Friends, we have some tragic news for you". Facebook. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
12. Loudwire (28 October 2019). "Jinjer on War in Ukraine, Rejecting Popularity + 'Macro'". YouTube.
13. Jinjer – Official Band Site. "Biography". Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
14. Metal Hammer (16 May 2021). "The 100 greatest metal songs of the 21st century". loudersound.com. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
15. Frays, Claire (17 March 2020). "Jinjer Drummer Vladislav Ulasevich Interviewed December 2019". Rock Sins. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
16. Metal Injection (30 August 2017). "Jinjer Shows Ukraine Brings The Heaviness with "Who Is Gonna Be The One" Live Clip". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
17. thePRP (December 2017). "Jinjer to Reissue "Cloud Factory" In February". Retrieved 30 January 2018.
18. Billboard. "Billboard Next Big Sound Artist Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
19. Jinjer bandcamp. "Micro". Retrieved 19 November 2019.
20. thePRP (19 June 2018). "Amorphis, Soilwork, Jinjer & Nailed To Obscurity Announce European/UK Tour". Retrieved 21 January 2019.
21. Blabbermouth (23 August 2019). "Jinjer To Release 'Macro' Album in October; 'Judgement (& Punishment)' Video Available". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
22. Billboard.com (31 October 2019). "Ukrainian Metal Band Jinjer Delivers on Its Promise With New Album 'Macro'". Billboard. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
23. "The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2019". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
24. "Jinjer reschedule tour of Latin America". LambGoat. 24 November 2020.
25. "Jinjer Alive In Melbourne". 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
26. Metal Hammer (22 March 2021). "Jinjer start work on fourth album, reveal plan to take "extreme music to a whole new level"". loudersound.com. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
27. "Jinjer – Wallflowers (Album Review)". 27 August 2021.
28. "The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
29. Report: Jinjer Have Paused Their Music Career To Focus On Ukrainian Relief Efforts ThePRP. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
30. "Jinjer to leave warzone and tour as official ambassadors for Ukraine". 8 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
31. Mills, Matt (27 June 2024). "Jinjer have finished recording their fifth studio album". Louder. Future plc. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
32. "Jinjer announce new album Duél". Kerrang!. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
33. RevolverMagazine (2 April 2019). "From Warzones to Mosh Pits: The Evolution of Jinjer's Tatiana Shmailyuk". Retrieved 18 November 2019.
34. ^ Blabbermouth.net (24 July 2016). "Ukraine's Jinjer Doesn't Like Being Compared to Other Female-Fronted Metal Bands". Retrieved 13 December 2017.
35. ^ LAWeekly.com (10 September 2019). "Ukrainian Groove-Metal Makes Road Warriors Out of Jinjer". Retrieved 4 November 2019.
36. Bennet, J. (21 October 2019). "Jinjer: The rage, sadness and hustle of Tatiana Shmayluk". Revolver Mag.
37. "Jinjer Brbr DENG + Play Their Favorite Riffs". YouTube. Loudwire. 23 October 2019.
38. "From Warzones to Mosh Pits: The Evolution of Jinjer's Tatiana Shmailyuk". Revolver. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
39. "Jinjer – Bus Invaders". 5 December 2019 – via YouTube.
40. "Vladislav Ulasevich". TAMA Drums.
41. "Jinjer to Release Macro Album in October; "Judgement (& Punishment)" Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
42. "Jinjer to Release Wallflowers Album in August; 'Vortex' Music Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Jinjer at AllMusic

• 2009 establishments in Ukraine
• Metalcore musical groups
• Musical groups established in 2009
• Napalm Records artists
• Ukrainian heavy metal musical groups
• Ukrainian musical quartets
• Progressive metal musical groups
• Female-fronted musical groups
• Djent