Jinjer // Ronnie James Dio Stage // BOA22 // Saturday 13th August 2022

Jinjer

In less than 10 years, the four-piece Progressive Groove metal wrecking machine known as JINJER have carved their very own place in the Heavy Metal landscape and are poised to go even further. Hailing from Donetsk, this Ukrainian musical oddity formed in 2009 but consider the official start of the band with the addition of the incredible vocalist and Femme Fatale Tatiana Shmailyuk in 2010. The band laboured intensively and honed their sound in practice rooms and local stages relentlessly. While most bands from a country not exactly known for its Heavy Metal exports would be content to enjoy the little recognition received in those first few years, it was clear that JINJER craved more and were willing to go the extra mile to make this happen. It was this attitude and clear vision that pushed the band to quickly write and release their second album ‘Cloud Factory’ (2014), and begin booking their own shows and building their reputation under their own terms. It was this intensity that caught the attention of Napalm Records, who quickly signed JINJER leading to the release of their critically acclaimed third album ‘King of Everything’ (2016).The album showcased the musical prowess and growth of the entire band while opening the floodgates to a bigger international touring circuit which JINJER gladly took advantage of. Somewhere between touring vans, roadside pit stops, backstage rooms, sound checks, hotel rooms, visa applications, and flights to new tour destinations, JINJER buried themselves in the rehearsal room once again to compose 5 brand new tracks for what would become the ‘Micro EP’, written not only for the fans but for themselves, as they needed something new to keep their sanity on the road. Released on January 11th 2019 the ‘Micro EP’ was received with open arms from fans and critics alike. Ever since, the fans at Bloodstock have been eager to have these guys back on the Hallowed ground and this year, they are back!
As the stage is set up for these guys to come on next, I’m definitely excited to see them play for the first time. They are another band that the crowd has been waiting in anticipation to see and these guys are one of the big bands to catch across the weekend. Prior to taking to the stage, blue beach balls can be seen bouncing across the crowd amongst a few Ukraine flags which have been flying in the middle of the crowd all weekend. As Tatiana Shmailyuk takes centre stage she begins with her soft melodic vocals before hitting that deep guttural growl. If you weren’t watching or not aware, you would think the band had two vocalists but it’s purely Shmailyuk’s incredible vocal range. She is backed up by technical prowess of the test of the band as they perform with precision and flair. As the band continues their performance, the crowd are loving every second as they push in trying to get closer to the stage. Early on Tatiana also addressed the crowd to show the band’s appreciation for the support the fans and the country have provided to their homeland during the ongoing conflict. This gets a huge cheer of support as more flags are raised in solidarity. The show goes on though as Jinjer put on one of the best performances of the weekend so far showcasing the very reason why fans love them so much. It’s safe to say that the wait and anticipation was worth it as they completely blew the entire crowd away during their set leaving us all wanting more!