Jinjer is a four-piece metal band from Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine.

With the war in Ukraine raging, I felt it best to spotlight what I believe is the best music coming out of the war-torn country. This leads me to Jinjer, a four-piece metal band from Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine. According to the band’s biography on their website, Jinjer originally formed in 2009.

However, the current members regard 2010 as the official year they formed following the addition of guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov and fire-breathing lead singer Tatiana Shmailyuk. The beauty of Jinjer is their ability to blend Shmailyuk’s clean vocals and frighteningly satisfying growls with their many musical influences.

Shmailyuk’s growls can be off-putting for some, but they shouldn’t be. In separate interviews with Revolver Magazine and Blabbermouoth.net, the band members have named Lamb of God, Death, Pantera, Slayer and Gojira as inspirations. A separate piece by LAWeekly.com mentions R&B, reggae, funk and jazz acts as inspirations as well. There is something for everybody when analyzing Jinjer’s musical style. They somehow manage to blend all those musical and lyrical influences together into something that is all together their own style.

A March 3 article by the BBC announced Jinjer is suspending their musical pursuits to aid in the war effort in Ukraine. The band was set to begin a U.S. tour this month but have canceled all scheduled concert dates. Get on YouTube, open Spotify or whatever and type “Jinjer.” You’ll probably see “I Speak Astronomy” or “Pisces.” Those two songs are a great introduction to the band.

If you’re intrigued by what you hear, listen further.

— Justin Davis, Blue Mountain Eagle